"Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea te kōmako e kō?"
If the heart of the flax is removed, where will the bellbird sing?
Pepeha can express whakapapa and relationships with whenua, whānau, hapū, and iwi. Mihimihi may be the more appropriate form for some ākonga, including many tangata Tiriti. This unit teaches both structures, asks learners to verify personal information with trusted sources, and protects their right to keep identity information private.
📚 He Kupu Whakataki — Introduction
What is Pepeha?
Pepeha is one way of introducing yourself through verified relationships with significant landmarks, whakapapa, and whenua. Its form and use vary across iwi, hapū, and whānau. It can help answer the fundamental question: Ko wai koe? (Who are you?)
Why Learn Pepeha?
- Develops respectful oral language
- Supports whanaungatanga and manaakitanga
- Teaches learners to verify identity information
- Builds judgement about which form fits a context
Pepeha vs Mihimihi
Pepeha may express ancestral and geographical relationships such as maunga, awa, waka, hapū, and iwi.
Mihimihi is a broader greeting or acknowledgement of people and place. It may be more appropriate for tangata Tiriti and for learners who do not have verified whakapapa information to share. Follow local mana whenua guidance.
🏔️ Te Hanganga o te Pepeha — Pepeha Structure
These sentence frames are a reference, not a compulsory checklist. A learner uses a personal line only when its relationship has been verified through whānau or another trusted source:
[Mountain] is my mountain
[River] is my river
[Ancestral canoe] is my waka
[Tribe] is my iwi
[Sub-tribe] is my hapū
I am from [Place]
[Name] is my name
📖 Ngā Akoranga — Lessons
Ko tōku Maunga 🏔️
Distinguish a verified whakapapa connection from a place acknowledgement, then practise the appropriate sentence frame without manufacturing belonging.
Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka 🌊🛶
Investigate awa and waka connections, classify evidence as verified or still to check, and learn why ancestral relationships cannot be borrowed from proximity.
Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū 👥
Learn what iwi and hapū mean, research only whānau-named connections, and practise a local acknowledgement when personal whakapapa is unknown or private.
I te Taha o Tōku Māmā/Pāpā 👪
Explore optional lineage frames and assemble a chosen pepeha or mihimihi with reading, partner, and private-check support available.
Pepeha vs Mihimihi 🤝
When to use pepeha vs mihimihi. For non-Māori students: building an appropriate mihimihi.
Pepeha Presentation Day
Learners share a chosen pepeha or mihimihi in a safe format and receive mana-enhancing feedback.
🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga
Learning Languages — Pāhekoheko · Emergent 1
“Pepeha follow a specific structure made up of key elements that each serve a purpose in expressing identity, belonging, and whakapapa.”
This verified statement anchors the structural language learning. It does not make every listed element compulsory, override local kawa, or authorise a learner to invent a whakapapa relationship.
📄 Ngā Rauemi — Resources
📝 Handouts
🌿 Ngā Kupu — Key Vocabulary
Master these words to build your pepeha with confidence.
🗣️ Ngā Rerekētanga — Dialectal Variations
Te reo Māori varies by region. Respect these differences:
Different forms of "I/me" across regions
Ancestors (i/u vowel variation)
"Kāi Tahu" instead of "Ngāi Tahu"
"Wanganui" for "Whanganui"
📋 Curriculum Alignment
NZC Learning Languages — Te Reo Māori Emergent 1
- Linguistic Knowledge: Possessive pronouns (tōku/ōku), sentence patterns (Ko X tōku Y), dialectal variations
- Cultural Knowledge: Pepeha and mihimihi as context-dependent expressions of identity, relationship, and whanaungatanga
- Communication Modes: Kōrero ā waha (speaking), Pāhekoheko (interacting)
Key Competencies:
- Relating to Others: Building connections through pepeha exchange
- Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Selecting and using an appropriate supported structure
- Managing Self: Making safe choices about content, support, and audience
Success Criteria (WILF):
- Construct a coherent pepeha or mihimihi using only verified personal details
- Share the chosen form with clear pronunciation and any needed reading or partner support
- Explain why the chosen form fits the learner's context without requiring private disclosure
- Demonstrate understanding of when to use pepeha vs mihimihi
Kaiako Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga — Learning Intentions
- Recognise common pepeha and mihimihi sentence frames and use only those that fit verified personal information and local guidance.
- Explain how pepeha expresses whakapapa, whenua, and whanaungatanga rather than acting as a generic speech script.
- Choose whether a full pepeha or a mihimihi is the culturally appropriate form for a given classroom or community context.
- Prepare and rehearse an appropriate chosen form using the support mode and audience that protect the learner's mana and privacy.
Teacher Planning Snapshot
- Year level: Years 4–6 | Duration: 6 lessons / 6 lessons | Learning Languages — Te Reo Māori Emergent 1.
- Entry support: Start with parallel pepeha and mihimihi exemplars, then provide sentence strips and a bilingual scaffold so ākonga can classify each line before choosing their own. Teach local place-name pronunciation for acknowledgement; do not treat local places as personal whakapapa unless that relationship has been verified.
- On-level: Most learners should move from identifying the purpose of each form to drafting, revising, and safely sharing a short pepeha or mihimihi. Build regular private and pair kōrero options into each lesson; public presentation is not the measure of success.
- Extension: Invite confident students to compare sourced regional or iwi variations in pepeha structure and explain why local authority matters. They may support pronunciation practice only with a classmate's consent; they are not responsible for judging another learner's identity.
Inclusion and Accessibility
- ESOL / ELL: Pre-teach core identity vocabulary with visuals and audio, and allow learners to draft first in a mix of English and te reo Māori before moving toward fuller Māori sentence patterns. Pair oral rehearsal with gesture, map prompts, and repeated listening so language load stays manageable.
- Accessibility: Offer printable templates with enlarged text, audio models for each line, and options for supported reading, a shared slide, a trusted partner, or a private teacher check. Record only with informed student and whānau consent and an agreed purpose, audience, storage period, and deletion date.
- Neurodiverse learners: Break the task into one pepeha line at a time, use consistent lesson routines, and provide checklists that show what to finish before moving on. Build in rehearsal choice, quiet practice spaces, and explicit processing time before whole-class speaking tasks.
🔗 Unit Progression & Next Steps
The unit builds knowledge one element at a time, then supports each learner to choose an appropriate pepeha or mihimihi:
- 📖 Lesson 1: Ko tōku Maunga — Distinguish a verified maunga relationship from a respectful place acknowledgement.
- 📖 Lesson 2: Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka — Investigate awa and waka carefully; mark information as verified, still to check, or not chosen.
- 📖 Lesson 3: Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū — Learn the concepts and research only connections named by whānau or another trusted source.
- 📖 Lesson 4: I te Taha o Tōku Māmā/Pāpā — Explore optional lineage frames and assemble a chosen, truthful form.
- 📖 Lesson 5: Pepeha vs Mihimihi — Distinguish pepeha from mihimihi and know when each is used.
- 📖 Lesson 6: Sharing Day — Share in a chosen safe format and give mana-enhancing feedback.
Students leave able to choose and share an appropriate form with support. This learning does not replace local kawa or make one classroom script suitable for every kaupapa Māori context.
Pedagogical Foundations | Ngā Tūāpou Akoranga
Ko au, ko au — I am who I am through my connections. These lenses help kaiako think about language, identity, and learner agency. They do not authorise a teacher or template to assign whakapapa to an ākonga.
→ Explore all theorists at Te Whare Ako — Teaching Theory
📦 Wāhi Ako | Choose Your Lesson Set
This unit has two lesson sets. Both cover the same six pepeha elements in the same order — choose the one that fits how you plan, or draw from both.
Structured activity runsheets with deliberate pacing, at-a-glance cards, and a full bank of ten resource templates. Best for teachers who want complete lesson architecture.
- → L1: Ko tōku Maunga
- → L2: Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka
- → L3: Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū
- → L4: I te Taha o Tōku Māmā/Pāpā
- → L5: Pepeha vs Mihimihi
- → L6: Sharing Day
Concise, cold-teachable runsheets and three core tools for experienced kaiako. This distinct edition keeps Set A’s verified-whakapapa, learner-choice, privacy, accessibility, and local-authority safeguards.
- → L1: Ko tōku Maunga
- → L2: Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka
- → L3: Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū
- → L4: I te Taha o Tōku Māmā/Pāpā
- → L5: Pepeha vs Mihimihi
- → L6: Review and Chosen Sharing