🕘 Lesson at a Glance | Te Hōtaka
Lesson Overview | Tirohanga Whānui
Ākonga learn what iwi and hapū mean, how local and whakapapa relationships differ, and how to research without adopting an identity. Students with whānau-confirmed connections may verify pepeha lines; others learn whose rohe they are in and prepare a respectful mihimihi acknowledgement or a private question.
Learning Intentions | Ngā Whāinga Ako
- Explain what iwi and hapū are and how they sit within the waka→iwi→hapū→whānau structure.
- Verify an iwi or hapū line only when whānau has named that connection; otherwise acknowledge local relationships without claiming them.
- Know where to find correct iwi and hapū information — and that guessing is not appropriate.
⚡ Do Now — Pepeha Chain
⏱ 10 minOn the board: “Verified and chosen” · “Still to verify” · “Not part of my chosen form”.
Run it
- Choose a circle mode (2 min): Sit or stand. Kaiako models an honest short sequence—verified pepeha or mihimihi—using a card.
- Wave around the circle (6 min): Each student says their three lines in sequence. No stopping to correct pronunciation — this is about fluency and confidence. Students who haven't finalised a line say what they have and move on.
- Notice aloud (2 min): “Our lines differ because our relationships and chosen forms differ.” Then: “Today we learn what iwi and hapū mean, including when they are knowledge to respect rather than identities to claim.”
Activity 1 · He Aha te Iwi, He Aha te Hapū?
⏱ 15 minWhat it is: Ākonga learn working definitions of iwi, hapū, and whānau, while recognising that structures, relationships, and terminology vary among communities.
Run it
- Pronunciation (3 min):
- iwi — "ee-wee" (two short vowels, no diphthong)
- hapū — "hah-poo" (long ū at the end — hold it)
- The structure (7 min): Display on the board:
🛶 Waka — the great ocean-going canoe that carried tīpuna to Aotearoa
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👥 Iwi — tribe (large, named group of related hapū; descends from the waka)
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👪 Hapū — subtribe (extended family groups within an iwi; the everyday community)
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🏡 Whānau — immediate and extended familyKnowing, not knowing, or keeping this knowledge private are all real states. A classroom task must not force reconnection or disclosure.
- Iwi source navigation (5 min): Display selected names so students can practise locating authoritative iwi sources—not so they can select an iwi by region:
Ngāpuhi (Northland)Ngāti Whātua (Tāmaki)Waikato-Tainui (Waikato)Ngāti Maniapoto (King Country)Te Arawa (Rotorua)Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Taupō)Tūhoe (Urewera)Ngāti Porou (East Coast)Ngāti Kahungunu (Hawke's Bay)Taranaki (Taranaki)Ngāti Raukawa (Manawatū)Ngāi Tahu (South Island)
Activity 2 · Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū — Research
⏱ 20 minWhat it is: Students follow one of two research paths: verify a whānau-named connection, or learn about local mana whenua and prepare an acknowledgement without claiming identity.
Run it
- Search (10 min): Open Te Ara: Iwi and an official iwi or hapū source where available. If whānau has named a connection, verify the spelling and relationship before writing:
Ko ______ tōku iwi.
Ko ______ tōku hapū.Some students may have connections to more than one iwi: "Ko Ngāti Porou rāua ko Ngāi Tahu ōku iwi." — use ōku for more than one.
- If you don't know (5 min): That's common and not a failure. Prepare your whānau interview for tonight:
- What iwi does our whānau connect to?
- What hapū are we part of?
- How did you find out about our iwi connections?
- Partner share (5 min): Share a source, a pronunciation, an acknowledgement line, or a question you choose to take to whānau. Partners respond with “Tēnā koe” and do not probe for more identity information.
🪶 Mātauranga: Iwi and hapū knowledge is held by people — kaumātua, kaitiaki, and whānau records — not just websites. Te Ara is a useful starting point, but the most authoritative source for any iwi is the iwi itself. Students should treat today's research as preparation for the whānau conversation, not a replacement for it.
Activity 3 · Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi
⏱ 10 minWhat it is: The class listens for the kupu iwi in Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, then practises its chosen introduction lines without requiring five whakapapa claims.
Run it
- Before playing: "Listen for the word 'iwi' — how is it used? What does it mean for a group of people to stand together as iwi?"
- Watch the opening 2 minutes of the waiata below.
- After watching, practise the chosen introduction sequence once. Reading, passing, or sharing privately are allowed:
Read only verified, chosen pepeha lines; or use your mihimihi place acknowledgement.
If a line is unresolved, say: “Kei te ako tonu au — I am still learning.”
🔚 Exit — Whakamutunga
⏱ 5 minOpen your Pepeha Builder Template or Mihimihi Alternative. Record:
- One verified chosen line, local acknowledgement, or source you found.
- One question that remains—or “I am keeping this private”.
A whānau conversation is an invitation, not compulsory homework. Students may keep the response private.
Preview: Next lesson we explore optional parental lineage language and assemble the form each student has chosen.
🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga
This lesson's focus: Iwi and hapū as structural identity markers — locating a person within tribal lineage and the waka→iwi→hapū→whānau community hierarchy.
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."
📦 Materials & Resources | Ngā Rauemi
- Pepeha Builder Template — students fill lines 4–5 at exit
- Te Ara: Iwi (Tribal Groups) — overviews and histories of major iwi
- Major iwi regional grid (displayed on board from Activity 1)
- Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi (embedded above)
- Student books or whānau interview prompt (for those still searching)
📊 Assessment Framework | Aromatawai
Success criteria at exit:
- Ākonga can explain the difference between iwi and hapū in their own words.
- Ākonga have either written their iwi/hapū lines or identified what they need to ask whānau tonight.
- Ākonga know they should not guess or fabricate an iwi connection — the correct answer to "I don't know" is a whānau conversation.
Carry forward: the chosen form, verification state, and any private language question inform lesson 4. Filled-line count does not determine readiness.
🚀 Extension & Differentiation | Rerekētanga
Support:
- Use a teacher-checked local mana whenua source if students do not know where to start
- Non-Māori students: leave lines 4–5 blank — lesson 5 introduces the mihimihi alternative which does not require iwi/hapū lines
- Model the research process with a public, authorised example; do not make another student the class authority on identity
Extension:
- Research the history of your iwi on Te Ara — when did they arrive in Aotearoa, what are their significant historical events?
- Find a pūrākau connected to your hapū — local libraries and iwi websites often hold these
- Some iwi have registration databases (e.g., Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa Unit) — students could explore whether their whānau is registered
- Practise the plural form: "Ko Ngāti Porou rāua ko Ngāi Tahu ōku iwi" for students with two sides
🔗 Unit Progression | Te Ara Whakamua
Ākonga arrive with a classified introduction plan and leave understanding iwi/hapū structure, with either verified chosen lines, a local acknowledgement, or a private next question. The builder and mihimihi template remain equal paths.
- ← Lesson 2: Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka
- → Lesson 4: I te Taha o (Whakapapa) — adds parental lineage lines; ākonga need builder template with lines 1–5 (or a whānau interview result) from this lesson
Homework before lesson 4: ask whānau about iwi and hapū connections if lines 4–5 are still blank.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot | Whakaaro Kaiako
Iwi knowledge and colonisation: Some students may not know their iwi or hapū — and this is often a direct result of colonisation and assimilation policies that severed whānau from their tribal connections over generations. Do not treat this as a student failing a task. Treat it as a genuine historical reality: the whānau interview is not a homework exercise but a possible act of reconnection. Acknowledge this honestly if it comes up in class.
Non-Māori students: The iwi and hapū lines of pepeha are specifically Māori identity markers. Non-Māori students should not fabricate or adopt iwi connections — it is not their place. Lesson 5 introduces the mihimihi alternative, which is designed for exactly this situation. There is no awkward gap to fill: leaving lines 4–5 blank until lesson 5 is the right move.
Pronunciation reminders: "iwi" — both vowels separate, "ee-wee" not "ee-vee" or "eye-wee". "hapū" — "hah-poo", the ū is a long vowel. The most common error is rushing the final vowel.