🏔️ Tōku Pepeha — My Pepeha

Build a pepeha from whakapapa knowledge you have verified

Choose the right form first

Use only pepeha lines that your whānau or trusted sources can confirm. Do not choose a nearby maunga or awa, or copy an iwi, hapū, or waka, simply to fill a space. For tangata Tiriti, or whenever those whakapapa connections are not known, a mihimihi may be more appropriate. Ask your kaiako or local mana whenua for guidance about the form used in your rohe.

Student Name:

Date:

🏔️

1. Tōku Maunga — My Mountain

Add a maunga only when it is part of your verified whakapapa. A nearby or personally significant mountain is not automatically “tōku maunga”.

Ko tōku maunga.

💡 Ko = "koh" | tōku = "toh-koo" | maunga = "mow-nga"

🌊

2. Tōku Awa — My River

Add an awa only when it is part of your verified whakapapa. Do not claim the nearest river simply to complete the line.

Ko tōku awa.

💡 awa = "ah-wah"

🛶

3. Tōku Waka — My Ancestral Canoe

If you know your iwi, you may know your ancestral waka. Ask your whānau, or research your iwi's waka.

Ko tōku waka.

💡 Waka connections are whakapapa knowledge. Confirm this line with whānau or a trusted iwi source; otherwise leave it out.

👥

4. Tōku Iwi — My Tribe

Your iwi is your tribe. If you don't know your iwi, you can skip this line or ask whānau.

Ko tōku iwi.

💡 iwi = "ee-wee"

👪

5. Tōku Hapū — My Sub-tribe

Your hapū is like an extended family within your iwi. This is optional if you don't know it.

Ko tōku hapū.

💡 hapū = "hah-poo"

📍

6. Nō hea ahau — Where I'm From

This is where you're from — your hometown, city, or country.

Nō ahau.

💡 Nō = "noh" | ahau = "ah-how"

🙋

7. Tōku Ingoa — My Name

Your name! Say it proudly.

Ko tōku ingoa.

💡 ingoa = "ee-ngoh-ah"

✨ Tōku Pepeha — My Complete Pepeha

Ko ______ tōku maunga.
Ko ______ tōku awa.
Ko ______ tōku waka.
Ko ______ tōku iwi.
Ko ______ tōku hapū.
Nō ______ ahau.
Ko ______ tōku ingoa.

💡 Tips for Delivering Your Pepeha

Choose a comfortable position — standing or sitting are both valid classroom options
Speak clearly — take your time with pronunciation
Read from the template if useful — memorisation is not required
Look up only if comfortable — eye contact is not an assessment requirement
Close clearly — “Tēnā koutou” acknowledges your listeners

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions

Ākonga use this resource only when pepeha is the appropriate form and the included whakapapa information has been verified. The linked mihimihi template provides an equally valued path when pepeha connections are not known or not appropriate to share.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

✅ Ākonga can assemble a coherent pepeha using only verified lines they choose to share.
✅ Ākonga can deliver the chosen form with care for pronunciation, using a template or prompts if helpful.

Differentiation & Inclusion

Scaffold support: Provide pepeha sentence frames with blanks for students to complete at the entry level. For students without known iwi or whakapapa connections — due to adoption, Pākehā or non-Māori heritage, or other circumstances — offer a mihimihi alternative that connects to their place, school, and whānau. Extend students who have completed their pepeha by asking them to research the history and significance of their maunga or awa.

ELL / ESOL: Pepeha is a context where home-language connection is a strength, not a barrier — encourage students to reflect on equivalent identity-introduction forms in their own cultural traditions. Pre-teach key kupu (maunga = mountain, awa = river, waka = canoe/ancestral vessel, iwi = tribe, hapū = subtribe, ingoa = name). Model pronunciation using te reo Māori audio resources.

Inclusion: Some students may have complex relationships to identity — adoption, disconnection from whakapapa, or non-Māori backgrounds. Create a safe, non-judgemental space where all identity expressions are honoured. Neurodiverse learners benefit from visual pepeha maps (name → maunga → awa → waka → iwi → hapū → ingoa as a connected diagram). Oral performance can be adapted — some students may prefer written or recorded formats.

Mātauranga Māori lens: Pepeha is relational language grounded in whakapapa, whenua, and community, not a fill-in-the-blanks identity exercise. Structures and local kawa vary; seek mana whenua guidance and protect every student's right not to disclose private knowledge.

Prior knowledge: No prior te reo Māori knowledge required. Students benefit from a brief class discussion about identity and what makes us who we are before beginning their pepeha.

Curriculum alignment

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.”