Pepeha Challenges
Use the activities below to support your Mahuru Māori Challenge, no matter your level of te reo Māori knowledge.
- For beginners, try He Aha te Pepeha? to get familiar with the basics.
- If you’re an intermediate speaker, try the activities under Do Non-Māori Have Pepeha?
- For advanced speakers, have a look at Karapipiti – He Pepeha Whakanikoniko.
Table of Contents
He Aha te Pepeha? | What is a Pepeha?
A pepeha is a tribal motto, a proverb, a dialogue that identifies a person’s heritage. For Māori it identifies their iwi and hapū. This is done by naming certain natural landmarks. Like many indigenous cultures, Māori believe they are connected to the environment through whakapapa (genealogy) and establishes a powerful familial bond to the land.
Pepeha are often included in a Mihimihi (a formal introduction which includes whakapapa). There are different levels to a pepeha from simple and basic to more advanced.
Six60’s song “Pepeha” that was released in 2021 provides a fantastic example of a simple pepeha structure.
Below is a simple example of how to put together your own pepeha.
Te Reo | English |
Ko [Ingoa] te waka | The vessel is [Name] |
Ko [Ingoa] te maunga | The mountain is [Name] |
Ko [Ingoa] te awa | The river is [Name] |
Ko [Ngāti Iwi] te iwi | The people are [Cultural Heritage, tribe] |
Ko [Ngāti Hapū] te hapū | The clan is [Family clan, subtribe] |
Hei Whakaarotanga (something to think about)
Not all iwi have a maunga or an awa. What are some other natural landmarks a person could use in their pepeha?
Learn and memorise your pepeha today and record yourself reciting it. Then share it with your whānau. Try getting them involved too.
Kia kaha, kia māia. Be brave, have courage.
Write each kupu (word) below on its own notecard to create your own matching game. Challenge yourself or your whānau to connect each kupu Māori to its English counterpart.
Te Reo | English |
maunga | mountain |
puke | hill |
awa | river |
roto | lake |
moana | ocean, sea (any large body of water) |
ngahere | forest, bush |
pae maunga | mountain range |
manga | stream, creek |
repo | swamp, marshland |
waka | seafaring vessel (canoe, also includes aeroplanes and other vehicles) |
marae, pā | gathering place |
wharenui, whare nui | meeting house |
iwi | tribe, nation, people |
hapū | subtribe, clan, mob (a large family group) |
takiwā, rohe | district, area, region, territory, county |
Do Non-Māori Have Pepeha?
How Pepeha is for Everyone
For many Māori, their pepeha is easily obtained. Some may have grown up knowing it, others just need to ask their mātua (parents) or kaumātua (elders, grandparents) to get that information. For some, however, it’s not so easy.
This is the same for many of our whānau Pākehā (New Zealander of European descent) and iwi kē (other peoples, non-Māori) of Aotearoa. So, do non-Māori have pepeha?
As mentioned earlier, pepeha is about identifying a person’s heritage, not so much where they come from (born or raised). So everyone has a pepeha. It’s for everyone, not just for Māori. Your pepeha connects you to your ancestors and perhaps with others.
Here’s an example of a pepeha for someone from Ireland:
Nō Airangi ōku tīpuna
Ko Sliabh Cuilinn (Slieve Gullion) te maunga
Ko Lough Neagh te roto
Ko Contae Ard Mhacha (County Armagh) te takiwā
Ko Gardiner te hapū
Check out these Māori translations for landmarks around the world. How many more can you add to the list?
Te Reo | English |
Ko Te Ngahere Pango te ngahere | The Black Forest is the forest |
Ko Naera/Naire te awa | Nile is the river |
Ko Whūtī te maunga | Fuji is the mountain |
Ko Te Moana Ranatiki te moana | The Atlantic Ocean is the sea |
Ko Te Maunga Tēpu te maunga | Table Mountain is the mountain |
Ko Amahonia te awa | Amazon is the river |
Ko Te Pākohu Nui te pākohu | Grand Canyon is the canyon |
Are non-Māori allowed to still acknowledge the maunga, awa, etc of where they feel is their home?
Engari tonu! Of course! This is done by giving a mihi (acknowledgement) to the mana whenua, the iwi where one may live. Here’s a simple mihi you can use. Just fill in the gaps.
Te Reo | English |
He [cultural identity] ahau | I am [cultural identity] |
Nō te whānau [Ingoa] | From the [Name] family |
Engari, kei [location] ahau e noho ana | But I live in [location] |
Or | |
Engari, i whānau mai au i [Wāhi] | But I was born in [Location] |
Nā reira, ka mihi au ki [Iwi] | Therefore, I acknowledge [Tribe] |
Ko [Ingoa] te waka | [Name] is the vessel |
Ko [Ingoa] te maunga | [Name] is the mountain |
Ko [Ingoa] te awa | [Name] is the river |
Karapipiti – He Pepeha Whakanikoniko
Karapipiti – An Enhanced Pepeha
Karapipiti, or pepeha whakanikoniko (embellished/enhanced pepeha), are an advanced form of pepeha. These are often poetic and full of metaphorical and figurative language.
Many karapipiti will include iwi specific pepeha or whakataukī. One well known pepeha used among the Ngāpuhi people is,
Hokianga whakapau karakia.
This pepeha relates to a well-known pūrākau of the area. If someone were to use it, keen listeners would be able to identify where they come from.
He aha ētahi atu pepeha ā-iwi e mōhiotia nā e koe? What are some other iwi specific pepeha that you know? Do you know of any from where you are from?
Anei ētahi pepeha ā-iwi. Tūhonoa atu te pepeha ki te iwi tika, te waka tika rānei.
Here are some iwi specific pepeha. Write each pepeha and iwi below on their own notecard to create your own matching game. Challenge yourself or your whānau to connect each pepeha to the correct iwi or waka.
Pepeha | Nō whea? |
Mai i Ngā Kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau | Mataatua |
Ka totō te puna i Taumārere, | Ngāpuhi (Te Tai Tokerau) |
Mokau ki runga, Tāmaki ki raro, | Tainui |
Mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa. | Whanganui |
Mai i Waitapu ki Rangataua, mai i Mīria te kakara ki Kukutauaki | Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga |
He maunga Tītōhea, he waipuna koropupū. Ahakoa tukitukitia e te poaka, | Taranaki (Te Hau ā-Uru) |
Ko te kāhui mauka, tū tonu, tū tonu. Ko te kāhui takata, karo noa, ka haere. | Te Waipounamu |
Ehara taku maunga i te maunga nekeneke, he maunga tū tonu | Ngāti Porou (Te Tai Rāwhiti) |
Mā te hunga matatau, waihangatia tētahi karapipiti, tētahi pepeha whakanikoniko. Anei ētahi tauira (tātauira – template) māu e whai ki te hia-āwhina. Whakaakona atu ki tō whānau, ki ō tamariki, ki ō mokopuna.
Tauira 1: Ka rere taku manu
Ka rere taku manu i te tihi o [ Maunga ]
Ka topa iho ki ngā wai o [ awa / roto / moana ].
Ka hōkai atu ki te ihu waka o [ waka ]
Te ūranga mai o [ iwi ].
Ka huri te aro ki uta, ki te whenua o [ hapū ], ki te marae o [ marae ],
Ka tau ki te mahau o [ whare nui ],
Tau atu, tau atu, tau!
Mauri ora.
Hei tauira (example):
Ka rere taku manu ki te tihi o [Panguru]
Ka topa iho ki ngā wai o [Waiporoporoākī].
Ka hōkai taku manu ki runga i te ihu waka o [Ngātokimatawhāorua],
Te ūranga mai o [Te Rarawa ki Hokianga],
Ka huri te aro ki uta, ki te whenua o [Ngāti Manawa],
Ki te marae o [Ngāti Manawa], ka tau ki te mahau o [Ngāti Manawa],
Tau atu, tau atu, tau!
Mauri ora.
Tauira 2: E noho ana au i te tihi o te maunga
E noho ana au i te tihi o [ maunga ]
Titiro whakararo ki ngā wai o [ awa / roto / moana ]
Ka mau taku aro ki te whānuitanga o [ rohe / takiwā ]
Te whenua taurikura o [ iwi ] ngā uri o te waka [ waka ].
E noho ana au i te tihi o [ maunga ]
Ka huri aku mata ki te ahikā roa o [ hapū ], ki [ marae ] marae,
Ko [ wharenui ] te wharenui, ko [ tupuna ] te tangata,
Ka ora e.
Mauri ora.
Hei tauira (example):
E noho ana au i te tihi o [Pūtauaki]
Titiro whakararo ki ngā wai o [Tarawera]
Ka mau taku aro ki te whānuitanga o [ Ngā Kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau]
Te whenua taurikura o [Ngāti Awa, o Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau],
ngā uri o te waka [Mataatua].
E noho ana au i te tihi o [Pūtauaki]
Ka huri aku mata ki te ahikā roa o [Ngāti Irawaho], ki [Hahuru] marae,
Ko [Hahuru] te wharenui, ko [Tūwharetoa] te tangata,
Ka ora e.
Mauri ora.
Mā te hunga matatau, waihangatia tētahi karapipiti, tētahi pepeha whakanikoniko. Anei ētahi tauira (tātauira – template) māu e whai ki te hia-āwhina. Whakaakona atu ki tō whānau, ki ō tamariki, ki ō mokopuna.
Anei ētahi tātauira mā aua tangata i hūnuku mai ki Aotearoa. Ka āhei hoki i te iwi Māori te whakamahi i ēnei tauira.
Tauira 3: Tērā te manu
Tērā te manu nō [ whenua ], i rere mai ki Aotearoa nei.
He raukura nō [ iwi / hapū / whānau ],
He raukura nō [ iwi / hapū / whānau ] ngā taha e rua (matua/whaea)
Ka tau ki [ rohe / tāone ] ki te [ rohe / takiwā / whenua ] tapu o [ iwi Māori ], ki reira noho ai.
Tauira 4: E rere te wawata
E rere te wawata, he kapua i te rangi,
E rere te wawata, ki tawhiti nei.
He [ ingoa whānau / hapū / iwi ] ia ka rere ki runga, nō [ tāone / rohe ] e.
E noho rā [ tūtohu whenua ], e noho rā [ whenua ] e.
Karanga mai Aotearoa, karanga mai [ tāone / rohe ]
Ka tau iho te wawata ki tōna kāinga hōu,
Ki te whenua o [ iwi Māori ], ko [ waka Māori ] te waka.
Tērā ko [ maunga ], tērā ko [ awa / roto / moana ]
E rere te wawata, kua whai kāinga hōu.
Hei tauira (example):
E rere te wawata, he kapua i te rangi,
E rere te wawata, ki tawhiti nei.
He [Murphy] ia ka rere ki runga, nō [County Armagh] e.
E noho rā [Slieve Gullion], e noho rā [Airangi] e.
Ka tau iho te wawata ki tōna kāinga hōu,
Ki te whenua o [Ngāti Maniapoto], ko [Tainui] te waka.
Tērā ko [Pirongia], tērā ko [Kāwhia moana]
E rere te wawata, kua whai kāinga hōu.
