2. Mihi & Pepeha
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This week’s kaupapa is the reo and tikanga of mihi and pepeha. Pepeha is the formal and correct way to introduce yourself and allows listeners to create connections with you.
Kōrero: Have you ever prepared and recounted your mihi or pepeha? Have you heard others use a pepeha?
Titiro: This short video from ARA gives a good introduction to pepeha and makes the distinction from mihi clear. It also gives you examples of different ways to structure your pepeha.
Panui/Tuhiuhi: Use these course resources to help you work on your pepeha or mihi.
Whakarongo: Spend some time listening to the kōrero of these Rauawaawa Kaumatua regarding the importance of pepeha.
For your Kete
Waiata:
He hōnore he kororia
Maungarongo ki te whenua
Whakaaro pai e
Ki ngā tāngata katoa
Ake ake
Ake ake
Amine
Te Atua, te piringa
Tōku oranga
This is another waiata commonly heard at school pōwhiri. Spend some time learning it so that you can participate.
Whakarongo: Listen to it here.
Karakia:
E te Atua.
Manaakitia tēnei hui.
Awhinatiamātou i roto i o mātou mahi
Ko tō Wairua Tapu tō mātou Ariki
Amene
Whakatauki:
The whakatauki for this week reiterates the importance of the connections described in mihi and pepeha:
Ina kei te mohio koe ko wai koe, i anga mai koe i hea, kei te mohio koe, kei te anga koe ki hea.
If you know who you are and where you are from, then you will know where you are going.
Kōrero: Discuss the connections between this whakatauki and the kōrero from the Rauawaawa kaumatua regarding pōwhiri from this week and last week.
Tuhituhi: Use the course resources above to create your own kupu hou list. Use it to help you learn the language you need for your mihi or pepeha.
Mihi and pepeha use nominal sentences – sentences that name things.
To acknowledge and name the landmarks that locate you and where you are from:
Ko Rangitoto te maunga.
Rangitoto is the mountain.
This brings to the fore a key difference between the grammar of te reo and English. In English, every complete sentence contains a verb, but nominal sentences in te reo do not include a verb.
For example:
The sentence, Ko Rangitoto te maunga literally translates as Rangitoto the mountain. But to create a complete English sentence we add the verb is – Rangitoto is the mountain.
The particle Ko is described by Bruce Biggs as a “focus preposition” that acts as a kind of “pointer”. In mihi and pepeha Ko focuses our attention by pointing to each important aspect that defines, locates and connects a person.
Mahia: Look at the template for pepeha in the course resources and identify all the nominal Ko sentences. Can you explain what each one means?
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