This term our tamariki are going to be learning their mihi/pepeha-the traditional Māori way of introducing ourselves. For Māori, saying mihi/pepeha is an important way of making connections with others and understanding more about where a person is from. We have an exciting opportunity for some of our tamariki to visit Tuahiwi Marae this year and as a part of this we will all be sharing our mihi/pepeha.

The names mihi and pepeha have some differences-a mihi is shared by someone who is non-Māori and a pepeha is shared by somebody who is Māori. Within both mihi/pepeha we acknowledge the mountain and river we identify most with, where we come from and where we live now, who our whānau are, and finally our name. We feel it is really important that our tamariki are confident knowing who they are and would appreciate it if you and your child(ren) could discuss this. It is important that all tamariki know the name of a mountain and a river that has special significance to them-it might be the mountain/river closest to where they live, a mountain/river close to where their ancestors come from or a mountain/river that they have a special connection with through whānau experiences. If not from Christchurch it will be important for tamariki to know the name of the town/city/country where their roots lie. Within a pepeha marae, hapu, iwi and waka are acknowledged and again it would be wonderful for tamariki, if possible, to find out their connections. 

Within this week teachers are going to be sending home a basic mihi/pepeha template for whānau to complete so that we can hit the ground running with our learning-attached to this article is a copy for you to print if you wish. It would be much appreciated if these templates could be returned to school ASAP. Please come and talk to your class teacher, or Miss Sopp if you have any questions or queries regarding our learning. We hope this will be an exciting time for whānau to do some great mahi together! 

Ngā mihi ki a koutou!

Harewood School Staff