Whakatauākī or proverbs by Sir James Henare.
Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori
Language is the heart and soul of Māoridom
Ko te reo Māori te kakahu o te whakaaro, te huarahi i te ao turoa
The Māori language cloaks Māori thought and the pathway to this natural world.
Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu
He nui rawa ō mahi, kia kore e mahi tonu
You have come too far not to go further
You have done too much not to do more
The following is a whakatauākī by Sir Kingi Ihaka. (Te Ao Hou, 1957, November, p.42).
Ki te toitū te kupu, arā te reo Māori, ki te toitū te mana o te iwi Māori.
ki te toitū te whenua, ka mau te Māoritanga.
Otirā me pēnei;
Ki te ngaro te reo Māori, ki te ngaro ngā whenua Māori, ka ngaro te mana Māori.
Mā ēnei mea e toru, e pupuri te Māoritanga ki te mate ana, ka mate te katoa.
If the language is preserved, if the authority of the Māori people is preserved
if the land is preserved, then, Māoritanga will endure.
However, it must be said;
If the Māori language is lost, if Māori lands are lost, then Māori authority will be lost
through these three things, Māoritanga is upheld, if they die, all is lost
The following is a whakatauākī by Tinirau of Wanganui (Te Ao Hou, 1957, November, p.42)
Toi tu te kupu, toi tu te mana, toi tu te whenua
Hold fast to our culture for without language, without mana (spirit), and without land, the essence of being a Maori would no longer exist.
Websites
NZ History. (n.d.) History of the Māori language. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language
Reo Ora. (n.d.) The enduring history of the Māori language: A journey through time. https://reoora.com/the-enduring-history-of-the-maori-language-a-journey-through-time/
Ruru, K. (2025, September15). Māori language week: a brief history of te reo Māori. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360823492/maori-language-week-brief-history-te-reo-maori
Te Tai. (n.d.) Te mana o te reo Māori timeline. https://tetai.nz/en/te-mana-o-te-reo-maori-timeline
Journal article
Ka'ai-Mahuta, R. (2011). The impact of colonisation on te reo Māori: a critical review of the state education system. Te Kaharoa, 4(1), https://doi.org/10.24135/tekaharoa.v4i1.117
Books
Moon, P. (2023). Ka ngaro te reo: Māori language under siege in the 19th century. Otago University Press.
New Zealand. Waitangi Tribunal. (2011). Chapter 5: Te reo Māori. In Ko Aotearoa tēnei: a report into claims concerning New Zealand law and policy affecting Māori culture and identity: Te taumatua tuarua. Legislation Direct.
Image: Pixabay
Image:Pixabay
Pepeha is a formal structured way of introducing yourself within the Māori world by locating yourself according to important landmarks and the people you descend from. Researching your own landmarks and descent profile so that you can develop your own profile. In order to foster whakawhanaungatanga – building connections.
Tuhi - Prepare your pepeha
Use these downloadable resources to get started on your pepeha.
#HonoChallenge pepeha template
#HonoChallenge pepeha cheatsheet
And gain further inspiration from Mariam in the following video.
Mariam Arif is a student with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and teaches us how to do a mihi and pepeha for Non-Māori. She is learning te reo Māori and demonstrates not only a pepeha (2.43 mins) but starts with a greeting and finishes with a whakatauki (proverb)
Tips for leading a mihimihi when first meeting with a group for introductions.
Ko Te Weu Level Three A Māori Language Course for Intermediate Learners
by
Maori Made Easy
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Māori at work
by
A Māori phrase a day
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The Raupo phrasebook of modern Māori
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A Māori word a day
by
Te Aka Māori English dictionary by 
He papakupu reo ture - A dictionary of Māori legal terms by 
Kuwi & friends Māori picture dictionary by A Māori phrase a day by A Māori word a day by 
My first words about tikanga Māori by 
Ngata English Māori Dictionary by The Raupo phrase book of modern Māori by 
