Activity 2: Acknowledging Ancestry

All of us are members of a family. Some of us have large families and some of us have very small
families. When I have the opportunity to talk about my family and my ancestry I sometimes choose to use
a pepeha. It is a very special way of identifying who I am and where I come from. There are many
different versions of pepeha but most provide people with information about who you are and where you
come from (i.e. your whakapapa). Use the template provided below to prepare your own unique pepeha.
If you need help please watch this short movie clip on preparing a pepeha.

PEPEHA TEMPLATE
Ko ________________________ te maunga    The mountain that I affiliate* to is…
Ko ________________________ te awa          The river that I affiliate* to is….
Ko ________________________ tōku iwi          My tribe is…
Ko ________________________ ahau I am from…
Ko________ rāua ko ___________ōku mātua  My parents are … and …
Ko ________________________ tōku ingoa. My name is …

*affiliate means to associate with, or be close to.


Ko nga maunga o te tonga te maunga    The mountain that I affiliate to is southern alps
Ko waimakariri te awa          The river that I affiliate to is waimakariri
Ko NZ Pakeha tōku iwi          My tribe is NZ European
Ko Autearoha ahau I am from New Zealand
Ko Linda rāua ko Dene ōku mātua  My parents are Linda and Dene
Ko Thomas tōku ingoa. My name is Thomas