Nā Mark Wilson i tuhi | Written by Mark Wilson

Tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa

Ko Pīhanga te maunga

Ko Taupō-nui-a tia te roto, Ko Whanganui te awa

Ko Te Arawa te waka

Ngāti Tūwharetoa ahau

No Taupō tōku whanau

No Whanganui ahau

Ko Wilson tōku whanau

Ko Paula tōku māmā

Ko Mark tōku ingoa

Greetings and good health to everyone reading this blog! It is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and I thought I would start this off by letting you know a little bit about myself. Written above is my Pepeha. Your Pepeha is a formal introduction that I find more often than not helps to build quick bonds at Māori-led gatherings and failing that grounds you in who you are. I see it as a Tangata Whenua 6 degrees of separation. Someone is bound to know you, or your family, or your tribe, where you come from, or the mountains and rivers that sustain you and yours.

When I was taught how to write my Pepeha I was instructed to follow the path of a river to where it reaches me so here goes:

Ko Pīhanga te maunga

Pīhanga is my mountain: In myth, the beauty of Pīhanga is said to have caused a fight between Tongariro and Taranaki. The mountains came to blows. Tongariro was the victor and forced Taranaki to flee. The grand exodus of Taranaki is said to have formed the Whanganui River, which I also have ties to.

Ko Taupō-nui-a tia te roto

Taupō is my lake: The initial eruption of SUPERVOLCANO Taupō happened 1800 years ago and had one of the largest explosions in our planet’s history!

Ko Whanganui te awa

Whanganui is my river: Did I say I had ties to this river?

Ko Te Arawa te waka

Te Arawa is my canoe: When my ancestors sailed to Aotearoa they came on one of seven great canoes, Aotea, Kurahaupō, Mataatua, Tainui, Tokomaru, Te Arawa, and Tākitimu. My whānau has ties to Te Arawa.

Ngāti Tūwharetoa ahau

My tribe is Tūwharetoa: The translation of Tūwharetoa is ‘House that stands strong’

No Taupō tōku whanau

My family is from Taupō: ALL of my ancestry hails from Taupō which is why it pops up in my Pepeha a lot. However, I haven’t spent a lot of my history in Taupō…

No Whanganui ahau

I am from Whanganui: It is important to me that my hometown is included in my Pepeha. While it is important to know where your ancestry comes from, you also have to remember where YOU come from.

Ko Wilson tōku whanau

My family name is Wilson: Not everything in my Pepeha is Māori, my family name comes from my grandmother, Hine or Sue, who married my pākehā grandfather, Eugene. The name was very important to my grandmother and it was her wish that I carried on the family name. A huge honour and burden as I am the last Wilson.

Ko Paula tōku māmā

My mother is Paula: Parents are very important to who you are. So it goes without saying I include the most important woman in my life! Love you, mum.

Ko Mark tōku ingoa

My name is Mark: This one is pretty self-explanatory 😀

 

 

Every Pepeha is different and unique and in my opinion one of the most personal ways to introduce yourself. There are a tonne of templates and resources online to help you create your Pepeha like THIS link here. Consider giving it a go for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Who YOU are is important.

Here are a few of The PumpHouse staff’s favourite things…

James

Favourite Word: Manaakitanga – something we try and show everyone who visits The PumpHouse
Favourite Custom: The Haka, especially as a sign of respect or celebration.
Favourite Colour: Whero

Mags

My favourite word is aroha
My favourite colour is whero.
And I liked this whakatauki I found during mindfulness month:
Manawa ki waho
Tae atu ki te rangi ka manawa ano
Breathe in breathe out Reach to the sky and breathe again

Meg
My fav colour is kōwhai, even though I wear a lot of māwhero!
All of Te Reo Māori is sooo beautiful to my ear. Tīkiti is a word I use a lot! But I looove ngangahau (spirited, zealous, vibrant, vivacious, lively, animated) – as I feel this describes me very well!
What do I love about Māori culture? The rich traditions, deep connection to nature, and strong sense of community – it is unmatched.

Mark
My fave colour is pango – I am basic.
My fave word: Ngenge, which is tired, cause I am tired all the time

Helena

Kōwhai is my favourite colour because of the tree in our garden and the Tūī that love it too. Kia ora is my favourite word as it was something I heard from my youth in the UK, and never realised it was Māori and that I’d be living here all these years later.