Updating the pupils' mihi (personal introductions in te reo Maori)

I am updating my learning partnership book (homework books) folder and thought it would be a good chance to review the pupil mihimihi which they use when they introduce themselves at the start of our weekly celebration time. Time for a bit of research as I have about three different versions in my folder, which all have slightly different spellings or words...

Looking at the Korero Maori website I found this advice...

Mihimihi are introductory speeches which take place at the beginning of a gathering after the more formal pōwhiri. Mihimihi are generally in te reo Māori and can be given by females and males.

Mihimihi establish links with other people present. Mihimihi involve individuals standing to introduce themselves by sharing their whakapapa (genealogy, ancestral ties) and other relevant information. It is important for Māori to know and to share their whakapapa - to know one’s whakapapa is to know one’s identity.

Mihimihi can vary in length depending on the reason for the gathering, how well the individuals at the hui know each other and their links to one another.

A person will usually identify specific geographical features associated with their tribal area including their maunga (mountain), awa (river) and moana (sea). They may also identify their waka (ancestral canoe), hapū (sub tribe), iwi (tribe), marae and an eponymous ancestor. This information is considered more important than the individual’s own name which may be the last piece of information given in mihimihi.

maori.org.nz

The website gives an example of a typical mihimihi - only a couple of my pupils this year have Maori ancestry but they would be most welcome to use the more relevant waka, hapu, rangatira and marae references if they wish to.

Also consulting the Ministry of Education teacher book "He Reo Tupu, He Reo Ora" I have taken the website and book spellings as 'law' and I have created this mihi for our pupils to use in their learning partnership books to practise at home, based on the model they have previously been using, as well as this version for them to personalise with illustrations for their classroom book:

MY MIHIMIHI – a simple version for beginners…

Tēnā koutou!

(optional)  Ko _________________ te waka.          (ancestral canoe)

Ko _________________ te maunga.                       (mountain)

Ko _________________ te awa.                             (river)

Ko _________________ te iwi.                               (tribe/family name)

Ko _________________ taku matua.                       (father)

Ko _________________ taku whaea.                      (mother)

Ko _________________ au.                                   (my name)

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!