some key Māori words in

New Zealand

English

whānau Extended family. Not just parents and children but the wider family group including grandparents,

aunts, uncles, cousins etc.

“A man who "sacrificed his own life" to save his two daughters and a 7-

year-old niece from drowning is being hailed a hero by his whānau.”

Otago Daily Times 03/01/2015

“We are all proud of how she balances her own whānau life while

studying mathematics post-graduate papers and delivering her

teaching workload.” Gisborne Herald 03/01/2015

“Cowley said everyone in New Zealand has a part to play in helping

others stop smoking, and that the support of friends and whānau is

vital once someone makes the decision to quit.” Scoop 01/12/2014

te reo Māori Te reo Māori is the Māori language. For Māori, the language is a taonga (treasure) from God and

their ancestors. It is found nowhere else in the world and is one of the unique features of New

Zealand heritage.

“Here are two copies of the New Zealand National Anthem, one is in English and

the other is in te reo Māori”.

“McDougall says the ‘culture of

creativity’ in Wellington has

enabled them to combine studying

with making music. He is

currently finishing a BA in

marketing and te reo Māori at

Victoria University.” The

Dominion Post 11/01/2015

E Ihowā Atua,

O ngā iwi mātou rā

Āta whakarangona;

Me aroha noa

Kia hua ko te pai;

Kia tau tō atawhai;

Manaakitia mai

Aotearoa

God of Nations at Thy feet,

In the bonds of love we meet,

Hear our voices, we entreat,

God defend our free land.

Guard Pacific's triple star

From the shafts of strife and war,

Make her praises heard afar,

God defend New Zealand.

Te Papa The common name for the Museum of New Zealand located on the waterfront in Wellington. It is

short for ‘Te Papa Tongarewa’ which translates approximately as ‘the place of treasures of this

land’.

“Te Papa plans to move up to half its treasures out of

Wellington in the long term, according to documents

obtained by The Dominion Post. The national museum

announced last September that it would move some

collections north to reduce earthquake risk, as part of a

plan to build a new South Auckland collections and

exhibition centre.” Stuff 06/09/2014

“Scientists will get a second chance to defrost and

examine a colossal squid at Te Papa, after one of the

rarely seen creatures was caught on a fishing boat

longline off Antarctica.” Stuff 11/08/2014

“Te Papa's mission has always been impossible. It

wanted to appeal, if not to everybody, then nearly

everybody. Its founding ideal was a noble, democratic

one: to interest 14-year-olds from poor suburbs as well

as the cultural elite.” The Dominion Post 06/09/2014

Matariki In the Māori language Matariki is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster (shown in the picture

below) and also of the season of its first rising in late May or early June—and thus is traditionally

considered as the beginning of the New Year by Māori.

“Matariki has evolved from being a time when Māori would cultivate

their crops and collect seafood and birds, to being like New Zealand's

Thanksgiving. In our family, it is when we all get together and look at

what we have done and where we are headed.” The New Zealand

Herald 20/07/2014

“Oromahoe School's Light Festival, one of the Mid North's winter

highlights, is returning on Saturday, June 28. The evening event

celebrates Matariki, the Māori New Year, and is the school's

main fundraiser. It is now in its sixth year.” The Northern

Advocate 25/06/2014

““Māori traditionally flew kites to symbolise Matariki or Māori

New Year (Pleiades), in a way the kite was seen as a sacred

thread connecting heaven and earth,” says John Postlethwaite,

Taniwha & Dragon Organising Committee.” Scoop 19/04/2013

pākehā This is the word for people of European descent living in New Zealand.

“The New Zealand coat of arms (shown at left) features a man

and a woman symbolising both the Pākehā and Māori peoples of

this land.”

““We’ve been humbled by support for the Māori Party out there

in the community especially from Pākehā and those from other

cultures,” says Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.” Scoop

10/09/2014

“A new heritage park commemorating the first chapter in New

Zealand's history as a nation of Māori and Pākehā is due to be

opened in the Bay of Islands this weekend.” The Northern

Advocate 19/12/2014

iwi In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means

'peoples' or 'nations', and is often translated as ‘tribe’.

“Tourism operators and Far North residents have been told by the

Government that they have "nothing to worry about" after local iwi

expressed a wish to restrict vehicle access to Ninety Mile Beach.” The New

Zealand Herald 06/11/2014

“The map at left shows the locations traditionally inhabited by the various

iwi of New Zealand.”

“Te Ururoa Flavell (pictured

at right) is a New Zealand

politician who became co-

leader of the Māori Party in

2013. He belongs to the

Ngati Rangiwewehi and

Ngapuhi iwi and lives in

Rotorua”.

Aotearoa New Zealand. The common literal translation is ‘the land of the long white cloud’.

“The settlement of Aotearoa, just 750 years ago, was the last step

in the great human journey, from Africa to Aotearoa and

everywhere in between in 60,000 years.” The New Zealand Herald

09/01/2015

“Even with all the initiatives in place here in Aotearoa helping to

protect Kiwi (the bird), its decline is still very much a concern. ”

Māori Television 07/01/2015

“For we are diverse! People have come to

Aotearoa from all corners of the world,

bringing their histories, languages and

cultures, their art, music and dance,

their food and traditions of hospitality,

and their spiritual and religious beliefs.”

The New Zealand Herald 11/12/2014

hāngī An earth oven to cook food with steam and heat from heated stones.

“About 500 people gathered at the marae, which

included a hāngī of hundreds of potatoes, 500

chicken legs, 40 pumpkins, 15 cabbages, four

sheep and three pigs.” The Press 06/02/2013

“He said it was important people remember to keep a hāngī a safe distance

from houses and fences and make sure hoses and adequate water were nearby.”

Taranaki Daily News 25/12/2013

hongi A hongi is a traditional Māori greeting. It is done by pressing one's nose and forehead to another

person’s at the same time.

“This morning Dr Merkel was welcomed at Government House

with a hongi, haka and a 19-gun salute.” (Describing German

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to New Zealand) The New

Zealand Herald 14/11/2014

“I gave her a hongi and

we hugged and she

burst into tears. She

was just so

overwhelmed and

moved." The New

Zealand Herald 23 10

2013

marae The open area in front of the wharenui (meeting house), where formal greetings and discussions

take place. Often also used to describe the complex of buildings around the marae.

“Hundreds of visitors have been welcomed on to

Otakou Marae, Dunedin, in brilliant sunshine for

the South’s Ngai Tahu Treaty Festival, aimed at

bringing community together.” Stuff 06/02/2014

“Nearly 400,000 Māori know which of the

country’s 800-plus marae is theirs, and most

would like to visit more often, according to the

first report of its kind from Statistics New

Zealand.” Stuff 15/12/2014

“Every month a Whangarei woman deposits

money into Kairau Marae's bank account.

Despite living hundreds of kilometres away the

76-year-old feels connected to the place and does

what she can to contribute.” Taranaki Daily

News 09/01/2015

kia ora Hi. This informal Māori greeting literally means ‘be well/healthy’, but is used as an informal ‘hi’ by

New Zealanders. It also means ‘thank you’.

“New Zealand soldiers are teaching their Australian counterparts in Timor-Leste to

say kia ora and play soccer with the locals.” TVNZ 03/04/2009

"Far too often we go overseas and do a haka and say 'kia ora' and all of that sort of

carry-on, but still don't appreciate that the X factor for this country is the Māori

factor." Stuff 20/11/2014

“One of the world's most powerful

men, President Xi greeted the

audience, saying ‘kia ora’ and saying

that while in New Zealand he felt

the sense of ‘100 per cent pure’, the

slogan of Tourism New Zealand.”

Stuff 21/11/2014

koru A spiral pattern derived from the unfolding of a fern leaf. Symbolizing new life, growth, strength

and peace it is commonly used in Māori art, carving and tattoos.

“The airline's livery will change from just the blue and teal

(this colour ■) koru on the tail to the entire rear section of

the plane being painted black with both the koru and

Tourism NZ's fern.” 3 News 11/06/2013

"If somebody's got a koru on their arm, is that going to

scare the tourists? I think it's a bit rich that Air NZ ... are

outlawing on their staff something that's on the tail of

the plane.” The New

Zealand Herald 29/05/2013

k ūmara Sweet potato

“She said they started peeling kūmara and

potatoes on Monday, just so they could get

everything done in time.” Radio New Zealand

25/12/2014

“In New Zealand the majority of

kūmara is grown in Northland

where the soil type and climatic

conditions suit kūmara

perfectly.” The Southland

Times 08/08/2014

kai Food

“They had brought kai from home, such as potatoes,

kumara and sausages, harvested cress and provided

cooking utensils…” Northern News 10/08/2011

“Mr Makiha said the first new moon after the rise of

Matariki was critical for the harvesting of kai and

for starting afresh. ‘Back then you had to rely on

Matariki getting your own food for the survival of

your families from the rivers, the lakes and seas.’”

The New Zealand Herald 27/06/2014

“The father and daughter set off from Mahia

Peninsula with their uncle yesterday, to gather kai

moana (food from

the sea) for an

upcoming family

wedding.” Stuff

07/11/2014

pounamu Greenstone, nephrite, jade

“In an interview, [Orlando] Bloom told

ONE News Europe Correspondent Jessica

Mutch that he has a strong affinity with

New Zealand and always wears his

pounamu necklace.” TVNZ 04/12/2014

“A 175kg block of pounamu seized by

Customs officials was returned to West

Coast Māori today, amid a crackdown on

illegal trade in the Ngai Tahu-owned

stone.” The New Zealand Herald

26/12/2012

pōwhiri A traditional Māori welcome ceremony for visitors that often, but not always, takes place on a

marae. It consists of performances, speeches, singing and begins with a wero, an aggressive

challenge to guests using ceremonial weapons.

“The buses circled the

town before coming to a stop at the Pahiatua town hall

where they were welcomed by a pōwhiri.” Manawatu

Standard 30/10/2014

“She was welcomed to the school at a pōwhiri two

weeks ago and "handed over" to her new school by

representatives from her former school, Kavanagh

College, who travelled to Timaru from Dunedin for the

occasion.” The Timaru Herald 29/05/2013

haka A dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with

rhythmically shouted accompaniment. It used to be performed by warriors before battle to scare

the enemy but is now used to welcome important guests, acknowledge great achievements,

occasions or funerals.

“A victorious John Key was honoured with a

fearsome haka when he emerged from his house

tonight.” (Following his election night victory)

TVNZ 20/09/2014

“A video of the passionate haka performed by the

comrades of three fallen New Zealand soldiers has

gone viral, with tens of thousands of people

around the world watching the clip.” (Following

the funeral of three Kiwi soldiers killed in

Afghanistan) The New Zealand Herald 28/08/2012

Waitangi Waitangi is a place in the Bay of Islands in the north of New Zealand. On 6th February 1840, over

500 Māori chiefs with a few dozen British settlers gathered together there to establish an

agreement between the indigenous people of Aoteoroa (New Zealand) and the British Crown. The

Treaty of Waitangi is the founding document of

New Zealand. Each year on the 6th February

Kiwis remember the day the Treaty was signed

through a public holiday called Waitangi Day.

“On Waitangi Day most Kiwis opt

for a barbecue, go to a concert or

take the chance to go to the beach

like any other day off. They make a

point of making the day quite

ordinary, and I understand why.”

The Dominion Post 05/02/2013

“New ways to learn about New

Zealand history have been introduced to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in time for the 175th

anniversary of the signing of the Treaty. The new features are part of an estimated $12.5 million

redevelopment project which includes a $9.5 million museum.” The Northern Advocate 14/01/2015

waka A traditional Māori canoe (a type of boat). These can be of a variety of sizes, with some waka taua

(war canoes) up to 40m long. These are now mainly used for ceremonial purposes.

“The biennial event saw waka ama teams

race 25km from Okahu Bay in the

Waitemata Harbour across the water and

over land to the Manukau Harbour.”

Manukau Courier 18/02/2014

“An ancient waka found on the South

Island’s West Coast has created a scientific

sensation around the world. The 600-year-

old canoe, with a turtle carved on its hull, is

proving that Polynesians sailed between

what is now French Polynesia and New

Zealand.” Stuff 02/10/2014

wero Challenge. This is part of a traditional Māori greeting or pōwhiri. A young warrior will approach

the most important guest in a group with a taiaha (a type of spear). This is a non-verbal way of

determining the motives of the visitors. A gift is placed at the feet of the guest. If the guest picks

the gift up then this indicates they accept the challenge and that the interactions between the two

sides will therefore be peaceful.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping about to accept the wero

during a welcome ceremony.” (shown at left)

“As baby Prince George was taken inside out of the chilly,

windy conditions, all eyes were on another George at the

traditional pōwhiri to William and Catherine. George

Mana, a warrant officer in the Royal New Zealand Air

Force, was the warrior who

issued the wero, or

challenge, to the Duke.”

(shown at bottom) The New

Zealand Herald 08/04/2014

whakapapa Genealogy. A fundamental principle in Māori culture. Whakapapa is about a Māori person’s

connections to other people and his/her relationship with other people through common ancestors.

Māori people frequently recount their whakapapa when formally introducing themselves and it is

considered to define their

identity.

"Social networks help Māori maintain links

with their heritage, and create an

alternative to the oral tradition of

whakapapa that usually takes place on the

marae.” Stuff 20/11/2014

“A new Taranaki Māori archive research

and training centre is set to become a base

for Māori wanting to research their

whakapapa.” Taranaki Daily News

27/08/2014