DIGITAL MIHIS

Room 15 have been working on their digital mihi. The children in Room 15 are able to say their Mihi off-by-heart and so we decided to share our mihi in a different format. For our Quadbloggers or anybody unaware of what a mihi is there is an explanation below

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

The mihi establishes links with other people present. Mihis 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.

A mihii 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 the mihii.

Some people include pepeha - well known set verses that describe their whakapapa links to a particular hapū or iwi."

Source: http://www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/protocols/mihimihi.html

DIGITAL MIHIS on PhotoPeach