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Ko wai koe? Who are you?
When Maori people introduce themselves they don't just say "I am so-and-so."
They identify themselves, for example, by their:
Maunga (mountain): Ko wai to maunga? What mountain is the spiritual guardian
of your tribe?
Iwi (tribe): Ko wai to iwi? What is your tribe, what is your canoe, who are
your ancestors?
Marae: Ko wai to marae? What is your marae?
Landmarks: Ko wai to awa, to roto, to one? What rivers, lakes, beaches are
your special landmarks?
This is why places such as Mangere Mountain, Puketapapa, the Manukau Harbour
and other landmarks are so significant for Maori.
Check out: Nga Reo O Te Learning Media Limited on behalf of the Ministry of
Education, P O Box 3293, Wellington, New Zealand, ‹ Crown, 1992.
This material has been produced by UNITEC Institute of Technology
under contract to the Ministry of Education.
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