21 February - 27 February

At the beginning of any formal hui (gathering), following the pōwhiri (formal welcome) or the mihi whakatau (a welcome), a round of introductions and speeches – or mihimihi – usually occurs. During this time, people will stand and share a little bit about where they come from and who they are (their pepeha); many also share significant parts of their whakapapa tātai (genealogy).  If you are Pakeha (of European descent) or Tauiwi (of non-Māori and non-European descent) – it can be difficult to figure out answers to the different parts – “I don’t have a mountain!”  It is quite a different way of thinking, so the challenge is to give the process a fair go and be willing to learn from it. If you are Māori and do not know the answers immediately, that can feel hard and disorientating. Try to sit in this tension and let the process be an opportunity to discover new things. Kia kaha.