Award-winning children’s entertainer Miss Nicky Says is helping tamariki across Aotearoa strengthen their connection to te reo Māori and identity through a new series of educational waiata focused on learning pepeha.
Created by Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa), the project launched over the weekend with the release of the first single, Do You Know Your Pepeha?, the opening song in a six-part series designed to teach children the different elements of pepeha in a fun, engaging and age-appropriate way.
The initiative has received support from NZ On Air and was developed in partnership with respected Mātanga Reo Justin Kereama (Ngāi Tūhoe), ensuring the language remains accurate while being accessible for preschool and primary-aged tamariki.
Rather than simply teaching children to memorise a pepeha, the project aims to help them understand the meaning behind each part, building confidence, identity and a sense of belonging through music.
Five additional waiata will be released throughout July and August, with each song exploring another element of pepeha. The series will culminate in a 20-minute television special later in August, bringing the songs together into a comprehensive learning resource for whānau, kura and early childhood centres.
For many Māori, pepeha is far more than an introduction. It connects people to their whakapapa, whenua, maunga, awa and iwi, grounding tamariki in who they are and where they come from. The new series seeks to make those important cultural connections easier to learn from an early age.
The project has already begun attracting interest from whānau both in Aotearoa and overseas, particularly Māori families living in Australia who are using the waiata to help their tamariki maintain connections to te reo Māori and their cultural identity despite living away from home.
By combining catchy melodies with carefully crafted language, Miss Nicky Says hopes to make learning te reo Māori a joyful experience that families can enjoy together in homes, kōhanga reo, kura and communities.
Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse says music has always been one of the most powerful ways for children to learn, and the series has been designed so tamariki can naturally build their confidence as each new waiata introduces another piece of their pepeha.
The project also highlights the growing range of quality Māori-language children’s content being produced in Aotearoa, supporting language revitalisation while giving whānau practical resources they can use every day.
As more tamariki proudly stand to share their pepeha, the series aims to ensure they are not simply learning words, but strengthening the lifelong connection between language, identity and whakapapa.
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