We’ve been asked a few times recently what words there are in Te reo Māori that can be used in a catchment setting.

While each catchment will have unique features and place-names that will probably also be known in Te reo Māori by someone either local to the area, or perhaps can be found on the Ngai Tahu atlas (see link below), there are some general words that can be used. A good one that a number of us will be familiar with is Awa, or river.

We’ve dug out this handy poster below with some common names of water and catchment terminology. It’s also worth noting that there are differences between dialects and you’ll sometimes hear pronunciation, see spelling and use of names different to on the poster.

We’re putting this here as a starting point for those curious.

link to the image below for those wanting to print it.

Click here for the Ngai Tahu cultural mapping website.

Here you can see over 1,000 original Māori place names, kā ara tawhito (traditional travel routes), and the original Māori land allocations in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.