(E minaka ana) E minaka ana taku waha ki te kai a te rangatira, (Taku reo rangatira) Taku reo rangatira, taku kuru pounamu tuku iho
(Mīharo kē ana) Mīharo kē ana ki tōna pakari kia ora (Tē memeha) Tē memeha, te wairua ki te kōrero Māori
Kia kaha tātou ki te (HI!) kōrero Māori! Hi aue Hi!!
Let us be staunch in speaking Māori!
I desire that my talk be like that of a leader, my noble language my precious inheritance.
Astound me with your maturity by the evanescence, the spirit you show when speaking Māori.
Let us be staunch in speaking Māori!
“E Minaka Ana” is a waiata-ā-ringa written by Pānia Papa (Ngāti Korokī‑Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta) in the 1990s. It celebrates the mana of te reo Māori—describing the language as a noble treasure passed down through generations—and calls on all of us to boldly speak Māori. The waiata reflects Papa’s lifelong commitment to language revitalisation: as a former University of Waikato lecturer, kapa haka pioneer, and champion of Māori education and broadcasting, she crafted this song to inspire strength, pride, and emotional connection to our mokopuna and identity. It should be used in spaces that uplift and affirm Māori language, culture, and identity — not as a decorative or token gesture.
