In Maori, what does Kia Mau mean?

Question

In Maori, what does Kia Mau mean?

I have a t-shirt that says "I believe in a black jersey.
I believe in a legacy of 103 years
I believe in a call that summons a nation.
I believe in a team, not of 15, but of millions
I believe impossible is nothing
Kia Mau!"

Answer 1

As with many Maori words or phrases these words can have a multitude of different meanings and applications depending upon the context in which they are said. Without knowing the context it is not really possible to give you a meaning that makes sense.

However there is a well known Maori saying:

Kia mau ki to Maoritanga

which translates to:

Hold fast to your culture

so in this context it can mean 'hold fast' - i.e. stick with, honour, believe in etc etc


Additional comments:

Thank you for your clarification. I believe that in this context the words 'Kia Mau' serve to emphasise what has been said before. In other words, they're literal translation as 'hold on' serves to emphasise that you should hold to the beliefs expressed in the prior lines - i.e. hold on to these precious beliefs as you would hold on to your very being for they are your mana!!!

Answer 2

Mau Mau Definition

Answer 3

I am not sure, but I think it means "hold to smth", for example:

Kia mau ki to maori - hold to being a Maori
Kia mau te aroha - keep up your love