We are born into the world by generations of sexual beings. From Tāne and Hineahuone through to our parents, whakapapa ties us together and provides space to see ourselves reflected in the generations before us, and generations to come. He momo tonu - true to form, we carry within us elements of our tūpuna in the fullness and diversity of their being. What is whakapapa? As Māori, whakapapa isn’t just family history. It encompasses our connections to tūpuna, whenua and whānau. Tane, one of the sons of Papatūānuku and Ranginui, is credited with creating the first human, a woman named Hineahuone. To give Hineahuone human life, he united the strands of ira atua and ira tangata and breathed life into her. Ira atua gave her a lineage from ātua and Ira tangata gave her a connection to future generations. Through Hineahuone, we inherit ira atua. Our whakapapa affirms our intrinsic value as the descendants of ātua. We also inherit ira tangata. Our whakapapa gives us significance, knowing we are special and belong unconditionally, through connections to past and future generations of our whānau. It can be hard being Māori Sometimes, racism and discrimination can make us feel like being Māori is bad. This isn't true! There is no one way of being Māori, and there are huge amounts of beauty, wisdom, joy and belonging to be found in our culture. Strengthening whakapapa Marae can be safe spaces to reconnect with whakapapa, reo and tikanga, that can help us to make meaning of who we are. They provide space where being Māori is comfortable, and our wellbeing is prioritised, but they aren't the only way to strengthen our whakapapa. Sometimes we may not be able to reconnect with our marae. Some people learn te reo Māori, connect through mahi toi, connect to te taiao or explore whānau connections. Connections to tūpuna and tūrangawaewae Connecting to our tūpuna can help validate us as descendants of people like us, who have faced similar challenges, and found ways through. We can learn from their journeys and the mātauranga or wisdom our tūpuna share with us. Learning their stories, and carrying with us the tools that we think would be helpful in our lives is a way to carry mātauranga through our whakapapa Connecting to our tūrangawaewae bring us into the spaces our ancestors used to be and can support our connection to them. These spaces can help us know that we belong, we are tangata whenua and we have a right to be ourselves in our own lands. These days many of us live in cities far away from the lands our ancestors roamed. Knowing our tūrangawaewae can connect us to the histories, lives and wairua of our tūpuna as we journey through different spaces in our lives. Dynamics of whanaungatanga Whanaungatanga are the things we do to make connections and strengthen our bonds with others in our community. Whanaungatanga gives us a safety net, help us work together, watch how people relate to others, and decide how we want to create relationships in our own lives. Validating our identities Knowing our whakapapa, our tūpuna, our tūrangawaewae and drawing on whanaungatanga can help us create our own pathways. Clearing space for us to be present and accepted within our whakapapa gives us space to be the expert in our own lives, exercise our mana, and choose what qualities and attributes can best serve us in different spaces, and into the future.
Whakapapa
Oriori were songs written for the birth of a child and sung to them as lullabies. They included descriptions of the environment at the time and place of birth. They also included the influence of atua, people who were present, and the attributes and qualities or gifts they imparted to the child to take with them. The meaning and intent behind the child’s name may also be revealed. People take oriori with them as a reminder of their uniqueness, potential, and the qualities and attributes they have inherited. Source – Munroe & Kohu Morgan (2006). Oriori A Lullaby. Go Tuatara Limited.
Oriori
Everyone is born with mana. Mana is the esteem we inherit at birth from our whakapapa to atua, tangata, and whenua. In our interactions with others, mana can be enhanced, nurtured, or strengthened. This might make us feel good. But we also need to be careful because others can strip, change, deplete, damage, or abuse our mana through their interactions with us. This might make us feel stink. It is important to notice the patterns of how we feel with different people because this can clue us into people are respecting our mana or not. Our mana can be strengthened by others who encourage us to use our voice to tell people about how we feel or give us support to realise our power to make decisions about our lives and enhance our sense of honour and authority. We can connect to our mana can through knowing who we are, where we come from, and why we are here.
Mana
Everyone is born with tapu. Tapu refers to the sacredness of our human lives, our bodies, interactions, and places. We can recognise the things that keep us safe and protected and set our boundaries as best we can. Tapu is often spoken about in relation to small elements of tikanga. For instance, it’s tapu to sit on the table because that can make us physically unwell. Our heads are tapu so it’s important to wear a helmet when are cycling in case we crash. Rahui are placed on an area when places become tapu to restrict people from accessing them, like when shellfish reserves are low and need to replenish to be available over a long term. There are some contexts where we automatically know what to do to protect ourselves. Some are more complex. Tapu can also be spoken about in relation to bigger aspects of tikanga. For instance, we might be under the protection of the atua in events like childbirth, warfare, or death. When we talk of tapu, we are talking about the spaces where we might be navigating unseen elements. Te whare tangata is tapu because it is the house of humanity, and the place where new life moves from te ao wairua into te ao mārama. As we become sexual beings we may get caught up in the joy of exploration rather than an awareness of our mana and tapu in relationships.
Tapu
Mātauranga Māori
In Ngāpuhi, people are often asked who they are through the phrase ‘ko wai koe?’ that literally translates to ‘from what waters do you descend?’ An understanding of who we are is informed by our relationships and connection to Aotearoa by the waka (canoe) our ancestors took to get here, our maunga (mountains), our moana (bodies of waters), and our ancestral and ongoing obligations in connection with iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe) marae (ancestral meeting house), and tūpuna (primary ancestor). We understand the quality of our relationships with these objects, places and people through the notions of mana and tapu.
Ko wai koe?
Mātauranga Rohe
We often hear that gender and sexuality occur along a spectrum, but what does that mean? The easiest way to think of a spectrum is to think of a rainbow. We tend to think of them as separate colours so we can make sense of them, but really all of the colours blend seamlessly together. Sexuality and gender are the same. As a society, we notice the different qualities and attributes people have, but these differences aren't set in stone and can change over time or in different spaces. Gender and sexuality are also fluid, our tūpuna knew that over time we might change and grow into new ways of being and new ways of being attracted to one another. There is no right or wrong way to express your gender or sexuality. We are all unique and vibrant.
Spectrum
Tauiwi Knowledge
Mātauranga
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What it means to be you
Mātauranga
Mātauranga
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We are born into the world by generations of sexual beings. From Tāne and Hineahuone through to our parents, whakapapa ties us together and provides space to see ourselves reflected in the generations before us, and generations to come. He momo tonu - true to form, we carry within us elements of our tūpuna in the fullness and diversity of their being.
What is whakapapa?
As Māori, whakapapa isn’t just family history. It encompasses our connections to tūpuna, whenua and whānau. Tane, one of the sons of Papatūānuku and Ranginui, is credited with creating the first human, a woman named Hineahuone. To give Hineahuone human life, he united the strands of ira atua and ira tangata and breathed life into her. Ira atua gave her a lineage from ātua and Ira tangata gave her a connection to future generations.
Through Hineahuone, we inherit ira atua. Our whakapapa affirms our intrinsic value as the descendants of ātua. We also inherit ira tangata. Our whakapapa gives us significance, knowing we are special and belong unconditionally, through connections to past and future generations of our whānau.
It can be hard being Māori
Sometimes, racism and discrimination can make us feel like being Māori is bad. This isn't true! There is no one way of being Māori, and there are huge amounts of beauty, wisdom, joy and belonging to be found in our culture.
Strengthening whakapapa
Marae can be safe spaces to reconnect with whakapapa, reo and tikanga, that can help us to make meaning of who we are. They provide space where being Māori is comfortable, and our wellbeing is prioritised, but they aren't the only way to strengthen our whakapapa. Sometimes we may not be able to reconnect with our marae. Some people learn te reo Māori, connect through mahi toi, connect to te taiao or explore whānau connections.
Connections to tūpuna and tūrangawaewae
Connecting to our tūpuna can help validate us as descendants of people like us, who have faced similar challenges, and found ways through. We can learn from their journeys and the mātauranga or wisdom our tūpuna share with us. Learning their stories, and carrying with us the tools that we think would be helpful in our lives is a way to carry mātauranga through our whakapapa
Connecting to our tūrangawaewae bring us into the spaces our ancestors used to be and can support our connection to them. These spaces can help us know that we belong, we are tangata whenua and we have a right to be ourselves in our own lands. These days many of us live in cities far away from the lands our ancestors roamed. Knowing our tūrangawaewae can connect us to the histories, lives and wairua of our tūpuna as we journey through different spaces in our lives.
Dynamics of whanaungatanga
Whanaungatanga are the things we do to make connections and strengthen our bonds with others in our community. Whanaungatanga gives us a safety net, help us work together, watch how people relate to others, and decide how we want to create relationships in our own lives.
Validating our identities
Knowing our whakapapa, our tūpuna, our tūrangawaewae and drawing on whanaungatanga can help us create our own pathways. Clearing space for us to be present and accepted within our whakapapa gives us space to be the expert in our own lives, exercise our mana, and choose what qualities and attributes can best serve us in different spaces, and into the future.
Mātauranga
Ngā kupu takatāpui
Mātauranga is ever evolving, as are our understandings of ourselves and the world around us. Here are kupu Māori that are evolving over time and across hapū to describe the different ways we might experience our relationship with gender: Hinehī - Terms describing someone born biologically male who has a female gender identity. Hinehua - Terms describing someone born biologically male who has a female gender identity. Huri ā-ira - Gender fluidity. Ira Tāhūrua-Kore - Mixed gender, sometimes non-binary, a blend of tāne and wāhine. Ira tāngata - Gender diverse - in this instance the tohutō is significant in signposting the plurality of genders, ways of being and making meaning, rather than indicating that this is a collective noun Irahuhua - Gender diverse. Irahuri - Gender fluidity - to turn, change, or move gender. Sometimes this can also mean transgender. Irakē - GenderQueer or different gender. Irakore - Agender, or no gender. Irapūmau - Cisgender, or permanent fixed gender. Irawhiti - Transgender - gender that changes, moves, crosses over or is associated with change. This can include all transgender people, including binary trans people, non-binary people, and some intersex people. Mae irahuri - Anti-trans or transphobia. Mae irawhiti - Anti-trans or transphobia. Rerekētanga āhuatanga ā-ira - Variations of sex characteristics. Tāhine - Mixed gender, sometimes non-binary, a blend of tāne and wāhine. Takatāpui - "Intimate companion of the same sex" now utilised as an umbrella term to speak to gender and sexual diversity and existence beyond the cisheterosexism. Tangata ira tāne - Men who were born biologically female. Tangata ira wahine - Women who were born biologically male. Tikanga ā-ira whānui - Gender norms. Tīrengi ā-ira - Gender dysphoria or anxiety. Tuakiri ā-ira - Gender identity. Whakamana ira - Gender affirming, or to have pride in ones gender. Whakatāne - Someone born biologically female who has a male gender identity. Whakawahine - Terms describing someone born biologically male who has a female gender identity.
Matauranga Maori
Matauranga Maori
Hinemoa & Tūtānekai
Te Arawa tell the tale of Hinemoa, Tūtānekai and Tiki that speaks to gender diversity and fluid sexualities. Hinemoa was in love with Tūtānekai, but he was preoccupied with Tiki, his hoa takatāpui (“intimate friend” of the same gender). Drawing from Ngāhuia Te Awekotuku’s retelling - Hinemoa learnt Tūtānekai’s routines, his preferences, and experimented with different voices and conversation styles. One evening, she went for a late swim in the hope he would be at the lake like he usually was, and whipped out her best hair flick trying to catch his eye. Unafraid to sound less ‘feminine’, she pursued her love by speaking in a deep husky voice to capture his attention – and she succeeded. The tale of Hinemoa, Tūtānekai and Tiki can teach us about the importance of gender exploration and how we might experience desire, or try to fit within other people’s desires. When we lean outside of the boxes of gender and sexuality, we can find space to play with how we present ourselves, define ourselves, and can find joy in being who we are.
Gender fluidity
Through colonisation, gender in Aotearoa has long been thought of as a binary - man or woman based on the sex organs we are born with. In reality, people can be born with all sorts of variations of sex characteristics – like intersex people. Before these ideas were brought to our shores, our tūpuna understood that gender can change and isn’t necessarily tied to the sex organs we were born with. In this context, sex refers to the sex organs we have – often this is talked about as being either female with a uterus, ovaries, and vagina, or as male with a penis, testes and sperm. Gender refers to the characteristics and qualities society expects to see alongside different labels like man or woman. Gender is a social construct. The categories of man and woman were created by society and give us expectations for how we should act, present ourselves and determine what is or isn’t socially acceptable to the people around us. Men might be expected to be strong, muscular and staunch, while being sensitive, gentle and caring can open men up to bullying. Men can wear nail polish, create beautiful art, and play netball. This doesn’t make them any less of a man. Similarly, women can be mechanics, builders, or bodybuilders and still be women. Sometimes trying to live up to expectations that don’t match our realities can stifle our talents and our potential to live up to our dreams. Like Hinemoa, we can and should explore our genders and the ways we can play and perform them. We get to decide for ourselves what our gender is. For some people, it’s easy to recognise that your gender matches the sex organs you were born with. For others, some gender labels may feel more comfortable one day and others another day – this is called being gender fluid. For some people, none of the gender labels we have might feel comfortable. We were not born to fit into neat boxes. Resisting gendered norms and pressures can help us figure out what we are comfortable with, and what doesn’t serve us. Exploring our own unique relationship with gender can help us have these conversations with other people and to recognise that this is a normal part of growing up and becoming sexual beings.
What does it mean to be nonbinary?
Being non-binary means you might not fit comfortably within the two boxes of man or woman. You might flit between them, sit somewhere in the middle, or somewhere else completely. Non-binary shouldn’t be thought of as a third gender, but as the filling in the sandwich - all the yummy detail and nuance we would miss if we only focus on the bread at the ends. Non-binary is a bit of an umbrella term used to talk about people who are non-binary or might be agender, genderfluid, or gendervoid. Non-binary people might use they/them pronouns, neopronouns, or any combination of pronouns. There is no hard and fast rule about what non-binary people look like, or how they like to be addressed, so we should always be open to being corrected or asking politely if we are unsure.
What does it mean to be trans?
Trans, like non-binary, is often used as an umbrella term to encompass different trans communities. A long time ago, we used to talk about trans people as “being born in the wrong body”, nowadays we recognise that nobody’s body is “wrong” it just might not align with how we understand ourselves. The term “trans” comes from a Latin word which refers to going across, beyond, or through. Similarly, “cis” comes from a Latin word which means on this side of, or on the near side of something. Today, being trans means your gender doesn’t align with the gender you were assigned at birth (usually based on your sex organs), and being cis means your gender does align with your assigned gender at birth. Trans women are women who might have been assigned male at birth, born intersex, or have had other experiences that mean they have transitioned into womanhood. Similarly, trans men are men who might have been assigned female at birth, born intersex, or have had other experiences that mean they have or are transitioning into manhood. Some non-binary people classify themselves as trans too given their gender identity doesn’t align with their assigned gender at birth. Trans people, like all other communities, are each distinct and unique with their own preferences and ways of being. Some trans people choose to socially transition, living life in ways that align with their gender. Some choose to medically transition, drawing on hormones and perhaps surgery to work towards gender euphoria and help their body align with their gender. Sometimes, trans people may even detransition, undertaking steps to re-discover their assigned gender at birth. There are lots of reasons why this can happen and should never be used to discredit trans people and their experiences. Trans people don’t owe us “passing” - trans women don’t need to try and fit in with what we think women should look like, and trans men don’t need to try and fit in with what we think men should look like. Just as cis people can resist gendered norms and pressures, trans people can too. There is no right or wrong way to experience gender, and you must always remember that you are the expert of your life. You, and only you get to define your identity for yourself.
We learn about what it means to be a girl or boy from the people around us and on television. Sometimes this doesn’t fit exactly how we understand ourselves to be. We don’t always fit the box of what society tells us we should be as a girl or boy, and what it means to grow into a woman or man. Take a journey with us to explore how our gender can be diverse and fluid.
On this page you can explore cornerstone concepts, knowledges, practices, values and pūrākau from Te Ao Māori about sexual violence. Pūrākau like these help us to understand the dynamics of mana and tapu, and how we relate, enrich or diminish one another. Concepts from Te Ao Māori are noted in purple, concepts from specific iwi are noted in green, and social justice concepts that relate to our lives as Māori are noted in yellow.
Tōku tuakiri
Want to know more about gender?
Tōku tuakiri
Want to know more about gender?
E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kereru
The tūī squarks, the kākā chatters, the kereru coos.
It takes all kinds of people. We come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and sexualities!