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
about what it means to be you
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What it means to be you
Mātauranga
Mātauranga
The Top Tech Gifts
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
Matauranga Maori
Matauranga Maori
Tāne relational identities
Tāne Māori inherit a rich heritage through their whakapapa, their spiritual connection to the universe and the natural environment, and their whānau relationships. In te ao Māori, tāne are not more powerful or superior to wāhine, but have responsibilities to their whānau, hapu, and iwi. From the time of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, tāne and wāhine have existed alongside one another, creating life as we know it, and contributing to future generations. Many of the roles that Tāne occupy are situated alongside wāhine. The pronoun ia, that means either man or woman, demonstrates how te reo Māori is a more gender neutral language than English where pronouns are either he, her, or them; she, him, or they.
Colonial sexism
Sexism in our modern world means that boys and men face expectations of being a man that don’t always match our realities. Many boys have grown up hearing things like “boys don’t cry” or that they shouldn’t “throw like a girl”. These sorts of expectations are built upon an assumption that girls and women are inferior. Because of this, when boys and men express gentleness or femininity, they can be treated as “less than” the other boys around them. Sometimes boys can feel pressure to ‘be the man.’ Boys told us that ‘the man’ was someone who got all the girls, was popular, was strong, and had all the latest gears. Some boys also told us they could be teased and called homophobic slurs when they did things that were thought to be ‘girly.’ It could be hard for some boys to be affectionate to other boys, to show their feelings, or even to show interest in hobbies that weren’t considered ‘manly.’ Sometimes it can be hard to recognise these pressures because they are all we have ever known. We may try to talk to our friends about these pressures and they might not be able to recognise them as well. Sometimes, people may feel the right to tell us how we should be. If we step outside the boundaries about what is expected of us, we can be met with hostility, judgement, and harm. For Māori boys, colonial sexism is also shaped by racism. Where boys are often expected to be dominant, Māori boys are also assumed to be violent and aggressive. You may have heard of the “warrior gene”, an old colonial myth that suggested Māori men were inherently savage. This has been proven false, but normalised the policing of, and violence toward Māori boys and men. For Māori boys, male friendship is often perceived as “being in a gang” and our resistance to colonial pressures is often seen as trying to start trouble. Often, the ways we are understood by other people have nothing to do with how we behave or our values. Pushing back against western expectations and assumptions can help liberate us from violence and make space for us to be ourselves. After all, tāne are far more capable and hold much more potential than colonisation would have us believe.
Misogyny
Patriarchy refers to the idea that men are superior to women, are better equipped at leadership and decision-making. Sometimes patriarchy can be hard to recognise because it is seen as normal and how things ‘should be’. For example, we might see patriarchy in places where heterosexual relationships are seen as the only way to be, and when men have a sense of entitlement over women. This can play out in relationships where the sexual desires of boys and men are seen as overwhelming and uncontrollable. Sometimes people say that once boys start having sex, it’s really hard for them to stop because of some “biological drive”. These sorts of justifications can extend further, suggesting that boys can’t stop once they’re having sex with someone if that person changes their mind. Really, these sorts of patterns of thinking hinge upon us seeing girls and women as less important than the “needs” of boys. There is often a lot of pressure placed on girls to satisfy the desires of boys, even if this means at the expense of their own desires, wishes and aspirations. This is not okay. While the patriarchy might seem like it’s working in favour of men, the patriarchy undermines the mana of our whānau, hapū and iwi. Instead of buying into the patriarchy, we should establish our own relationship tikanga.
Pūrākau about Te Ruki Kawiti
Te Ruki Kawiti was a rangatira of Ngati Hine and Ngāpuhi. He was renowned (amongst many things) for his ability to mediate peace between iwi, and between Māori and the Crown. In one instance, he established an alliance with his Ngati Whātua relations, which ended up preventing Ngāpuhi from attacking them. He also stood staunch against the Crown - telling Crown representatives that if they broke their obligations in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, peace between them would be no longer. Kawiti was renowned as a brilliant military leader due partly to his esteemed skills in building and re-designing pā. His pā were so cleverly designed that the British studied them, and used them to guide their own military pursuits. Despite his brilliance in these areas, his descendants also remember him as someone who was deeply ‘political, a poet, a songwriter, and a loving farther.’ Drawn from the book, A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru, by Melinda Webber and Te Kapua O’Conner
Kai korero
Te reo me ona tikanga are full of practices that demonstrate the mana of tāne and wāhine in complementarity. While the first voice you hear in pōwhiri are those of the kai karanga, further conversations are held inside the marae by kai korero, who are most often tāne. Whai korero is a formal and highly regarded artform by Māori, and acknowledges the spiritual and physical influences, people who have passed on the histories and connections between the mana whenua and manuhiri, and the purpose of the occasion. The art and skill of Whai korero can be spontaneous and poetic, including riddles, word puzzles, and proverbs to convey intrigue. Representatives from the mana whenua and manuhiri take turns at speaking, with wāhine performing a waiata afterwards. These are important traditions, taonga for us to uphold, and to step into at a time that is right for us, with the guidance and nurturance of our elders. They teach us about how we relate and engage to one another as a collective, and how our house is strongest when the mana of tāne and wāhine is given space to flourish.
Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama
Want to know more about mana tāne?
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Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama
Want to know more about mana tāne?
Pūrākau teach us about the mana held by tāne in Māori culture. But in our lives today there are lots of cultural pressures that can pull us away from these original teachings. Our lives as boys and men can be complicated. But tāne are clever and find different ways to resist these pressures. Take a journey with us to explore mana tāne.
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.
Ko te kupu whakahāwea meinga hei wero ki te Hinengaro
Let belittling words be a challenge to the mind (Elder, 2020).
Don’t let the haters get you down!
