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
The red earth at Kurawaka
Tāne, one of the sons of Papatūānuku and Ranginui, is credited with creating the first human, a woman named Hineahuone. He searched across the eleven layers of the sky, through the oceans alongside Tangaroa (atua of the ocean), and across the breadth of Papatūānuku, without success. After seeking advice from Papatūānuku, they shaped Hineahuone from the clay at Kurawaka - dyed a vibrant red, from the menstrual blood of Papatūānuku. Te whare tangata (the house of humanity, the uterus) signifies the gateway between te ao wairua and te ao marama. Māori women and girls are of fundamental importance in Māori culture, and much of their power, strength and wisdom is derived from being keepers of te whare tangata. Through divine authority, their unique tapu permits access to physical and spiritual worlds - placing unparalleled importance on Māori women and girls.
Matauranga Maori
Matauranga Maori
Pūrākau about Hariata Rongo
While we remember Hone Heke Pōkai as a rangatira who was smart and brave, we don’t really talk about his wife, Hariata Rongo. Hariata Rongo held immense mana in her own right and amplified the mana of Hone. She skill-fully navigated te ao Pākeha and te ao Māori – becoming an excellent writer in English while still been immersed in her whānau and hapū. Much of Hone’s political feats against the crown came in the form of writing to Crown representatives. However, it was Hariata Rongo who conversed these letters, and collaborated with him on them. Hariata was adaptable, intelligent, a change-maker and a political leader. Drawn from the book, A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru, by Melinda Webber and Te Kapua O’Conner
The first human was wahine
Me aro koe ki te hā o Hineahuone. Mai te tīmatanga, ko Papatūānuku te whaea whenua, ko Hineahuone te ira tangata tuatahi, he wahine. Tīhei Mauriora! In order to bring Hineahuone’s earthly form into being, Tāne breathed life into her. Tāne set up a battle between Kahiri (representative of the vagina) and Tiki (representative of the penis). This battle raged between the guardians of feminine and masculine sexual energy beginning with Tiki standing strong and erect, eventually overcome by Kahiri. This battle connected ira atua (our connections to, and lineage from ātua) and ira tangata (our connections to future human descendants), determining that the first human was to be born a woman. This narrative reminds us wāhine and tāne have unique value and equal status in te ao Māori. Historically, Māori women occupied diverse positions of authority in their whānau, hapū and iwi. Māori woman were spiritual, military, political and educational leaders, and continue to be so today. Through colonialisation, the balance between women and men has been turned on its head, with men positioned as above women. This story reminds us that wāhine are significant in te ao Māori and there are many ways to understand gender. We should hold firm to the knowledge that wāhine, tāne and ngā tāngata katoa deserve honour, dignity, and fair treatment.
Colonial sexism
Sexism in our modern world means that girls and women are often subject to expectations of being a woman that doesn’t always match our realities. When it comes to relationships and sex, girls and women navigate far more rigid expectations than boys and men. These expectations are often “enforced” by the things we are expected to wear, the people we are expected to talk to and the way we “should” act. 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 they have a 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. Pushing back against western expectations can help liberate us from violence and make space for us to be ourselves.
Misogyny
Misogyny refers to a generalised hatred of women and an assumption that women are inferior. Sometimes misogyny can be hard to recognise because it is seen as normal and how things ‘should be’. We might see misogyny in the double standards applied to girls compared to boys. Boys are often encouraged to explore sexual relationships with different girls as soon as they start developing feelings for them. Girls are not encouraged to explore sexual relationships in the same way. Instead, girls receive conflicting messages about how to be sexual. On one hand, girls may feel pressure to be seen as desirable and wanting sex so they are not seen as too ‘prudish’ by their peers. On the other hand, girls may be cautious about being seen as a ‘slut’ by appearing or acting ‘too sexual.’ Girls may be judged for how they dress, the reputations they’ve been given and what others have to say about them. They may also be judged for having too many friends who are boys, or when they are not like the other girls. Boys are often seen as cool if they’ve had lots of girlfriends, or if they instigate sex. But when girls do it, they can be told they are too easy, too keen and called a bunch of horrible names. Most of the time this has nothing to do with what they have done or who they are – it's about misogyny. This hatred and disregard for women’s personhood can easily turn into violence, including sexual violence.
Wāhine are the first voice
Te reo me ona tikanga are full of practices that uphold the mana of wāhine and protect the well-being of all of us. Through colonisation, many of our tikanga have been misrepresented as sexist. Pōwhiri are a unique example of this. For hapū whose marae are representations of wahine tūpuna, pōwhiri processes represent consent and sexual self-determination. The first voices you hear in pōwhiri are those of the kai karanga, calling out a welcome to manuhiri. No one is permitted entry onto an ancestral marae without the call of kai karanga. Entering the whare represents entering into te whare tangata (the uterus, womb, house of humanity). In this space, dialogue between hau kainga and manuhiri represents conception – uniting two peoples as one through a shared purpose. Whaikōrero end when wāhine sing, signaling the importance of wāhine in dictating the boundaries of discussions and engagements.
Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama
Want to know more about mana wāhine?
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Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārma
Want to know more about mana wāhine?
Pūrākau teach us about the mana held by wāhine 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 girls and women can be complicated. But wāhine are clever and find different ways to resist these pressures. Take a journey with us to explore mana wāhine.
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.
