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
Te orokohanga o te ao
The founding of te ao (the world) as we know it began with Ranginui and Papatūānuku, who were locked in a deep embrace that produced many children. They held their children in the space between their bodies, keeping them close and sheltered. These children grew tired of being confined to te pō (darkness) between their parents. They wanted to explore the world, to let the light shine upon their talents, to make their own mistakes, and to have space to explore their own identities and make their mark. Many of the atua attempted to part their mother and father, but it was their son Tane who was finally able to push them apart, to create te ao marama. Papatūānuku and Ranginui mourned for each other, and were separated for eternity. A kawakawa leaf was given to Papatuānuku to mend her broken heart after her separation from Ranginui. Today, kawakawa is used for its medicinal properties and to make wreaths for tangihanga (funerals). I te timatanga waiata Ko te pū Te more Te weu Te aka Te rea Ko te wao nui Te kune Te whē Te kore Te pō Ki ngā tangata Māori Nā Rangi rāua ko Papa Ko tēnei te tīmatanga o te ao
Matauranga Maori
Matauranga Maori
Decolonisation
Colonisation has impacted Māori lives, experiences, and relationships. The lives of our tūpuna were disrupted and changed by the arrival of settlers, and as their descendants, our lives continue to be disrupted today. Colonisation changed our whenua, our practices, and our ability to maintain our mātauranga. In modern times, we live as Indigenous people on our ancestral lands, under the imported rules and systems that were established through colonisation. Decolonisation is a process of challenging these systems, rules and assumptions we have been raised with. Re-acquainting ourselves with the practices, values and mātauranga of our tūpuna can help us to recognise that the challenges we face aren’t because of who we are, but rather that the systems we live within were set up to exclude us.
Wairua – Taha tāne, Taha wāhine
Mātauranga Māori positions us all as the living legacy of our tūpuna, as members of our whānau and the modern expression of our whakapapa. As rangatahi and tamariki, we are made up of wairua. Wai refers to water or streams, and rua refers to two. Two of the streams that make us up are taha tāne and taha wāhine. We inherit the legacies of our tāne tūpuna and our wāhine tūpuna. We all have the capacity to lean into our wahine and tane sides to find what fits us best, and to be fluid in how we respond to the challenges of the world around us.
Imposter tikanga
Intergenerational experiences of colonisation have meant that some uri (descendants) have little to no understanding of te reo, mātauranga, and tikanga Māori. Historical and contemporary colonisation has also meant that global media and culture has influenced our understandings of ourselves. Colonial notions of Māori in relation to gender and sexuality continue to undermine us, where western assumptions of gender are pushed onto us. The impacts of colonisation upon notions of gender, sexuality and relationships may have taken hold as ‘imposter tikanga’. For instance, this includes the dominant representation of heteronormative (straight) relationships as the ‘natural’ or ‘only’ way to be in the world. Or how we understand men as the only ones who have the power to define, take up ‘natural’ leadership roles, and take the lead in relationships with a woman partner.
Intersectionality
The concept of Intersectionality developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black feminist professor in the USA, is helpful for us in Aotearoa. Intersectionality refers to the compounding layers of identity we hold, and the different ways those layers of identity shape our realities. The world may see us differently to how we understand ourselves, but every facet of our identity is important. Often in modern times, we can be forced to pick which parts of us are the most important in different interactions. For example, in some spaces, our Māoritanga might be the most important element, when in others, our gender, ablebodiedness, or access to money may be more important. Intersectionality can help us understand how these different elements limit the access we have to the world around us, and can help us identify and call out different forms of oppression that we face. As tāngata whenua, and as rangatahi becoming sexual beings, we have an opportunity to learn about ourselves and the world around us, to challenge systems that can no longer be allowed to define our lives, and to create new pathways toward justice and freedom for ourselves and others.
Fluid Māori identities
When we understand intersectionality and the nuanced identities we have as Māori, we can push toward keeping others accountable. We can experience racism, sexism, cisheterosexism, classism and ableism in our daily lives, but we can also push back against and challenge these harmful perspectives and assumptions that can limit our ability to thrive. It is important that no one way of being Māori is prioritised ahead of others, we are all unique and make decisions and act in ways that reflect the journeys we have all been on. We may come from different backgrounds, different experiences, and have had different access to Te Ao Māori, but we can all be sure that a “one size fits all” approach isn’t likely to have the same impacts on us all. Wānanga and tikanga Māori can give us examples of what it looks like to embrace fluid Māori identities. Through wānanga, our tūpuna would share pūrākau long into the night, debating, discussing and sharing a multitude of understandings and perspectives to work together in shaping tikanga to outline the best way forward. As Māori, we know multiple truths can exist at the same time, even when these appear to contradict. Like the ways some iwi celebrate Matariki and some iwi celebrate Pūanga, we are all allowed to thrive and flourish in our own ways, with our own practices that serve us and our communities. As we become sexual beings, it is even more important to understand that there is no one right way to be, that what works for us may not work for everyone around us, and there is space for many ways of being.
Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama
Want to know more about te ao mārama?
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Puta ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama
Want to know more about te ao mārama?
Pūrākau teach us about the creation of the world as we know it, and give guidance on the potential challenges that can arise in our contemporary lives. In today’s world we navigate difference, diversity, and uniqueness within our Māori networks. We also navigate the impacts of colonisation on Māori knowledge, culture, and people. Take a journey with us to explore te ao marama.
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.
Kia mate ururoa, kei mate wheke
Don’t die like an octopus, die like a shark
Keep fighting -keep resisting. You come from a long-line of people who have resisted settler-colonial violence in many forms. Draw strength from their stories and legacies.Sometimes your act of resistance may seem small -it could be deciding to get out of bed in the morning, but this act can be hugely significant.Resistance can be found within Māori cultural practices, including through our language, waiata, karakia, mōteatea. Filling our cup -or filling our wairua can help us better navigate the day-to-day challenges that are thrown at us.
