Introduction

Maori Values - Founding Beliefs

Some Important Maori Principles/ Values

How - A Step-by-Step Guide to the Te Arotūriki Process - CONTINUED

DETAILS OF PROPOSAL STAGE

Maori Values - Some important Māori Principles and Values

Wairua(tanga) (spirituality)
The spiritual world is an important part of reality which is integral to day-to-day activities. It is the belief that all things have a spirit (and a body). When a person dies, their spirit lives on. It is also believed that during dreams the wairua leaves the body and then returns before the person awakes. Injury, illness and bad deeds (abuse, neglect) can damage and weaken the wairua of an individual. In more modern, lay terms, the wairua (soul, spirit) of a person is the combination of their values, attitude, intentions and spiritedness embodied in the feeling you are left with when you think about that person after they have passed on.

Tapu (power, influence, sacredness)
There are many meanings and conditions associated with tapu. First and foremost, tapu is the power and influence of the gods. Everything (land, oceans, rivers, forests, humans, animals, fish, birds) all have tapu. Tapu also includes all kinds of restrictions and prohibitions, from which no one is exempt. For example, one should not step over a sleeping person – the reason is that one should not pass anything over the head of another, the head being the most tapu part of a person.

Noa (restoring balance, ordinary)
Noa is often paired with tapu, because when tapu has been lifted, it becomes Noa, ordinary or that the balance has been restored. Noa is not simply the opposite of tapu, since noa is more a state of balance, which can fluctuate.

Mauri (lifeforce)
Mauri is the power which permits all living things (land, oceans, rivers, forests, humans, animals, fish, birds) to live within their own rhelm. It is the ‘spark of life’, the active component that indicates the person is alive. No one can control their own mauri, however it is posbile for someone to establish a mauri for a creation, such as a house. Mauri exists and is interpreted on many different layers – for example, DNA has mauri, a cell has mauri, as does an organism/individual as well as the environment which represents a collective mauri for all living things in that environment. Mauri is important because it keeps the living thing in balance and a concern for some Māori is that the mauri/lifeforce of DNA, cells and individuals (for example) will be disturbed during the process of Genetic Engineering. When the body dies, the mauri ceases to exist (unlike the wairua, which lives on).

Whakapapa (genealogy)
A common ancestry provides a platform for linking people by kin-ship, celebrating jointly held property and common histories. Whakapapa is a fundamental attribute of birth into family relationships that have already been in place for many generations. The whakapapa line from the father and mother (or in some cases, just one parent) determines one’s place within the hapū. The order of birth also affects whakapapa, so that an older sibling has priority over the younger, working its way down through the family. To enjoy the full benefits of whakapapa, one has to be situated in the right place and be seen often. So with whakapapa comes responsibilities to play a part in the life of the hapū and iwi, but with it comes a right to claim membership and belonging to hapū.

Mana (authority, influence and prestige)
Mana has various meanings, including the power of the gods (Mana Atua), the power of ancestors (Mana Tupuna), the power of the land (Mana whenua) and the power of an individual (Mana Tangata). A person’s mana has to do with with the place of that individual in the social group. For example, older brothers and sisters have a higher position, socially than their younger siblings. A person gains authority through displaying the qualities of integrity, generosity, bravery, humility, respect, commitment to the community, using oratory skills to explain things in a way which creates bonds between people.

Tiaki (the duty of care, for people and the environment)
For Māori, this is the acknowledgement of their spiritual responsibility caring for the resources they work with, ensuring safety, and pursuing quality and excellence, is held with the highest regard by Māori. The derivative Kaitiakitanga refers to the decision-making authority over a resource or resources within the rohe (area) of the iwi and hapū. The kaitiaki are the custodians of the resource(s) and regulate access for and on behalf of whānau, hapū and iwi.

Manaakitanga (generosity and hospitality)
Māori organisations support the social objectives of the Māori community through
contribution of money, people and facilities, treating visitors, partners or competitors
fairly and generously. In practice it is one of the key values that underpin many of the other values. It refers to an expected standard of behaviour an ideal that one should aspire to reach.

Whanaungatanga (family responsibilities and relationships).
Whanaungatanga is the fundamental principle around relationships. It can be described as the expectation that individuals expect to be supported by near and distant relatives, but the collective group also expects to be supported by its individuals. Family bonds take priority over all other considerations in deciding what action to take. Whanaungatana extends beyond blood relationships and include non-kin people who become like kin through shared experiences.

There are links between tiaki, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga – there is a high value placed upon nurturing relationships, looking after people, the environment and being careful about how all people/things are treated.

(Tino)rangatiratanga (sovereignty, chieftainship, leadership)
Rangatiratanga can be ascribed to individuals or groups of individuals who have the qualities associated with leadership/chieftainship over that group.

Tika/Pono (correct/right and true/genuine)
The concept of ‘tika’ which means ‘right’ or ‘correct’ and is a base principle that applies to all practices and values. There is also a further concept of ‘pono’ which means ‘true’ or ‘genuine’, or in other words true to the principles of Māoritanga

Arohatanga (love, empathy)
Arohatanga is the guiding principle of love. It also encapsulates the sentiments around empathy, and is the basis for peaceful co-existence. Aroha is how Māori described the relationship they originally sought with settler..

Māoritanga (culture and way of life for Māori)
Māoritanga is a term that simply refers to the culture and way of life of the Māori people. It is not a principle or value as such, but a term that you may come across.

Kotahitanga (co-operation)
Kotahitanga is the principle or practice of cooperating, where members of hapū, iwi and whanau collaborate and work together for the benefit of all. There is usually a sense of teamwork and unity where the combined effort of all accomplishes more than the individuals could seek to achieve.