MANAAKITANGA: TWO FURTHER EXPLANATIONS
The following two explanations are extracts from larger articles. The www. references are provided. These may be helpful when considering the concept in relation to the study of a cultural process that is not focussed on tourism. Collier also provides a challenge about how we are addressing the learning needs of our Maori students.
Sonny Tau addresses the NZRFC AGM in Wellington, July 2005.
(Photo courtesy of Sam Mossman and the NZ Fishing News.) http://www.option4.co.nz/Fisheries_Mgmt/fmmptau705.htmManakitanga
I think it is critical that you have some understanding of what manaakitanga means - as this is the phenomenon that underpins the Maori drive to continue providing for its exercise. Without this provision, Maori are absolutely marginalised when practicing reciprocal relationships and extending mana enhancement constructs to our manuhiri.
Manaakitanga has many meanings and I believe the Ngati Raukawa Rangatira, Professor Whatarangi Winiata, who is also President of the Maori Party, offered one of the most profound explanations of manaakitanga I have ever read. Professor Winiata described Manaakitanga in this way: “behavior that acknowledges the mana of others as having equal or greater importance than ones own, through the expression of aroha, hospitality, generosity and mutual respect. Displaying manaakitanga elevated the status of all, building unity through the humility and the act of giving” [1]
Remembering of course what the German missionary had said nearly 200 years ago, “these natives are a peculiar people. They don't measure their wealth by what they own but by what they give away. We must teach them to be mean.” This tikanga hasn't changed. Maori still seek after mana enhancement by providing the best kai available to their manuhiri. Kai moana is ranked among the highest mana enhancing mechanisms known to the Maori psyche.
Ngapuhi's Professor Manuka Henare summarises manaakitanga in this way: “manaaki tanga relates to the finer qualities of people, rather than just to their material possessions. It is the principle of the quality of caring, kindness, hospitality and showing respect for others. To exhibit manaakitanga is to raise ones mana (manaaki) through generosity.” [2]
Another Ngapuhi, Professor Cleve Barlow further explains manaakitanga in this way: “ manaaki is derived from the power of the word as in mana-a ki, and means to express love and hospitality toward people. The most important attributes for the hosts are to provide an abundance of food, a place to rest, and to speak nicely to visitors so that peace prevails during the gathering. If these principles are implemented a hui will more likely be regarded as a memorable occasion.”[3]
In the case of fisheries, Manaakitanga then is about our ability to feed our manuhiri with the best possible traditional seafood available. An argument based on this principle is very difficult to refute. Regarding Te Tiriti O Waitangi, all Governments are obligated to provide for this basic requirement of our Tikanga - having altered the status of kai moana in this country through various pieces of legislation. Kai moana then, is central to the practice of manaakitanga.
Having shared these definitions of manaakitanga with you, I now wish to reiterate –
“99.999% of the time Ngapuhi fish to feed our babies, we are categorised as recreational fishers”
www.uctl.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/r02collier.doc
“TE AKO HIKOHIKO (MÄORI AND E. LEARNING):
He Aronga (A Mäori Worldview)”
Hohaia Collier
Director
Māori and Administration Studies
Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa
To the non-Mäori our world is a series of tangential occurrences that they find no more than quaint anachronisms. They tend to reject the unexplainable; to them there is no logic in Mäori experiences. They have been taught that everything within their levels of consciousness can only be explained by the rigid laws of matter, energy and probability, by the rules of technology.
Although the non-Mäori industrial society has swept across our world, almost destroying it and its traditional belief systems, the wänanga learning environment and surviving pockets of indigenous culture within iwi have stalled and to an extent reversed the trend towards colonised methodologies.
The essential starting point for looking at Mäori pedagogies is the cosmogonic beginnings or the Mäori view of how the world began. Cosmogony was a blueprint for Mäori life. It set out innumerable precedents by which Mäori communities were guided in the regulation of their day-to-day activities.
Mäori have a holistic view of the world that derives from a belief system that links people to all living and non-living things. Mäori are descended from cosmogonic parents, Ranginui and Papatüänuku and their offspring, the atua kaitiaki: Täne, Tümatauenga, Rongo, Tangaroa, Täwhirimätea and Haumiatiketike. They share a common ancestry with other life forms and are therefore part of nature and biodiversity.
All components of ecosystems, both living and non-living, possess the spiritual qualities of tapu, mauri, mana and wairua. Mäori as tangata whenua see themselves as kaitiaki of these ecosystems and as having a responsibility to protect and enhance them. This responsibility of people to other living things is expressed in the concept of kaitiakitanga or guardianship.
As the people are intrinsically linked with the natural world, the mana of the iwi, hapü or whänau is directly related to the wellbeing of the natural resources within their rohe or takiwä. Understanding a Mäori worldview is an essential step towards any meaningful bicultural interaction.
He Aronga mo te Mätauranga
(A Mäori Worldview of Knowledge)
We are all here I suspect because we have a genuine interest for accumulating, creating and disseminating knowledge. In a Mäori worldview this was known as the Ako, Pupuri, Waihanga cycle. In ancient times this cycle coincided with the Matariki, Puanga, Whänui cycle of food production.
As Mäori was not a written language the oral traditions became entrenched in our narratives through karakia, whaikörero, möteatea, waiata, whakataukï, püräkau, and pakiwaitara. These oral icons of communication fell into the language categories of Ökawa and Öpaki or formal and informal language.
For a time these were jealously guarded but we now see many examples of non-Mäori who have become authorities on Mäori educative processes. Some have taken a purely scientific approach through philosophical inquiry, others have pursued the truth by modifying their position through questioning and conflict with the opposing ideas, while others like Ann Salmond and Joan Metge have engrossed themselves in the lives of their subjects to the extent of being adopted by them.
Te Tüäpapa
The Mäori worldview is based on a tüäpapa (foundation) of eternal principles which define their constitution for living. These principles are known as kaupapa. The late Rev. Mäori Marsden explained kaupapa as coming from two distinct words, kau, which he interpreted as appearing for the first time, and papa, the foundation. Philosophically then kaupapa are the first principles by which Mäori defined their world and their constitution for living within that world. There are many kaupapa but some that might exercise the mind of the educator are:
• Rangatiratanga;
• Manaakitanga;
• Whanaungatanga;
• Wairuatanga;
• Pükengatanga; and
• Kaitiakitanga.
I would like to give some insights into these kaupapa that might help you to understand and perhaps work within them when engaging with Mäori.
Rangatiratanga
I have taken the term rangatira to be, ‘a person of good character’ though others have attached the term ‘chief,’ which has connotations of tribalism. My objection to this term is that like the term ‘tribe’ which has been taken from the Latin ‘tribulus’ or the lowest level of social order, it is negative. I am therefore more inclined to the definition I have already given.
The late Bishop Manuhuia Bennett used the following aphorism as an expression of rangatiratanga:
• Ko te kai o te rangatira, he körero
The food of a person of good character is his / her word
• Ko te tohu o te rangatira, he manaaki
The sign of a person of good character is generosity
• Ko te mahi o te rangatira, hei whakatira i te iwi
The work of a person of good character, is to gather people together
Manaakitanga
Manaakitanga is the principle of elevation of the personal qualities of others with whom we have a relationship. The words mana and aki become immediately obvious. Mana can be described as the personal power and prestige that individuals have. The word aki means to uplift or encourage.
Manaakitanga therefore can be seen as a desirable principle of pedagogy where by the positive actions of the tutor the mana or personal qualities of the student are elevated and by the achievement of academic outcomes the mana of the tutor is likewise elevated. This state of mutual mana enhancement is an expression of the tikanga of ‘utu’ or reciprocal action.
Whanaungatanga / Kotahitanga
Whanaungatanga is the principle of relationship building. In a purely Mäori environment, the principle of whakapapa or kinship relationships based on genealogical descent would define this whanaungatanga. In a more general relationship like the learning environment, whanaungatanga is a more appropriate term. Amongst Mäori this is an almost automatic occurrence.
The root word whänau, which can be loosely translated as family gives a hint as to how Mäori see the learning environment. The classroom is referred to as te whare ako or learning house and those within that house are whanaunga or family members. It can be seen then that learning in a Mäori worldview is a collective activity where learning is enhanced when the participants know and are comforted by knowing with whom they are studying. Whanaungatanga is very closely related to another kaupapa, kotahitanga, which can be defined as unity of purpose.
Wairuatanga
Wairuatanga can be defined as the spiritual wellbeing of the individual. Wairua, the spirit, can be uplifted or it can be negatively affected by the environment that the student or the tutor finds him / herself in. While it is not suggested that all classes are preceded by karakia, the tutor should be aware that some Mäori students may put themselves in a zone at the start of the session where they seek a positive ethic and wellbeing in an attempt to be in harmony with others and the learning environment.
Pükengatanga
Pükengatanga is the expression of skill or the achievement of a standard of knowledge set by the learning institution. To be considered a pükörero is to be considered a skilled orator. The root word pü in itself denotes a skilled person but in the term puäwai, it means to flower or reach one’s potential.
The following two explanations are extracts from larger articles. The www. references are provided. These may be helpful when considering the concept in relation to the study of a cultural process that is not focussed on tourism. Collier also provides a challenge about how we are addressing the learning needs of our Maori students.
Sonny Tau addresses the NZRFC AGM in Wellington, July 2005.
(Photo courtesy of Sam Mossman and the NZ Fishing News.) http://www.option4.co.nz/Fisheries_Mgmt/fmmptau705.htmManakitanga
I think it is critical that you have some understanding of what manaakitanga means - as this is the phenomenon that underpins the Maori drive to continue providing for its exercise. Without this provision, Maori are absolutely marginalised when practicing reciprocal relationships and extending mana enhancement constructs to our manuhiri.
Manaakitanga has many meanings and I believe the Ngati Raukawa Rangatira, Professor Whatarangi Winiata, who is also President of the Maori Party, offered one of the most profound explanations of manaakitanga I have ever read. Professor Winiata described Manaakitanga in this way: “behavior that acknowledges the mana of others as having equal or greater importance than ones own, through the expression of aroha, hospitality, generosity and mutual respect. Displaying manaakitanga elevated the status of all, building unity through the humility and the act of giving” [1]
Remembering of course what the German missionary had said nearly 200 years ago, “these natives are a peculiar people. They don't measure their wealth by what they own but by what they give away. We must teach them to be mean.” This tikanga hasn't changed. Maori still seek after mana enhancement by providing the best kai available to their manuhiri. Kai moana is ranked among the highest mana enhancing mechanisms known to the Maori psyche.
Ngapuhi's Professor Manuka Henare summarises manaakitanga in this way: “manaaki tanga relates to the finer qualities of people, rather than just to their material possessions. It is the principle of the quality of caring, kindness, hospitality and showing respect for others. To exhibit manaakitanga is to raise ones mana (manaaki) through generosity.” [2]
Another Ngapuhi, Professor Cleve Barlow further explains manaakitanga in this way: “ manaaki is derived from the power of the word as in mana-a ki, and means to express love and hospitality toward people. The most important attributes for the hosts are to provide an abundance of food, a place to rest, and to speak nicely to visitors so that peace prevails during the gathering. If these principles are implemented a hui will more likely be regarded as a memorable occasion.”[3]
In the case of fisheries, Manaakitanga then is about our ability to feed our manuhiri with the best possible traditional seafood available. An argument based on this principle is very difficult to refute. Regarding Te Tiriti O Waitangi, all Governments are obligated to provide for this basic requirement of our Tikanga - having altered the status of kai moana in this country through various pieces of legislation. Kai moana then, is central to the practice of manaakitanga.
Having shared these definitions of manaakitanga with you, I now wish to reiterate –
“99.999% of the time Ngapuhi fish to feed our babies, we are categorised as recreational fishers”
www.uctl.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/r02collier.doc
“TE AKO HIKOHIKO (MÄORI AND E. LEARNING):
He Aronga (A Mäori Worldview)”
Hohaia Collier
Director
Māori and Administration Studies
Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa
To the non-Mäori our world is a series of tangential occurrences that they find no more than quaint anachronisms. They tend to reject the unexplainable; to them there is no logic in Mäori experiences. They have been taught that everything within their levels of consciousness can only be explained by the rigid laws of matter, energy and probability, by the rules of technology.
Although the non-Mäori industrial society has swept across our world, almost destroying it and its traditional belief systems, the wänanga learning environment and surviving pockets of indigenous culture within iwi have stalled and to an extent reversed the trend towards colonised methodologies.
The essential starting point for looking at Mäori pedagogies is the cosmogonic beginnings or the Mäori view of how the world began. Cosmogony was a blueprint for Mäori life. It set out innumerable precedents by which Mäori communities were guided in the regulation of their day-to-day activities.
Mäori have a holistic view of the world that derives from a belief system that links people to all living and non-living things. Mäori are descended from cosmogonic parents, Ranginui and Papatüänuku and their offspring, the atua kaitiaki: Täne, Tümatauenga, Rongo, Tangaroa, Täwhirimätea and Haumiatiketike. They share a common ancestry with other life forms and are therefore part of nature and biodiversity.
All components of ecosystems, both living and non-living, possess the spiritual qualities of tapu, mauri, mana and wairua. Mäori as tangata whenua see themselves as kaitiaki of these ecosystems and as having a responsibility to protect and enhance them. This responsibility of people to other living things is expressed in the concept of kaitiakitanga or guardianship.
As the people are intrinsically linked with the natural world, the mana of the iwi, hapü or whänau is directly related to the wellbeing of the natural resources within their rohe or takiwä. Understanding a Mäori worldview is an essential step towards any meaningful bicultural interaction.
He Aronga mo te Mätauranga
(A Mäori Worldview of Knowledge)
We are all here I suspect because we have a genuine interest for accumulating, creating and disseminating knowledge. In a Mäori worldview this was known as the Ako, Pupuri, Waihanga cycle. In ancient times this cycle coincided with the Matariki, Puanga, Whänui cycle of food production.
As Mäori was not a written language the oral traditions became entrenched in our narratives through karakia, whaikörero, möteatea, waiata, whakataukï, püräkau, and pakiwaitara. These oral icons of communication fell into the language categories of Ökawa and Öpaki or formal and informal language.
For a time these were jealously guarded but we now see many examples of non-Mäori who have become authorities on Mäori educative processes. Some have taken a purely scientific approach through philosophical inquiry, others have pursued the truth by modifying their position through questioning and conflict with the opposing ideas, while others like Ann Salmond and Joan Metge have engrossed themselves in the lives of their subjects to the extent of being adopted by them.
Te Tüäpapa
The Mäori worldview is based on a tüäpapa (foundation) of eternal principles which define their constitution for living. These principles are known as kaupapa. The late Rev. Mäori Marsden explained kaupapa as coming from two distinct words, kau, which he interpreted as appearing for the first time, and papa, the foundation. Philosophically then kaupapa are the first principles by which Mäori defined their world and their constitution for living within that world. There are many kaupapa but some that might exercise the mind of the educator are:
• Rangatiratanga;
• Manaakitanga;
• Whanaungatanga;
• Wairuatanga;
• Pükengatanga; and
• Kaitiakitanga.
I would like to give some insights into these kaupapa that might help you to understand and perhaps work within them when engaging with Mäori.
Rangatiratanga
I have taken the term rangatira to be, ‘a person of good character’ though others have attached the term ‘chief,’ which has connotations of tribalism. My objection to this term is that like the term ‘tribe’ which has been taken from the Latin ‘tribulus’ or the lowest level of social order, it is negative. I am therefore more inclined to the definition I have already given.
The late Bishop Manuhuia Bennett used the following aphorism as an expression of rangatiratanga:
• Ko te kai o te rangatira, he körero
The food of a person of good character is his / her word
• Ko te tohu o te rangatira, he manaaki
The sign of a person of good character is generosity
• Ko te mahi o te rangatira, hei whakatira i te iwi
The work of a person of good character, is to gather people together
Manaakitanga
Manaakitanga is the principle of elevation of the personal qualities of others with whom we have a relationship. The words mana and aki become immediately obvious. Mana can be described as the personal power and prestige that individuals have. The word aki means to uplift or encourage.
Manaakitanga therefore can be seen as a desirable principle of pedagogy where by the positive actions of the tutor the mana or personal qualities of the student are elevated and by the achievement of academic outcomes the mana of the tutor is likewise elevated. This state of mutual mana enhancement is an expression of the tikanga of ‘utu’ or reciprocal action.
Whanaungatanga / Kotahitanga
Whanaungatanga is the principle of relationship building. In a purely Mäori environment, the principle of whakapapa or kinship relationships based on genealogical descent would define this whanaungatanga. In a more general relationship like the learning environment, whanaungatanga is a more appropriate term. Amongst Mäori this is an almost automatic occurrence.
The root word whänau, which can be loosely translated as family gives a hint as to how Mäori see the learning environment. The classroom is referred to as te whare ako or learning house and those within that house are whanaunga or family members. It can be seen then that learning in a Mäori worldview is a collective activity where learning is enhanced when the participants know and are comforted by knowing with whom they are studying. Whanaungatanga is very closely related to another kaupapa, kotahitanga, which can be defined as unity of purpose.
Wairuatanga
Wairuatanga can be defined as the spiritual wellbeing of the individual. Wairua, the spirit, can be uplifted or it can be negatively affected by the environment that the student or the tutor finds him / herself in. While it is not suggested that all classes are preceded by karakia, the tutor should be aware that some Mäori students may put themselves in a zone at the start of the session where they seek a positive ethic and wellbeing in an attempt to be in harmony with others and the learning environment.
Pükengatanga
Pükengatanga is the expression of skill or the achievement of a standard of knowledge set by the learning institution. To be considered a pükörero is to be considered a skilled orator. The root word pü in itself denotes a skilled person but in the term puäwai, it means to flower or reach one’s potential.
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