Māori Concepts

Māori people have a special way of connecting with the world around them. A concept known as Tikanga dictates the traditional rules, customs or laws for overseeing life as Māori. Tikanga is derived from the word Tika – which can be interpreted as the truth, correctness or fairness. Here are just a few of the beautiful concepts Māori live by and what they mean.

Manakitanga means to extend aroha (love and compassion) to others. It is found in acts such as helping a loved one, encouraging one another or even supporting a complete stranger. Manaakitanga is one of the most important concepts to Māori people as it secures the strength of our whānau (families) and communities.

How To Extend Manaakitanga:

— Send a message to a loved one
— Cook someone a meal
— Take over someone’s job or chore

In Te Reo Māori (the Māori language), a kaitiaki is a guardian. Offering kaitiakitangi is offering guardianship to the sky, land and sea. Māori believe that the earth is a taonga (gift) from our ancestors, and should be protected as such. You can extend kaitiakitangi by respecting and conserving the earth, being mindful of the impact of your behaviours and giving back to the land.

How To Extend Kaitiakitanga:

— Reduce, reuse, recycle
— Walk or bike to work
— Plant a tree

Kotahitanga is the concept of togetherness. Māori are a small yet unified race, and it’s important to lift each other up. Kotahitanga is identifying as one – sharing the earth, extending our āwhina (support) to everyone, and receiving the same back.

This concept is very important to us at Tamaki Māori Village, as our company whakatauki (proverb) is “Kia Kotahi Tātou | We are One” which is inclusive of the many guests we have through our village.

How To Extend Kotahitanga:

— Join a local sports team
— Donate to a charity
— Say hello to a stranger

How will you extend Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga or Kotahitanga in your day today?