This is an open question to all people of Maori decent. Infact this is open to anybody with an opinion aswell. Make sure you state whether your "Maori or Non-Maori" What does it mean to be Maori in today's society if I....
- Dont speak Te Reo Maori and really can't be bothered listening or learning it.
- Know a bit but dont really know enough about my whakapapa
- wasn't brought up or born in NZ and haven't been home in ages.
- was brought up in a non-Maori enviroment e.g Pakeha Family...Wealthy area...In the City.
- hardly practice anything Maori e.g Karakia,waiata,hongi......
Please let me know your thoughts on this subject because I believe we are in a generation of re-building as a people and should be able to speak on these issues freely.
I am a 37 year old maori mother of 3. What does it mean to be maori in todays society for me? To rise above the stereo-typical view non-maori have about us. How is this done? By being educated, teaching our children to make good, wise decisions. Instilling self-worth & value into them. Because we would fail if we didnt show them how to be self-sufficient. I was bought up in Mahora in the early 80s, Hastings where the population was predominently Pakeha but bi-cultural with maori. My grandmother bought me up & she spoke mostly reo maori to me. The transition to Mahora school was a big wake up call. My experiences is this. Put these tikanga of karakia, waiata, kapas into our children so they may identify with their maoridom. But above all, love them with obligation & committment to them.
ReplyDeleteAtaahua story there brotha. Thanx for sharing that with us
DeleteKia Ora Tipene,
DeleteKoia, te pātai o ngā pātai!
Mōku ake nei, ka tupu mai tēnei mea i te pēwheatanga e whakaaro ai te tangata he pēwhea te Māori. Ki ngētehi, he tauākī noa iho - He Māori ahau, ā, māu e whakaāe, e whakakāore rānei. Mō tētehi itinga, ka nā roto mai tō rātou Māoritanga i te whakapono ki te karakia e taea ana e rātou.
For me I think it comes from how someone feels how they conceptualize being Māori. For some it is simply a statement - I am Māori and you either accept it or reject it. For a very small minority their Māoritanga comes through their whakapono in the karakia that they attend.
Pai to whakaaro hoki
DeleteKia Ora.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Rob. I am 32 years old, married, have two tamariki of my own, 1 whangai and heaps of whanau whanui. I don't know what it is to be Maori... But I know exactly what it is to be Ngati Porou and Te Whanau a Apanui! Born and raised on the coast, my first reo is Tairawhiti (East Coast) reo, I know exactly where I fit on my Marae and am conscious about my behavior while among other tribal groupings. For me and the people I roll with, I guess this is, for us, what it means to be Maori in today's society - ara; to know you are not Maori, you are actually Te Whanau a.... Or Ngati ..... Or Ngai ...... Or Te Aitanga a ..... This knowledge, in my opinion, informs behavior, shapes world views, inspires self worth; all of this ultimately creating and/or contributing to ones identity - in tribal terms, this is called "Mana Motuhake.". Again, in my opinion, the word Maori is too broad and yet very restrictive in that it doesn't accurately reflect Mana Motuhake or tribal diversity and the rich tapestry of culture, heritage and language that is unique to each tribal grouping which is a direct result of their relationships with their natural environment and with each other. In my view, it blankets and smothers those things; attempting to assimilate them into a one size fits all pill that can be easily understood and swallowed by people who choose to engage from a distance. The recent surge of uprising in Aotearoa is a direct result of growing tribal leadership, awareness and reaffirmation of the relationships I have spoken about. Resistance in this country comes from those who engage from afar (Maori or Tauiwi) who hold on to the need of swallowing the "Maori" pill. Ka nui tena mo tenei wa. Nga Mihi nui ki a koe e hika - mohau I whakatu I tenei kaupapa hai wananga ma tatau.
Loving the whakaaro on this kaupapa. Very rich in substance. Thank you
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