Q&A with Ockham Book Award-winning Rotorua author Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku
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Otago Daily Times
19 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Mana means everything
I was talking to one of my work colleagues about "mana" and what it means to me and my whānau and she suggested I write about it in an article, so here we go. Mana as a word and a concept has become a part of the wider Kiwi experience. It's a word we use domestically and internationally. There are now modern terms such as mana-enhancing and mana-depleting behaviour and it's very much a part of New Zealand fabric. However, I will talk about it from my perspective. Every family has their own set of values and naturally Tahu's and my values aligned, being Māori, being from the same village, being from the same generation, our values were the same. That doesn't mean we agreed on everything because we didn't, but our values helped us raise our kids and run our household on the same page. I've talked before about our oldest boy. He was sent to test us, and he certainly did that. He challenged everything. He questioned the universe with existential issues when he was very young and spent a few months giving Tahu and I the sideways glance as he thought he was living in an alter universe and that we were aliens pretending to be his parents. Yes, that actually happened. He got up one morning and decided to put on a Mexican accent, inspired by a 2-dollar shop stick-on moustache and he apparently played that part the entire day at school, much to his teacher's frustration. Yes, my son wanted to test his teacher. He argued regularly with us about not going to school, and for no real reason, just to argue a point. Honestly, I spent years living with low-end anxiety about what son I was going to get every morning. So, when it comes to disciplining him, which was a regular occurrence, my husband nailed it most times with one value and that was mana. When I think about it, we talked about mana a lot and what that meant and how important it was to behave with mana, and that mana can be taken from you in the blink of an eye, with bad behaviour. You could take anything off my boy as punishment and it would mean nothing to him, but Tahu would take his mana from him, and that meant something. He would take his mana from him for an extended period and to get it back he had to do good deeds and behave (a tall ask). Taking his mana was crippling for him. Tahu would write up that time and that his mana was gone on a blackboard and write his good deeds as he went and he would constantly ask Tahu, "Pāpā, is my mana back yet?!" It was the only successful discipline tool we had with him, and it spoke to mana meaning everything to him. My son's ancestor whom he is also named after, HK Taiaroa, was a prolific writer, in te reo Māori and in English. He happened to also be a member of the House of Representatives for Southern Māori in his time and dedicated his life to fighting against the injustices of the Crown on his people. He was indeed a man who was bestowed with mana and his many deeds probably bolstered that notability. In his many writings he talks of mana in relation to leadership. Obviously we need to put this in context of his time as he was born in the 1830s, but I think his words allow us as Māori to consider the traditional expectations in a modern world. I think about this with my children as there is an expectation on them, like it or not. I have translated HKs words here; The Māori authority and custom differs from tribe to tribe. However in the case of Ngāi Tahu, the authority and chieftenship is a lore that has been long practised by the leadership of our people ... the people within those geneological lines understand and know who the oldest children are of the paramount chiefs. The descendants of those senior lines shall never be forgotten and the consequential authority. If that is forgotten, the authority and chieftenship of the sub-tribe and the authority over land and other important areas will not be passed on. HK's words leave me with a slight melancholy and an internal inquiry. Have I done enough as a parent, to school my children to lead? Are they armed with the right knowledge to then pass that on to the following generations? I do lose some sleep over this and particularly because their Dad isn't here to help them on that leadership trajectory. Nevertheless, circling back to mana. I do think my children understand the power of that value and the reputational risks that can impact on mana. I have done all I can to install the significance of that value within them and it's up to them to behave with mana and treat others in a mana-enhancing way, always.
1News
2 days ago
- 1News
'Oh hell, yeah': Pensioner moves from leaky caravan to new elder village
A pensioner living in a leaky caravan with no power for six years now has a new home to call his own. Steven Connelly, 67, moved into his home at the new elder housing village in Katikati two weeks ago after four years on the waitlist. Connelly previously lived in a caravan on a relative's property. There was no power, a long-drop toilet and Connelly slept with a bucket on the bed to catch the leaks when it rained. Asked if it was good to have somewhere warm and dry to live, he said: 'Oh hell, yeah.' The village was named Te Āhuru Mōwai o Hiria, meaning the sanctuary of Hiria. ADVERTISEMENT The Katikati elder housing village of 26 units is named Te Āhuru Mōwai o Hiria. (Source: Supplied) Hiria Wills, of Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū, and her husband Vic were residents of the original elder village in the 1980s. They did not have children so Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū kaumatua gifted the village the name to keep their memory alive. Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū chairman Hone Winder-Murray said the three housing blocks were named after the maunga they faced, Kaimai, Mauao and Hikurangi. Māori principles had been incorporated into the design and the brickwork patterns were inspired by tukutuku panels at Te Rereatukāhia Marae. Winder-Murray said the village was a 'monumentally beautiful thing on the landscape of Katikati'. Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū chairman Hone Winder-Murray at the opening of the Katikati elder housing village. (Source: Alisha Evans) ADVERTISEMENT Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the village came in under budget but did not disclose the final cost. He said providing safe, secure and affordable housing was one of the most effective ways to enhance people's lives. 'These new homes are about more than just the buildings themselves. They represent the kind of community we want to be, a community that values its elders, supports their wellbeing, and creates spaces where people can live with dignity and connection.' Denyer said the opening of the village was a special day for Katikati. Ian and Jo Dickey, both 76, had been renting in Tauranga but Ian had to work full-time at his gardening business to be able to afford the rent. Ian and Jo Dickey have a secure place to live for the rest of their lives at the new elder village. (Source: Alisha Evans) Ian had undergone two hip replacements and would be tired from heavy lifting all day, Jo said. ADVERTISEMENT They also worried their rental would be sold. Ian and Jo moved into one of the two-bedroom homes, allowing Ian to drop to working one day a week. Jo was so excited about their new home she would visit the site every fortnight while it was being built. 'I was really wanting something for the rest of our lives and this is a place that feels secure,' she said. 'It's brand new, warm and dry and cosy.' Currently, 20 of the units are tenanted and the council is working through applicants on its waitlist. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
New Exhibition At Whanganui Regional Museum Celebrates Sacred Architecture
Whanganui Regional Museum is proud to announce the opening of Our Places of Worship, a captivating photographic journey through the diverse churches and places of worship that have shaped the wider Whanganui region. The exhibition combines print and digital photography captured in 2024. The exhibition is the result of a major collaborative effort between the Whanganui Camera Club and the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust. Featuring the work of 24 talented club photographers, the project documents 70 sites of architectural significance, with over 2,000 digital images. The images have been archived in the Alexander Heritage & Research Library/Te Rerenga mai o te Kāuru. Of these, 40 carefully selected prints are on display, alongside a digital display of around 200 images. The original print exhibition unveiled last year at Whanganui Arts Centre was curated by Andrew Clifford (Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery), Bruce Dickson and Denis McGowan (local architects and members of the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust), and Beverley Sinclair and John Smart from the Whanganui Camera Club. The current presentation at the Museum has been curated by Maeve Egan, Kaihāpai Taonga/Curator at the Whanganui Regional Museum. 'This exhibition honours not just the buildings, but the stories and communities behind them,' says Egan. 'It's an evocative tribute to the region's spiritual heritage, captured through the eyes of passionate local photographers. We're thrilled to offer visitors a chance to experience these spaces in a new light.' Our Places of Worship is now open daily from 10am to 4.30pm until September 16, at the Whanganui Regional Museum, located in Pukenamu Queens Park on Watt Street. Entry is free, with koha (donations) gratefully accepted to support the Museum's work. Exhibition details Our Places of Worship Open daily 10am-4.30pm at Whanganui Regional Museum, Pukenamu Queens Park, Watt Street, Whanganui. Admission is free. Founded in 1892, the Whanganui Regional Museum is internationally renowned for its Taonga Māori Collection. Located in Pukenamu Queen's Park, visitors can view the exceptional creations of tupuna (ancestors) of Whanganui tangata whenua (indigenous people) alongside a changing exhibition programme encompassing a world-class collection of natural and human history, with a regional emphasis. The ground level boutique museum store sells a range of local and Māori jewellery, books, cards, art, and other New Zealand-made gift items. The Whanganui Regional Museum Trust is an independent legal entity that owns the collection and governs the development of the Museum on behalf of the Whanganui community. Open to visitors daily from 10.00am to 4.30pm (except Christmas Day and Good Friday), entry to Whanganui Regional Museum is free.
