The New Iwi

Herewith some ideas about the 'new iwi'. Clearly we are living in a time when participation by iwi members in the life and affairs of their iwi is variable. I think one of the key challenges facing iwi is 'meaninglessness'. What does it mean to be Ngāti this and Ngāti that? In my view, the new iwi, the iwi of tomorrow will exist if we can creatively and fundamentally provide meaning and value to people's lives through participating and engaging with their iwi. (Cultural pride, obligation, a sense of duty, these have limited motivating powers.)

Hence, I think we need to fundamentally readdress what it will mean to be an iwi and a member of an iwi in years to come. Here are some thoughts.
  1. An iwi is a community that shares relationships with certain important and specific ancestors who are manifested in specific places (e.g. marae, wāhi tapu etc). This is part of what is meant by 'tangata whenua'.
  2. An iwi is a community who derives identity, culture, heritage and meaningfulness from those specific ancestors and specific places.
  3. In the new iwi, ancestors will not be regarded as mere historical figures but rather more like 'kaupapa' which are manifest in specific places. That is they will be seen as models, principles and sources of ideas (kaupapa) which we will be able to act upon and give expression to in our tikanga, in the things we do.

Hence, the new iwi will need to renew its understanding of who these key ancestors are and where these key places are located and begin to relate to them, to be inspired by them on the basis of their creative potential (the creative possibilities they represent). We need to balance up our sense of duty to maintain these places with a creative ethos and action taking.

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