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'Te Tiriti o Waitangi' hui held at Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia 20 January 2024

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National Identity Workshop in Kimiora, Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia 20 January 2024 I was fortunate to attend the ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi’ hui called by Kingi Tūheitia at Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia, this past Saturday, 20 January 2024. It was an historic event and showed, among other things, how the Kīngitanga continues to be an extraordinary institution. Although it has had its ups and downs in recent times, there is no other institution in the Māori world that can call for and host such a hui. The Rātana Church is an extraordinary institution too and hosts major hui, and recently Te Matatini has become a significant event. However, it is only the Kīngitanga that regularly hosts such large hui bringing the various iwi of the country together. And it is not just its physical capacities, capabilities and infrastructure that enables it to host hui of this kind. It is also because of the depth and complexity of the relationships it holds with every iwi of the country - even those ...
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Hineruhi: The Mythical Paragon of Feminine Dance

Hineruhi is dawnlight - a beautiful, soft, feminine light that shines forth at the beginning of day. She is the dawn maid, the dawnlight that sparkles and dances upon the morning dew. She sparkles, glimmers, radiates. She cleanses and makes things pure. She is playful and light. The Hine energy takes us across thresholds - receiving and transforming. As Hinetītama, she facilities the birth from Te Pō to Te Ao. As, Hinenui-i-te-pō, she facilitates the transition from Te Ao to Te Pō. The Hine energy is concerned with passing through doorways and entering new realms and her song comes in the form of the karanga. Hineruhi receives, transforms and offers. She receives Tāne's gift, nurturing it, transforming it, ready to make offerings to the world. Her lover is Tānerore. She inspires him as he inspires her. We delight to be in Hineruhi's presence. She cleanses us and she awakens our spirits. The Māori word for beauty and one we can associate with Hineruhi is 'pūrotu'.
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Three Types of Mana

Okay, here is my take on the types of mana. Firstly, I use this phrase from Māori Marsden: Waiho atu rā ki te ara tawhito i poua ai te ara mai o te mana Mana Atua, Mana Tupuna, Mana Whenua. Hence, he mentions three types: Mana Atua - mana derived from 'beyond'. In the past, this was the 'God' to whom one was dedicated. A person was baptised and dedicated to Maru perhaps, or Tū perhaps, so on. This was a person's final and most deepest commitment. In the Christian tradition, this is what Tāwhiao meant by 'piringa'. Ko Ihowa tōku piringa. Jehovah is my refuge. Today, I see mana atua as a term for this deep commitment. If one is a Christian it is more than just saying that my mana atua is Jesus Christ. It is about saying that my deepest, most passionate, most serious commitment is with love, compassion and faith. In other settings, a person may commit to beauty or justice and so on. Mana Tupuna - mana derived from one's inheritance. We usually see this as...
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