What does mana mean to the māori

But mana has many faces. It could be the charisma, the aura that you have. The respect you conjure up. Your Merc is parked out the back with the Zephyrs and Holdens. Ultimately, other people. It was only last year, nine years after his death, that I was allowed into his office.

And there it all was. Legal wrangles. Waitangi Tribunal matters. The seeds were sown in that office. Besides whatever mana he was conferred with by the tribe for his works, demeanour and persona, he had another sort of mana. The present paramount chief, Sir Hepi Te Heuheu, is the absolute holder of all that mana by direct inheritance father to son. I listened to the stories of Te Heuheu and got an inkling of the feelings borne by the tribe to the tangi.

The images conjured up in their mind as speakers spoke and singers sang. Te toka to moana—the sea-held, immovable rock that no wave dared break over.

And who was gifted the godlike mana and powers of his tohunga priest uncle Taipahau, after biting the right ear of the old warlock as he lay on his death bed. That was the act that got him the name Mananui—Big Mana. Taipahau it was who blasted and withered the healthy leaves of a ti-tree before the disbelieving eyes of Bishop Selwyn.

That was just a little show of the mana of his gods. In death, Taipahau sealed himself in the rock wall face you see just as you turn off the main highway into Waihi. I watched old biddies hongi them; others just cry and hug them. Travelers who speak of the famous Kiwi kindness have experienced manaaki for themselves.

Similar to manaaki, tiaki means care, but a more proactive, protective care. Tiaki means to be entrusted with the sacred duty of caring for people, places, or things. That could be a group of travelers, a lake, a story, or even the planet itself. Much like manaakitanga, tiaki is a cultural concept that visitors will likely feel, rather than hear, on their journey to New Zealand.

All rights reserved. Below are five unique New Zealand phrases and concepts that are related to manaakitanga. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.

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