In Aroha, Dr Elder explains ancient Maori whakatauki (proverbs) in relation to her experience of when they have helped her or when she came to better understand their meaning.
Two Key Take Away
- There is a universality around the human experience, we might reference different animals or plants, but our analogies, hopes, dreams, and desires are all pretty similar.
- We are so busy looking to the future, potentially wisdom from years past might give us some explanation on what to do in the future.
Introduction
Main Point – The whakatauki are Maori proverbs that can help us understand the ever changing world around us.
Section 1 – Manaaki
Main Point – Appreciate the life you have, the people in it. Give them love. Create the boundaries and space you need. Keep moving forward.
Summary
1 – Tuwhitia te hopo! – Banish your fears. Feel the fear and do it anyway. The language around how we feel or experience emotions can limit our ability to understand them or unlock ways to move through them.
2 – He iti hoi te mokoroa nana i kakati te kahikatea – While the mokoroa grub is small, it cuts through the white pine – There is power in small things. Making small changes in your life can lead to big changes. Letting go of thinking and behaviours that no longer serve us.
3 – Poipoia te kakano kia puawai – Nuture the seed and it will bloom – We all need love and care to realise our full potential. It’s OK to admit you are not fine. Listen to your inner thoughts about how you feel. Be vulnerable and share those thoughts.
4 – Ko te mauri, he mea huna, ki te moana -The life force is hidden in the sea – Powerful aspects of life are hidden in plain sight. We suppress thoughts and think we are never ready. Why not start now.
5 – He ihu kuri, he tangata haere – As a dog follows a scent, a traveler relies on the hospitality of others – Be wary of following your nose. Be deliberate, make good choices. Think about what you are doing? Is it a mindless habit that is not serving you or is it an intelligent, deliberate choice making you a better person.
6 – Ko Atutahi te whetu tarake o te rangi – Canopus is visible out in the open expanse of the sky – An outstanding individual – There have been many great teachers in her life. Sharing the passion and joy of knowledge. How do we honour their efforts?
7 – E koekoe te tui e ketekete te kaka, e kuku te kereru – The tui squawks, the kaka chatters, the kereru coos – It takes all kinds of people – The variety and difference in the birds in NZ creates thoughts of the differences in people. They are all different but all people and so we should remove judgment of their differences.
8 – E ngaki ana a mua, e toto mai ana a muri – First clear the weeds, then plant – Make time for mind weeding – Cleanse your mind of negative self thought and self belief. These may not be directly said and it might be indirectly applied to you. Different times of the year/month are better for you to attempt this weeding.
9 – He kokonga whare e kitea; he kokonga ngakau e kore e kitea – The corners of a house may be seen and examined; not so the corners of the heart – The heart holds many secrets – Our heart holds grief, loss, love. There are many overt and covert things. Somethings unspoken and unseen are very powerful.
10 – E ea ai te werawera o Tane tahuaroa me heke te werawera o Tane te wananga – Satisfy the sweat of the cooks by getting a good sweat up while learning – To properly acknowledge the efforts of all cooks, we need to give learning our all – Creating time and space to honour each others roles and responsibilities. Having a reciprocal relationship between the nourishment of the Mind (learning), Body (eating), and Soul (Relationships).
11 – Ko Hinemoa, ko ahau – I am just like Hinemoa, I would risk it all for love – Love has no guarantees – Love requires a massive leap of faith, so does many things in life. The main word to focus on is to try.
12 – Ehara! Ko koe te ringa e huti punga! – Yes, yours is the arm best suited to pull up the anchor – You have it in you! – Giving praise is a great skill, we should do more of it. Lift up others. Pulling up the anchor can symbolize the start of a new journey. The time to move on. Lift yourself up, and give yourself the encouragement to move forward.
13 – Aroha mai, aroha atu – Love received demands love returned – Love others and love will come back to you – We often retreat into the “cave of work”. Looking after others, literally working, but its important to recognize and be present for all the wonderful things that happen to you every day.
Section 2 – Kaitiakitanga
Main Point – Small decisions create large outcomes. We need to be careful of the choices we make, with ourselves, with our relationships, with our environment.
Summary
14 – E kore tatau e mohio ki te waitohu nui o te wai kia mimiti rawa te puna – We never know the worth of water until the well runs dry – Look after the planet before its too late – We need to look after the environment. Water scarcity is a real thing and changes your relationship with the environment.
15 – Me te wai korari – Like the nectar of the flax flower – Joy in small things – Do you take time to appreciate the little things, the everyday beauty in the world. To make choices to protect the natural world around us.
16 – Ka tu tonu koe i roto i te aroha – Stand in the love – Be true to the love within in – Learning about your pepeha, where you are from, your ancestors. In the Maori tradition, it is your mountain, your waka (boat), river, your ocean, among other things. It is way to ground you and connect you to the past and the present.
17 – Ehara i te aurukowhao, he takerehaia – Not a leak in the upper lashings, but an open rent in the hull! – Not a minor mishap, but rather a major catastrophe! – Do you accept the evidence in front of you or do you ignore the information because it makes you uncomfortable?
18 – Tama tu, tama ora; tama noho, tama mate – He who stands, lives; he who does nothing, perishes -Just do it – You must look after your inner health and wellbeing, looking after your spirituality, what ever you see that as.
19 – Me he Oturu nga karu – Like the large eyes of a beautiful women – True beauty can be seen in the eyes – Society places a large burden on women to stay “beautiful” and the pressure to have a partner.
20 – Ko o tatou whakapono nga kaiwehewehe i a tatau. Ko o tatau moemoea me o tatau pakatokato nga kaiwhakakotahi i a tatau – It is our truths that are the actors of separation. It is our dreams and difficulties that act to unify us – Ideologies separate us. Dreams and adversity bring us together – How do we bring people together with a common cause. We are all different and have different stories but we can unite for common shared goals.
21 – Kotahi karihi nana ko te wao tapu nui a Tane – The creation of the forests of Tane comes from one kernel – Starting small leads to growth – Small actions add up over time. Plant the seed of growth and opportunity by doing the little things everyday.
22 – Me te toroa e tau ana i runga i te au – Like the albatross nestled upon the current – Manifesting resilience with the elegance of nature – Everyone suffers, even those very composed people have hardships. Reconnect with your values and find your place to stand.
23 – E kore au e ngaro, he kakano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiatea – I can never be lost, I am a seed sown from Rangitea – I have a reason for being – We carry in us all the potential of all our ancestors passed down through the generations.
24 – Tini whetu ki te rangi, he iti te pokeao ka ngaro – A small cloud overhead will obscure the stars – A small group can overcome the multitude, can overcome a myriad of difficulties – How can you come together to strengthen and support your friends and family?
25 – Te manu kai miro, nona te ngahere; te manu kai matauranga, nona te ao – The bird that east the miro berries, theirs is the forest; the bird that consumes the knowledge, the world is theirs – Application of your own knowledge opens up your world – There are resources all around us. See beyond what is in front of you. Learning and knowledge is hard, it is sometimes painful, it can be a burden to carry.
Key Quotes
We need to find ways to remain true to our difference and at the same time focus on making our dreams for a safe and healthy planet real. pg 94
Section 3 – Whanaungatanga
Main Point
Life is about the connections you make, the stories you share, the people you spend it with.
Summary
26 – Ki te kotahi te kakaho, ka whati; ki te kapuia, e kore e whati – If a reed stands alone, it can be broken; if its in a group, it cannot – Whenever we stand alone we are vulnerable, but together we are unbreakable – How do we build communities, support each other with different needs? How do we create the society we want to live in.
27 – Ko te hoa tino pono rawa, ko tera e toro atu ai tona ringa ki tou, engari ka titi kaha ki tou manawa te kohengihengi – A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart – Aroha goes straight to your heart – Friendship is a delicate dance, you want to be honest and real, but that can cause issues and challenges. When love is involved, people can get hurt or be hurt my comments and actions.
28 – Ha tao rakau e taea te karo, he tao ki e kore e taea – A physical strike can be warded off, a tongue lashing can not – ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is a lie – Words are extremely powerful, they can build someone up or break them down. Also, our internal monologue is important to consider and watch. How do we talk to ourselves?
29 – Ko te maumahara kore ki nga whakapapa o ou matua tipuna,e rite ana kaore ona hikuawa, ki te rakau ranei kaore ona pakiaka – To forget ones ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without its roots – Know where you come from – How do we connect with the knowledge of the past? How do we want to be remembered in the future?
30 – He a kei uta e taea te karo, he au kei moana e kore e taea – You may dodge smoke on land, but you cannot dodge the currents at sea – Learn to spots signs of danger – Are you aware of the emotional currents that influence your life? Do you take stock of your emotional inventory and check to see any patterns emerging?
31 – Ko te whaea te takere o te waka – Mothers are the hull of the waka – Mothers are integral to the waka of our lives – How is the relationship with your mother?
32 – Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini – My success is not mine alone, it is the success of the collective – No one gets there alone – The line between public and private is increasingly blurred. We require help and support whether we want to admit it or not.
33 – He toka tu moana he akinga na nga tai – Steadfast as the rock that scorns the lashing tides – You are always there for me – The rock is consistent and reliable touchstone. What or who are the rocks in your life?
34 – He manako te koura i kore ai – Hope won’t get you the crayfish – Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – Life is not straightforward, its about putting in the work but the outcome might not be what you though it would be. The work is the reward. Life is a work in progress.
35 – Moea te wahine o te pa harakeke – Marry the women of the flax cultivation – Be a women who thinks about her legacy – Life is about progression. What are you doing to create a legacy? How are you making the world a better place for those that follow.
36 – Ahakoa whati te manga, e takoto ana ano te kohiwi – Althougth the branch is broken off, the trunk remains- Misfortune will not undermine an individual or group if the foundation is strong – It is ok to show emotion, crying is a natural part of life. We might have loved ones leave us, but they bring us together and make us stronger.
37 – He hono tangata e kore e motu; ka pa he taura waka, e motu – Unlike a canoe rope, a human bond cannot be severed – Loving human connections can not be broken – There is something very special in meeting someone that you have a genuine deep connection with.
Section 4 – Tino rangatiratanga
Main Point
Absolute self-determination
Summary
38 – He kuaka marangaranga, kotahi manu e tau ki te tahuna, tau atu, tau atu, tau atu – The flock of godwits have swooped up into the air, one lands on the sandbank and the others follow – Leaders and followers work together – For teams to be successful, they need to share the same vales. It is easy to say but hard to achieve. We all have our own agenda and so it is important for leaders to set an example that is good for everyone.
39 – Ngaua te pae hamuti – Chew on the shit stick – Rise to the challenge. Get stuck in – Face adversity head on. It reminds me of the saying from Marcus Aurelius: The obstacle is the way. When you are having a hard time, it reveals where the attention should go.
40 – E ore te patiki e hoki ki tona puehu – The flounder does not go back to the mud it has stirred – Sometimes you’ve got to walk away and keep walking – We make mistakes and its right that we apologise for those mistakes. However, when its over, sometimes its best for it to be over. We are all more comfortable with the pain we know, but this fear of the unknown doesn’t help us.
41 – Kia mate ururoa – Fight like a shark, don’t give in like an octopus – Never give up – If there is something worth fighting for then be the shark, don’t give up.
42 – Ngaro atu he tetekura, whakaete mai he tetekura – When one chief disappears, another is ready to appear – No one is indispensable – You need to take responsibility to lead your own life. We will all eventually die so we want to make the world a better place for those following us. Those that follow should improve upon what we do. They should be better than us.
43 – Na te iho ko te korero, na te whakaaro nui ko te mumu – Talking comes naturally, silence comes from wisdom – Listening is underrated – Slow down, stop, listen to the other person, give space for the thoughts to occur before you start speaking. Be present with the person in the conversation by being silent.
44 – he aha te kai a te rangatira? He korero, he korero, he korero – What is the food of leaders? It is communication – Good communication, internally and externally, is essential for leadership – Know yourself. Understand the pains, challenges, feelings, emotions that have shaped you. Know who you are so you can better engage with others.
45 – Hohonu kaki, papaku uaua – Deep throat, measly muscles – All talk, no action – Does your voice not serve the greater good? Why don’t people act on their words?
46 – Ka pu te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi – The old net is cast aside, while the new net goes fishing – a new sense of leadership – Old ways of doing things can become less efficient. They have baggage of many different ways of thinking that no longer apply. It can be hard to give up the old ways but we have to constantly strive forward adapting and changing to the new environment.
47 – E kore te kumara e ki ake he mangaro ia – The kumara does not speak of it’s own sweetness – We do not boast – Talk about the how not the what. How do you do something not what you do.
48 – E toa ai a Whiro, me noho puku noa a Kou tangata – All that evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing – Apathy breeds evil – How do you overcome apathy in the face of challenges that seem so vast and overwhelming that people don’t know where to start?
49 – E kitea ai nga taonga o te moana me maku koe – If you seek treasures of the ocean, you better get wet – Life is for living – Get involved in ways to create positive change. Immerse yourself in projects that provide purpose and meaning in your life.
50 – E tu te huru ma, haramai e noho. E tu te huru pango, hanatu e haere – Let the white hair remain here, let the black hair get up and go – We must follow our dreams – Seek out and explore the world and the people in it. Learn from different cultures and creeds. Get a better understanding of what is out there and go on your adventure, returning wiser than when you left.
51 – Rui taitea, kia tu ko taikaka – Strip away the sapwood, the heartwood remains – Shed those outer layers and reveal your internal courage – It is difficult to let go of old patterns and thought processes. These facades that you place up hide who you truly are.
52 – Te rerenga o Hui-te-Rangiora – The journey of Hui-te-Rangiora – Follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, protect the planet – We are all connected as a people and as a planet. Everything affects everything else and we need to ensure we are protecting that balance.
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Luke McMeeken-Ruscoe 