Tirohanga Whānui Kaitiakitanga Overview

Pepeha – This is a way of acknowledging and introducing who you are in relation to your environment and your family history or whakapapa. We often choose to take responsibility and care for places that we have a connection and a sense of belonging to. When developing your own pepeha, it is always best to check with your parents, extended whānau or mana whenua at your local marae to ensure your pepeha
represents you and your home.

Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship and protection. It is a way of caring for the environment, based on the Māori world view. A kaitiaki is a guardian such as an atua (see below) or a person or group that cares for an area such as a lake or forest.

Manaakitanga – Hospitality, generosity, support, respect and care for others. Nurturing people so that they feel valued and looked after. Encouraging a feeling of belonging in this community/place/ planet.

Mauri – The essential vital quality and wellbeing of an individual, a group, a place, or an ecosystem. Understanding the mauri or wellbeing of a place helps us to see why kaitiakitanga is important. When mauri is weakened by neglect, overuse or pollution, many other life systems are affected, eg. cars and roads and their effect on wildlife and nature. By practising kaitiakitanga we can help to protect and nurture the mauri of a community and place.

Raraunga (Citizenship) – The status of being a citizen. If you have citizenship in a country, you have the right to live there, work, vote, and pay taxes. A person exercising citizenship can be defined as someone who contributes to make the group, community, country, our world a better place to be.

You have a right:

• to be there
• to do things
• to express your thoughts and feelings
• to make a difference there

And you have a responsibility:

• to respect others
• to participate
• to contribute

Citizenship criteria:

• I belong
• I have a role – I participate in this group/place
• I have an opportunity to share my ideas and opinions, and I am listened to
• I follow the rules most of the time
• I can make the group or place better

Te taiao (the environment) – Air is viewed as a taonga (precious resource) derived from Ranginui (the sky father). Māori legend tells that following the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku (the Earth mother) their child Tāwhirimātea fled with Ranginui to his new home in the sky. From there Tāwhirimātea controls the wind and elements. Carbon emissions degrade and lessen the mauri (life-force) of this taonga. It also affects the mauri of other taonga, for example plants and animals, as all living things need air and all things share the same air. It’s important to Māori to exercise kaitiakitanga – to be caretakers to protect and maintain the mauri of a place or a precious resource such as clean air.

Atua are elemental identities that tell the story of our environment.

• Papatūānuku – the Earth, the mother of all the elements.
• Ranginui – the sky - the father of all the elements.
• Tānemahuta – the male atua of the forest, birds and insects.
• Haumiatiketike – the male atua of uncultivated wild food and ferns.
• Rongomātāne – the male atua of kumara and cultivated foods and the atua of peace.
• Hinepūtehue – the female atua of gourds and their music and peace.
• Tangaroa – the male atua of oceans, rivers and lakes.
• Hinemoana – the female atua of oceans, rivers and lakes.
• Hinepūkohurangi – the female atua of mist.
• Tāwhirimātea – the male atua of the wind.
• Tūmatauenga – the male god of humans, of battle, determination, resilience and leadership.

Children often respond to stories and persona to inspire them to take action for the environment. To access the creation stories and understanding of the atua talk to your local mana whenua.

Te Whare Tapa Whā – The holistic model of health from a Māori world view. It encompasses more than just physical health as the pinnacle to wellbeing. Based on a whare (house model) the taha (sides) of the whare (house) are; taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing), taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing) and taha whānau (family wellbeing).

Community Change using Te Whare Tapa Whā – When looking at generating community change it is helpful to use Te Whare Tapa Whā to guide us in a holistic approach to taking climate action. This reminds us of the many levels we need to consider when making change.

Kaitiakitanga scenario – There was a plot of land near to a school that was full of rubbish and weeds. A class has helped the local council to tidy it up. They made a plan together. They planted native trees and other plants. It is now full of birds and insects. The class raised money for a wooden seat. It is a place where people can walk or sit.

Manaakitanga scenario – There is a group of students from another school visiting. Usually, the students are shown around by a teacher and then are left to look after themselves. This time your class welcomes them in and shows them where everything is. At break times you make sure they have somewhere to sit and introduce them to other students. At lunchtime you provide them with food and drink. Then at the end of the day you say goodbye and wish them a safe journey home.

Hot seatingopen_in_new – This is an interactive drama technique where a character, eg. a character from a story or a person from history, is interviewed or questioned by others about their background, behaviour and motivation. This allows for deeper exploration of their ideas, attitudes and perspectives.

• In the Beginning – Peter Gossage (Scholastic NZ Ltd, 2001)
• Nga Atua – Robyn Kahukiwa (Mauri Tū, 2012)
• Children of Earth and Sky – Retold by Pita Graham (Māori Nature Traditions Series, 1995)
• Counting the Stars – Four Māori Myths – Gavin Bishop (Random House, 2009)
• Illustrated Māori Myths and Legends – Queenie Rikihana Hyland (Penguin Group NZ, 2010)
• A Tāne Mā Āna Tamariki (Waiatarua Myths) – Ron Bacon (Waiatarua Publishing, 1995)

• Rangi and Papa pūrākau – Wikipediaopen_in_new
• Story of Tāwhirimātea – Te Kete Ipurangiopen_in_new
• Māori Creation Traditions – Te Ara – Encyclopaedia NZopen_in_new
• Tales from the Mythologies of Creation, Maui and Aoraki – YouTubeopen_in_new, 6 min 45 secs, CC, may have ads.
• A Māori Creation Story in Sand – Ranginui and Papatūānuku – YouTubeopen_in_new, 5 min 17 secs, CC, may have ads.