Te Reo Māori Terms | |
| hapū | Kinship group, clan, subtribe |
| hui | Literally a gathering or meeting. As used in this report, hui refers to a community meeting conducted according to tikanga Māori (Māori protocol). |
| iwi | Often translated as “tribe”. Iwi is a collection of hapū (clans) that are composed of whānau (defined below). The link between the three groups is genealogical. |
| kaitiaki | Trustee, minder, guard, custodian, guardian, caregiver, keeper, steward. |
| kaitiakitanga | Guardianship, stewardship, trusteeship, trustee. |
| kaumātua | Adult, elder, elderly person, old man – a person of status within the whānau. |
| kaupapa | Purpose, mission, or approach. Kaupapa Māori means an approach reflecting |
| mokopuna | Grandchild – child or grandchild of a son, daughter, nephew, niece, etc. |
| pākehā | New Zealander of European descent; literally English, European or foreign. |
| rangatira | Chieftain, chieftainess, master, mistress, boss, supervisor, employer, landlord, owner, proprietor. |
| rangatiratanga | A contested term in the context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It can refer to chieftainship or chiefly authority and leadership. Other interpretations include “sovereignty” and autonomy. |
| rohe | Boundary, district, region, territory, area, border (of land). |
| rūnanga | A governing body associated with an iwi. |
| Te Puni Kōkiri | The Ministry of Māori Development. |
| Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty signed by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. The Treaty is one of New Zealand’s founding documents. The Treaty has English and Māori versions. The translations do not strictly align. |
| tangata whenua | Literally “the people of the land”. |
| tāonga | That which is precious or treasured |
| taura here | Binding ropes, urban kinship group, domestic migrants, kinship link. |
| te ao Māori | Literally “the Māori world”. |
| Te Ika a Māui | Literally “the fish of Māui” – the North Island of New Zealand. |
| Te Hiku o Te Ika | The part of the Far North District that is north of the Hokianga. |
| Te Waipounamu | The South Island. |
| tikanga | Literally “the things that are correct”. Sometimes translated as “protocol” or “customary practice”, tikanga is the customary system of values and practices that have developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context. |
| tino rangatiratanga | Self-determination, self-governance. |
| wāhi tapu | Sacred place, sacred site – a place subject to long-term ritual restrictions on access or use (eg, a burial ground or a battle site). |
| wānanga | Publicly owned tertiary institutions that provide education in a Māori cultural context. |
| whakapapa | Genealogy, genealogical table, lineage, descent. |
| whānau | Typically translated as “families”. Whānau may refer to nuclear or extended families. |
Māori Values and Culture | |
| kawanatanga | The features and actions of governing. |
| koha | Gift or donation |
| kōhanga reo | Literally “language nests” – pre-school Māori culture and language immersion programmes. |
| kōrero kanohi ki te kanohi | Conversing face to face |
| kura kaupapa Māori | Māori-medium schools. |
| mana | Prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma. |
| manaaki | Support, hospitality, kindness, generosity. |
| manaakitanga | The process of showing respect, generosity and care for others. It has an overtone of hospitality towards those outside a group one identifies with. In its simplest definition (hospitality), all Māori groups or whānau will exercise manaakitanga at some time. |
| mana motuhake | A political concept, emphasising autonomy and self-government. |
| mana whakahaere | Translated variously as the “power to manage”, “governance” or “authority”. |
| mana whenua | The iwi or hapū who are recognised as deriving mana (authority/status) from their ancestral connection to a particular piece of land or stretch of coastline. |
| marae | Literally “courtyard” – the open area in front of the wharenui, (meeting house) where formal greetings and discussions take place. Often also used to include the complex of buildings around the marae. |
| mataawaka | Refers to the Māori population in one area that is connected to an iwi or hapū who holds mana whenua somewhere outside that area. |
