Mana more than in the eyes of the beholder

Power and prestige are only two components of mana. Caring plays a big part too, writes RICHARD KNIGHT.

He aha tenei mea, te mana. What is this thing, mana?

As kids, we were taught to respect our elders for the mana they possessed - their knowledge, experience and leadership. And in the main we did just that.

They had the responsibility of being the public face of our whanau, hapu and iwi. They held the mana of our people, and the consequences were often humiliating for them and our people if they transgressed.

So their role was important, but through the years my own view on what mana can encompass has changed.

To me, parents - working or unemployed and on the breadline - who make sacrifices for their children have mana. Parents who love their children unconditionally have mana. Our kuia who work behind the scenes in the kitchens or support the men on the marae have it, too.

On the sports field, Buck Shelford and Waimarama Taumaunu epitomised mana for sport's followers. Their presence was unmistakable and their leadership unequivocal.

Mana has many forms: power, prestige, command or force. An ability to provide and care for the people - in a spiritual, physical or cultural sense - plays a major role in building that mana, too.

Dame Te Atairangikaahu is an ariki (high chief) of her tribe. But she is sometimes referred to as "te mokopuna o te motu," the child of the people, because her position as leader of the Kingitanga movement was bestowed by all the tribes of New Zealand.

Tumu te Heuheu also inherited his title as paramount chief of the central North Island tribe Tuwharetoa, but he would be the first to admit he has a long way to go to assume the mantle of his father, Sir Hepi.

The amount of money one earns, or status in the business world, mean little to Maori in the sense of mana.

Yet a district court judge has decided not to convict a person for assaulting his partner because "the loss ... of his mana would affect him and his people significantly."

In fact, the mana of this man disappeared after the attack on his partner. Giving him name suppression to protect his mana was pointless because there was nothing to protect.

Maori have another saying: Waiho ma te whakama e patu (Let humiliation be their punishment).