The Māori in Me podcast: What is ‘cultural embeddedness’?

Researcher Ririwai Fox has been studying “cultural embeddedness” as a way of promoting the value of being surrounded by cultural traditions and values.

As more people come to terms with their Māori identity and heritage, many of them also face a struggle in terms of how they reconnect with their iwi and go about their journey in a culturally respectful way.

On this episode of NZ Herald podcast The Māori in Me, host Myjanne Jensen talks to Māori cultural identity researcher Ririwai Fox about his research into cultural identity, which he hoped will help give Māori and other indigenous cultures a strength-based approach to connecting with their culture.

The father of four was born and raised in Masterton and is strongly connected to his iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, and also has whakapapa connections to Ngāti Porou and Rangitāne.

Fox recently submitted his PhD, which introduces the concept of “cultural embeddedness” as a way of promoting the value of being surrounded by cultural traditions and values. This is done while also being sensitive to the experiences of people who haven’t had a chance to connect more to their culture.

“If you haven’t had opportunities to be connected, it’s just a matter of being not as embedded because you haven’t had the opportunities to be that way, and that way, you can reverse or you can change the discussion around embeddedness as a strength-based, um, concept and a one that is about growing through that process.”

Fox explained how one of his research partners, Gloria, had said as someone who didn’t grow up in te ao Māori and was not typically read as Māori, her first feelings about the kōrero around cultural embeddedness were usually whakamā (shame) and a sense of being “not Māori enough”.

“For me, the process of becoming embedded or more embedded has been about realising that ‘not Māori enough’ is a colonial concept and I am Māori enough simply because I am (Ko Tahu, ko au!),” Gloria said

“I need to go towards my Māoritanga rather than running from it even though it can be painful, because it is rich and beautiful too.”

Fox said in this context, the participants’ kōrero showed him how embeddedness was not about how much reo a person could speak or what they knew about tikanga, it was about how they relate to and connect with other people and the world around us.

He said this kōrero was affirming because it showed the need to think about how we can connect as Māori with our Māoritanga rather than gatekeeping people from it.

In this episode of the series, Jensen also speaks to Raniera Kaio, who is the Pou Arahi (general manager for culture) at Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, who has helped her since her move back to the Far North.

Part of his job is helping those who are trying to reconnect with their cultural roots. Fox said it is important that whānau at home be careful not to trigger intergenerational trauma by using their knowledge and connection to further exclude those on their haerenga (journey) home.

“Don’t weaponise it,” he said. “It’s very easy and very convenient to be able to weaponise your situation of living at home against those who aren’t or can’t live at home.

“It’s a huge responsibility living at home, the best way to maintain an engaged whānau at home is to be open to it or allow it to happen.”

He said it was equally important, however, that those coming home need to also be mindful of their approach.

“It can only be a good thing, any which way you look at it, it can only be positive that our whānau are wanting to reconnect,” Kaio said.

Listen to the full episode to hear the start of Myjanne’s journey.

The Māori in Me is a NZ Herald podcast, hosted and produced by Myjanne Jensen.

Listen to The Māori in Me on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.