Cultural richness keeps us strong

Greg Taipari.

In my line of work it's a question I hear a lot. While the simple answer could be to trace one's ancestry, simply having Maori ancestry doesn't necessarily make you Maori.

The same could be said about being able to speaking Maori.

I have an uncle who teaches in the Maori department at Waiariki Institute of Technology. Eru Biddle is a man I have a lot of respect for and who has often advised me when it comes to Te Ao Maori (the Maori world).

His first language is Maori and he has always seen the world through Maori eyes. He once told me just because someone is fluent in te reo Maori doesn't mean they have a Maori heart. He said it was more important for a person to think or act in a Maori way than to be able to stand up and korero Maori.

Some of the things he has taught me about being Maori are; whanaungatanga (kinship), manaakitanga (hospitality), whanau (family) and of course tikanga (customs).

Caring about people, whether they are whanau or just an acquaintance is important - being able to lend a hand to someone in need or making them feel welcome was always important when uncle Eru was growing up.

Tikanga is a vital fabric of being Maori, without customs and culture we have no identity.

There is an old saying; if you take care of the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves.

The same could be said about whanau. If the whanau thrive so does their iwi.

When I'm asked what does being Maori mean to me? I answer with the four words my uncle told me; whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, whanau and tikanga.

A whakatauki I like to recite in regards to culture is; Kia u, kia mau ki to Maoritanga (Be firm, in holding on to your Maori culture).

It is the richness of culture, that Maori can take pride in and find meaning to life.