Tangata Whenua

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Glossary

A POHUTAKAWA TREE IN BLOOM

Glossary

This glossary provides meanings for some of the words on this website that are written in te reo (the Māori language).

Hapū: Sub-tribe or kin group under a tribe (iwi) which is linked by a common ancestor.

Hauora: Healthy, perfect, good spirits.

Hura kōhatu: One of the many hui (social gatherings) held by Māori. It is a special unveiling ceremony in remembrance of those who have passed on (usually 12 months after burial).

Iwi: Tribe or nation state. Iwi were made up of hapu, and the word 'iwi' originates from the word 'koiwi', meaning bones.

Kaitiaki: Caretaker, manager, guardian (one who exercises kaitiakitanga).

Mana whenua: Mana whenua is the customary authority exercised by the tangata whenua in an identified area.

Māori: Literally means 'normal' as opposed to 'other' or 'abnormal'. It is the reference to the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Marae: The meeting place for the Maori community. Often an area of land set aside for the use of hapu or iwi, with buildings on it, such as a meeting house and dining hall. The marae is the focal point for community sentiment.

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Mātauranga: Information, knowledge, education.

Maunga: Mountain.

Mihi whaikōrero: The formal speaking structure used on the marae during a pōwhiri.

Pākehā: European, white.

Pepeha: Pepeha are not just proverbs; the term includes charms, witticisms, figures of speech heard every day on the marae and in the oral literature handed down from past generation.

Poroporoakī: Farewell ceremony for the people who are leaving or departing from a place.

Pōwhiri: A ceremony for welcoming and hosting people on the marae for events other than a death.

Rohe: District, boundaries.

Tangata whenua: Literally means 'people of the land' and is the common reference to the indigenous people of an area.

Tangihanga: Traditional Maori funeral ceremony.

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Tauiwi: Alien, foreigner, gentile, immigrant, stranger.

Tipuna: Ancestor, grandparent.

Tikanga: The customs and traditions that have been handed down through time. Tikanga comes from the word tika (true).

Tiriti o Waitangi: Translated means The Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty was a document signed between the British Crown and Māori. The treaty laid the foundation for the rights and obligations of both groups to live together in New Zealand. There are two versions of this treaty: One in Māori – Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and one in English – Treaty of Waitangi. Māori signed the Māori version which was different to the English version.

Waiata: Sing, chant, song.

Wānanga: Learning, seminar, series of discussions, occult science.

Whakahaere: Organisation, conduct, programme.

Whakapapa: The genealogical descent of all living things. It is the fundamental basis of how tangata whenua view the world.

Whānau: Family groups of Maori society. Includes grandparents and great grandparents and extended family through marriage.

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