How do we relate to our environment Whangaroa Kaumatua Paddy Paki told a story from his childhood during the 1940s when his elders would often comment: “When did we stop being a ‘Mauri’ and became a Māori”?

He said that a mauri is a person and is the first step in identifying our relationship with the world we live in, and called it “Tikanga Mauri”.

As a Mauri we came from a father and a mother which is the basis of our natural whanau — hapu or family — community social system. This includes everyone regardless of color, race, or religion.

He told us that Whakapapa is the science of identifying our relationship with different parts of that which make us who and what we are. For example, our maunga — the bones of our body, our awa and moana — the composition and flow of our living blood, the creatures of wind and air — our life breath. It is through our ability to Whakapapa to all our relations including trees, plants, birds, insects, fish etc, (“an intrinsic part”) that we learn the value KAITIAKITANGA.

Tihei Mauri Ora