Learning about tikanga, the protocols and practices of the Māori world, is increasingly important for businesses, according to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaiako (tutor) Tiriana Anderson.
He teaches TWoA’s Te Whāinga o Te Ao Tikanga Level 3 Certificate programme, at the Apakura campus in Te Awamutu.
“Understanding te ao Māori, our world, and knowing how to act within it are skills modern Kiwi business people need to know to operate most effectively,” says Tiriana.
“Māori rituals and tikanga are an increasingly common ‘shared space’ between all New Zealand cultures and learning about tikanga helps businesses inhabit that space authentically.”
The 25-year-old has strong whakapapa (genealogical) links to Waikato iwi, affiliating with
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rārua and Waikato on his mother’s side, and to Ngāti Rereahu, Ngāti Hikairo and Ngāti Maniapoto again on his father’s.
He has a passion for teaching and inspiring pūrākau (stories), kōrero tuku iho (ancestral knowledge), whakapapa and te ao Māori generally.
“On our course, we look at the many aho or strands that are woven together to make up the fabric of te ao Māori.
“People come to know and understand some of the Māori cultural practices, and can navigate them with confidence.”
These include but are not limited to formal pōwhiri (welcome rituals), tangihanga (funerals), whakatau (general welcomes) and karakia (prayers).
Tiriana says tikanga also helps businesses establish a model or basis for relationships in the workplace, and with clients and stakeholders, particulary Māori.
“Tikanga allows people to define and describe for themselves what their purpose is. It’s like a road map of what teamwork looks like and how effective relationships can work in any context, and to develop relationships through a principled approach.
“In the business scene relationships are some of the most important things and tikanga provides the tools to work out where these relationships fit in. It’s a bit like a SWOT analysis. We encourage businesses to consider sending members to our tikanga courses to help them develop effective relationships skills, in their own worlds and particularly if they engage with te ao Māori.”
On the rituals of te ao Māori – such as pōwhiri and karakia – becoming an increasingly shared common space for Kiwis, Tiriana feels this space is boosting mutual understanding around reciprocity (mutual obligations to each other).
“For example, in class we teach about the aspect of aroha (love) involved in recognising that we sometimes need to change and adjust the way we do things to end the distress of others or to help them be their best.”
For Māori, the course offers a chance to connect in detail with te ao Māori and the history of tangata whenua, while for non-Māori it provides a foundational understanding of that world and helps people to confidently engage with it.
“For non-Māori, I have a saying, that in order for you to understand te ao Māori you need to see yourself in it. This course will help you find your place there.”
The mana of people, the land, te reo Māori and the natural world are all key “pou” or pillars supporting what’s taught on the course.
“These are the four key pou of tikanga. They encompass the complexity and entirety of tikanga Māori,” says Tiriana.
He sees clear benefits for everyone of having more people – Māori, Pākehā and other ethnicities – understanding and incorporating authentic tikanga Māori into their lives.
“It helps them understand their place individually and shows them the Māori world is not only just for Māori. This is everyone’s world.
“It’s also about feeling more at home in Aotearoa, feeling more at home within yourself. Tikanga takes people on a journey of reflection, and development. You can find a spiritual awareness and confidence you never knew you had, enhanced by an understanding you never thought existed.”
