Whakapapa

The literal meaning of whakapapa is ‘to lie flat, to place in layers one upon another’.

Māori society was based on descent and on kinship groupings. All Māori could [can] whakapapa as descendants of atua. Whakapapa determined the membership, role and individual standing within each kinship group.

“My whakapapa, the most profound yet simplistic thing about me is absolute; there is not grey matter in it.” Chris Winitana, Timatanga Hou DVD, Mauri Ora programme teaching resources, © Kina Film Productions, 2004.

Whakapapa takes up the role of legitimating the spiritual and political obligations afforded to each individual through birth. It provides them with the right to participate in tribal and family affairs, provides access to collective assets, gives right to be buried in the local urupā [cemetery], allows succession to land interests of parents and to claim membership within the hapū [sub-tribe]. In short, whakapapa is belonging. Without it an individual is outside looking in.

FREE E-BOOK: LAYER UPON LAYER, Whakapapa

Roles of Whakapapa

In the transmission of history, Richie Cribb describes the use of whakapapa in this manner. ‘There was a two tier level of knowledge – kauae runga and kauae raro. Te kauae runga or the top jaw was tapu; it was restrained, inclusive of karakia and waiata. It was ancient, accurate and perfect. Using this form, whakapapa, history, kawa and tikanga were recited. When one strand was broken, wānanga was the only way for truth to be restored’.

Land and the environment were inter-linked; they were not seen as separate but perceived as part of the whole, a source of identity, belonging and continuity, to be shared between the deceased, the living and the unborn.

Tipuna Māori recognised that they were the last to be birthed in a creation chain that was vibrant and full of life. Every object had a whakapapa, wairua and mauri which linked each to the other. The divine nature of creation meant that humankind, the youngest born, was responsible for the care and sustainability of their whanaunga, the natural world.

To disrupt, change or genetically interfere with any part of this life force would only lead to dire consequences for the substance of te ira tangata – the life force of humankind.

Introducing Yourself Using Whakapapa

When doing a mihi – a short introduction or greeting – it is important to identify who you are, where you are from and who your descendants are. This is the first process of whakawhanaungatanga:

Whaka-whanau-nga-tanga; To make connections to others via familiar association.

Who you are, is associated with who you belong to. The reason being, is that your audience is trying to connect to you from a wider perspective. If they don’t know you, they may know of your family, or the community you grew up in. In this way, you become a member of their collective, allowing any further discussion to become more personalised and intimate.

An example for a person of English descent introducing themself in this manner could be:

Ko English te iwi
Ko Ngāti Sussex te hapū
Ko Jim Morrison ahau

I am from the bones or descent lines of English people (England)
From the principle family lines of Sussex
My name is Jim Morrison (I am Jim Morrison).

Iwi describes the kinship to and from a single ancestor or literally from their bones (iwi=bones).

Hapū describes descent from a clan, cluster of families who belong to an iwi. Usually the clan or cluster identified is from the senior line of those families.

In the following clip, the speaker gives a 'extended' version of a mihi. He firstly states who his parents are (matua is father, whaea is mother) and then he introduces his mountain (maunga), his river (awa), his hapū, his iwi, his waka (the canoe - ship his iwi arrived in NZ upon) and the chief or senior descent lineage of each parent.