Section outline

  • Whakapapa

    Over the next few weeks you will learn about yourself and your whakapapa or family history.

    Learning Outcomes

    You will be able to:

    • Draw a whakapapa chart (family tree)
    • Say who people are in your whānau
    • Say how may people there are in your whānau.
    • Give a speech to introduce yourself and your whānau

    Tikanga

    In te ao Māori, the concept of whānau extends beyond parents and children to include grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and others.

    Whakapapa means genealogy or family history. This is important in te ao Māori as it defines who you are and your links within the whānau and to other groups. It governs the relationships between them. Your whakapapa connects you to your ancestors and the whenua where they came from. Through whakapapa, each person may belong to different groups: whānau, hapū, iwi, and waka. 

    Hei Mahi

    Draw a whakapapa chart as above for your immediate whānau. Include your grandparents.