Āhau

When someone tries to turn you and your identity into a fraction.

Think of Tama and his kōrero with the Taniwha

One night, Tama sat by the river with the taniwha ❤️✨

The moon shone on the water, quiet and still.

Tama asked, “They say I am part Māori, but what part is it?

My toe? My shoulder? My hair?”

He frowned and looked down.

“I don’t know where I fit.”

The taniwha smiled gently.

“Those are the words of another world,” he said.

“Our people are not fractions, e tama. You are not broken, and you are not missing pieces. You carry whakapapa inside you.”

Tama hesitated.

“But what if I don’t know my whakapapa? What if I can’t find it?”

The taniwha nodded.

“You do not have to go searching far. Your whakapapa is already here.

It moves with you, waits for you, and will greet you when you are ready.”

He pointed to the river.

“See the rain? It falls from the sky, runs into the river, and flows all the way to the sea. No one asks which part is the rain and which part is the river."

It is all one water and so it is with you too. All of you carries the story of your people.”

Tama looked at the water and saw his reflection.

For the first time, he saw the whole of himself... and he smiled.

Yes, Āhau believe in the power of whakapapa as a basis for health data, whānau hauora planning and precision medicine

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/557203/is-whakapapa-the-answer-to-better-health-treatment

Eye to the future
Rakeiora
Mana Motuhake
Data Sovereignty

Researchers have developed a prototype platform to incorporate whakapapa with biomedical science to provide better treatment plans for Māori and minority communities.

Full story ⬇️

Massive mihi to one of our gifted kaihapai Engie Matene to reflect her community engagement mahi for Āhau walking beside our tribal communities.

Ka mau te wehi.

E rere ana ngā mihi to our Kaiāwhina winners, Engie Matene (Ngāpuhi, Kuki Airani) and Ashley Riddell (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu) who were tied as Tipu recipients, and Eva Riddell (Ngāti Porou) as our Tōtara recipient.

Steven Renata accepted the award on behalf of Ashley Riddell.

Kaiāwhina recognises the planners, organisers, project managers and people that kept the mahi moving.

It is wonderful that Āhau are helping to contribute to the development of ancestry tools that will be useful in other countries around the world. A massive mihi to Simon Young who is building new tech to help families and individuals capture and tell the stories of their ancestors

Learn History, One Ancestor at a Time Learn history through the eyes of your ancestors. One Ancestor at a Time is a project that will help you learn and share your family history in an engaging and fresh way.

Indigenous Data Privacy - the issues are real and it has been a privilege for Āhau to share our thoughts on the issues we face here in Aotearoa alongside the challenges Dr Tahu Kukutai and other practitioners raise in this article in the Scientific Americal Journal

How Indigenous Groups Are Leading the Way on Data Privacy Indigenous groups are developing data storage technology that gives users privacy and control. Could their work influence those fighting back against invasive apps?

He Tika te kōrero

Kai and whakapapa do not mix

Here are some thoughts as to why from a te ao māori lens

Whakapapa is tapu and kai is noa - they don’t mix. Whakapapa was not traditionally discussed at the kai table. The late Dr. Wharehuia Milroy once overheard people discussing whakapapa across the table from him in the wharekai. He started eating his food and told them that “kei te kai ahau i ō tīpuna”. The two were puzzled at first and Wharehuia continued to explain why it is not custom to discuss whakapapa at the kai table. There was also an instance where a family reunion was once held and huge charts of whakapapa were hung on the wharekai walls. Kaumātua of the marae advised the whānau that this was not in accordance with tikanga. Every now and again we are reminded by Tīmoti if we forget this custom and start speaking about whakapapa at the kai table. We get the 👀…

What wonderful mahi

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=665941568875962&id=100063803731521&post_id=100063803731521_665941568875962&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

This week we have the privilege of releasing the twelfth publication for our Whakapapa Research Project. Our 8 whānau researchers are undertaking and publishing their whānau research on various kaupapa.

Today’s publication, by Miriama Cribb, is a personal reflection of her and her family’s journey of decolonisation, learning, relearning, taking back, and courage, through the vehicle of whānau ora. Led by their matriarch, their grandmother, and supported by parents for the betterment of future uri.

You can download a copy here:https://teatawhai.maori.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Event_Miriama-Cribb_Web-Version.pdf

Our co-founder Kaye-Maree is excited to be a Panelist at the IDEAS - Indigenous Innovation, Data Economies and Artificial Intelligence Congerence take the opportunity to share Āhau with our North American Relations and also learn from other Indigenous specialists who are doing their upmost to protect our DNA, rights, land, language, vulture and whakapapa for future generations.

Many thanks to our hosts for your hospitality on your lands of Phoenix, Arizona

Digital Identity and what might this mean to māori?

Register for this free webinar where we will be having a yarn with kaikōrero Karen Vercoe, Karaitiana Taiuru, Ben Tairea, Lee Timutimu, Colin Wallis and Jane Retimana to unpack what Digital Identity is and what it might mean for whānau, hapū and Iwi.

Rehita mai:

Webinar: What is digital identity and what does this mean for Māori? - Digital Identity New Zealand Join Digital Identity New Zealand and Te Matarau Māori Tech Association (Te Matarau) for a panel discussion about all things digital identity, some of the changes that are happening in this space, and what it means for Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand. In Aotearoa, we use things like passports, birt...

It is wonderful to see Ahau continue to extend our influence out into the world with our co-founder Ben being welcomed into the Earth Defender whānau as a Community Steward. Tau ke!!!

Team news: Welcoming Ben Tairea as Community Steward, and a heartfelt thank you to Rudo Kemper - Earth Defenders Toolkit The Earth Defenders Toolkit is a collaborative space for earth defender communities and their allies.