I recently did a poster for a classroom about concepts of tikanga maori and of course there were the usual suspects, 'Mana', 'Tino Rangatiratanga', 'Kaitiakitanga' and Manaakitanga.  I did the usual designer-y things like beautiful landscapes, overlaying transparent kowhaiwhai with the usual meanings taken from the Maori dictionary...but I thought the meanings were long winded and quite frankly lacking in description so I narrowed each down to a few words.  I sent the posters to my family and got the usual oohs and ahhs but my father said.  'Be careful, someone out there will give you shit about this because no matter what you do, something will be wrong with it, you know what they're like.'
Yes I do know what he was referring to and I know exactly what people are like. 
Luckily, no unhelpful "feedback" ever gets back to me because I have a great big muscly protector between me and the world and everything is very filtered.  This is because I saw a comment on one of my short stories in a 'Pikihuia' anthology, from a Maori academic, who didn't consider it Maori enough.  That was cruel.  Basically saying that I am not Maori enough, and I was creatively crippled by that comment for months.   So my husband makes sure nothing like that ever reaches me. 
As if there is a right and wrong about my view of these words.  And let me tell you there isn't.  Right and wrong when it comes to culture is subjective.
We know that Maori is not a straight forward.  I(t cannot be translated word for word because we don't have nearly as many words as English and, our language is poetic and metaphorical is spoke  in beautifully metered prose that the likes of Shakespeare could only wish for.  
So, I talked to my brother Johnny about it, (because I talk to him about everything), and I said "the problem with te Reo Maori is many of the words are infinite in conceptual meaning and the English language is limiting in it's definition.
He agreed.  
That's all I need.
My favourite word is Manaakitanga.  It is a word that my mother took overseas and released in Europe.  It is a word that I grew up with and it runs through my veins and it the foundation of who I am really.  It is a word that can't be defined in English because there are not enough words.
The only way I can describe what it is to me is through my love of my little brother Johnny and his love for me. 
Recently his house was featured in New Zealand house and garden.  It is called Hau Moana, it is in Lyall bay and even though the outside is beautiful the inside is incredible.  And even with all the photos that were taken and put on the pages of the Magazine it doesn't touch the feeling of being in that house


A long, long time ago my brother was doing his first degree in education at Victoria University while also completing his teachers qualification at Wellington Teachers Training College with Miss Keri Kaa at the same time. 
While he was studying he worked cleaning houses and doing peoples gardens while his partner Robbie was a paint/paperhanging/handy man/property manager. 
I worked in Parilament for the Hon Koro Wetere when he was the Minister of Maori Affairs, Lands and Forestry, and then the Hon Winston Peter's. 
I used to help Johnny type up his essays and assignments, in my office, at nigh,t when the house was in session.  We all stayed in the office until the Minister was finished.  I also used to slip him a few bucks on a payday which is what big sisters do and go to all his university stuff, which was a lot, because Keri Kaa made sure the Maori Teacher trainings were represented at everything and I mean EVERYTHING.



So, as we know, Johnny went on to have an amazing career and is currently on many business boards like Wakatu, is on the federation of Maori Authorities and on the board of VSA and Science Boards and Gosh knows what else.  And yes, every once in a while when I am in overdraft AGAIN he helps me out.  When I was studying he bought all my books when I was studying and he still sends me awesome books in the post.
me books which was He also know how crazy hard he has always worked. I remember when we thought a fridge with an icemaker was the height of wealth.