Who am I?

Whāinga ako: Lesson Goals

We are learning to understand that people hold different perspectives on the world depending on their values, traditions, and experiences.

Kupu matua - Keywords

TurangawaewaeTitlePage.pdf

Title page for your workbook which includes Tūrangawaewae definition.

Mahi - Work

Ko wai au? Who am I?

It is good to reflect on who you are and what impacts you and your life. Why? Because this influences how you see the world. We each see the world a little differently because of who we are. This is called perspective.

We refer to perspectives a lot in the humanities so take this time to reflect on yourself and your place in the world.

Our Roots

Tūrangawaewae is one of many well-known and powerful Māori concepts.

Literally - tūranga means (standing place), waewae means (feet/legs), it is often translated as ‘a place to stand’. Metaphorically - tūrangawaewae can mean your roots that connect you to the land. This is can be interpreted in many different ways.

Essentially, Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered by and connected to. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our homeland.

Circles of Connection - Tūrangawaewae

It is important to create connections with people around us, whether it is to make friends or get along with workmates etc. When meeting someone for the first time, people usually look for commonalities, like where they're from or shared interests. It's a basic human need to make these connections to navigate through life.

When people introduce themselves in a pepeha, one of the first pieces of information they include is where they are from. In particular, Māori will often talk about their maunga (mountain), their awa/roto/moana (river, lake, sea), their iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe) and their marae (meeting place).

 They are letting people know about their tūrangawaewae, the place where they come from, the place where they stand.

How does this impact me?

The way that you filled these circles will be different from the person next to you. And it might be wildly different from other people in the room... How you filled this in will represent how you see the world.

For example:

If you placed a lot of family in the centre, you may perceive issues through how they affect people and relationships.
If you wrote down places or activities in the centre, you may see issues in terms of doing things on your own or having your own space.

Watch this video.

What impact did colonisers have on Māori connection with land?
How is a connection to a place part of your identity?

Belonging & Communities

People belong in many different ways. Belonging isn’t just about where you are from — it can also be about who you connect with and what matters to you.

We can belong to:

Places (a town, city, country, whenua)
People (whānau, friends, teams)
Communities (schools, sports clubs, cultural groups)
Belief systems (religion, spirituality, values, ways of thinking)
Shared interests (music, gaming, online communities, hobbies)
Not everyone belongs in the same ways — and that’s okay.

Discussion:

 How do you know you belong somewhere? (e.g. how might it feel?)
 What are two ways a person might show they belong in Aotearoa New Zealand? (e.g. citizenship)
 What does it mean to belong in your kura (school)? (i.e. what does this look or feel like)