Mana
Mana is about more than great leaders – all members of the whānau can do things to protect their mana.
Mana is often used when speaking about adults who have achieved great things. It brings to mind iwi leaders or war heroes, rather than mokopuna.
Share the information about mana on page 19 of the Whakatipu booklet Te Kōhuri 3 with the whānau.
Ask:
- What does mana mean to you?
- How does mana show itself in the way people treat each other?
- Have you experienced being disrespected or having your mana trampled on?
- How did that make you feel?
- What did you do?
- What sort of things could make your tamaiti feel their mana has been trampled on?
- What could you do to make it right for them?
- How could we avoid it happening again?
On page 18 of Te Kōhuri 3, Whānau say, 'We try not to make a big deal over accidents with toileting.'
Many of the Tākai resources talk about the need for tamariki to feel safe and loved – which keeps their mana intact.
- What do you think of this quote from page 12 of Aroha in Action?
'The simplest tikanga we can have for our whānau is "no hitting". This helps maintain the mana and tapū of all whānau members and reduces the risk of anyone getting hurt.'
Baby wall frieze
The baby wall frieze has simple messages presented in ‘baby’s own voice’. These include ‘listen to me’, ‘sing to me’ and ‘teach me about our family’.
Ask whānau:
- If we were to follow these messages from pēpi, how do you think it might influence the mana of your whānau?
- Why is that?
How does this relate to Tākai resources?
Baby wall frieze – Whakarongo mai - Listen to me
Six things children need – Te aroha me te mahana - Love and warmth
Helpful resources for whānau
