we are who we are

I've just come back from down south where I went to a whānau hangi and hui. This celebration was for my auntie - who is very ill. We laughed and cried and discussed the maori party and mataitai, the snow and whitebaiting, we drank and feasted and talked about whānau and remembered and were immersed in whānaungatanga, manaakitanga, kotahitanga, wairuatanga and utu. Every whānau, hapū and iwi have their own way of doing things that is often distinct from the textbook. And every whānau, hapū and iwi has adapted to the situation they are in - to survive. That is Te Ao Māori. Our tūpuna have and still guide us. We celebrate them too.