Te hohou rongo.

Matua Hōne Sadler (Ngāpuhi) shares his mātauranga on Te hohou rongo, a tikanga Māori which gives expression to reciprocity ensuring balance and care for one’s mana, the very essence of humankind.

Mana is imbued and delegated by Atua to humanity as an inherent birth-right. The potency of mana depends on the hakapapa status of one or both of the child’s parents. Mana isn’t static and can be earned through one’s lifetime of actions, or inactions. Mana lays dormant in each person until maturation when they are ready and able to act in stead of Atua in this terrestrial realm. During the karaka whati the child is dedicated to an Atua or tupuna.

Te Ao Māori and its institutions are philosophically based on the Ranginui and Papatūānuku creation tradition, including their tamariki whom are the Atua of the environmental domains. Approximately 75 tamariki in total, the 7 more well-known being Tāne-mahuta, Tāwhiri-mātea, Rongo-mā-Tāne, Haumie-tiketike, Tangaroa, Tūmata-ūenga, and Rūaumoko.

These Māori belief system constructs and philosophies are based on achieving and maintaining balance mentally, physically, and spiritually within their environmental bounds. Without maintaining an equilibrium, the resultant will be chaos. Within this value system punitive action was balanced by the hohou rongo | making peace process which is the utu |reciprocation and muru | compensatory cycle.

It is within this cycle that remedies are sought to aptly compensate an action taken, that is acceptable to both parties, to achieve the two punitive and restorative aspects, and bring about fulfilling satisfaction for the victim and the perpetrator.