Te Ao Māori Context and Tikanga
Domain 4 tests te ao Māori context and tikanga: the protocols, relationships and critical questions that make haka performance ethical and culturally located. You must show how context shapes what can be performed, by whom, where and why.
Core rules
- Tikanga is not one universal code. Kawa and tikanga vary by iwi, hapū, marae and occasion; the local authority's guidance outranks a generic rule.
- Contexts include pōwhiri (wero, karanga, whaikōrero, hongi, kai), tangihanga, hui, kapa haka festivals and school events. Roles may be gendered; conventions vary and change.
- Haka carry whakapapa and mandate. Permission, attribution and consultation matter; avoid appropriation or 'borrowing' sacred material.
- Critical reflection uses concepts such as mana, tapu/noa, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga, and asks whose voice is centred.
Worked example
A non-Māori school group wants to perform a famous haka from another region at a local pōwhiri. Reasoning: first consult mana whenua and the haka's originating iwi; generic 'Māori' permission is not enough. If mandate is not given, compose a new haka with guidance or choose an item appropriate to the school's own community. Also match the item to the pōwhiri stage: a challenge haka may not suit a welcome inside a hall. This shows tikanga as relational decision-making, not rule-following for marks.
Traps
- Treating tikanga as uniform and ignoring local kawa.
- Assuming any haka is fair game because it is well known.
- Ignoring gender, role and occasion conventions.
- Using haka as tokenism or decoration.
- Offering personal opinion as critical reflection without evidence.