Written by Adelene Lynch, Kerridge and Partners
I have really been looking forward to Retreat 2 Te Tiriti o Waitangi & Te Ao Māori of The NZ Leadership Programme. Being a recent immigrant to New Zealand, I have been curious around the indigenous history of this country and its people. What better way to learn it than in an immersive experience right? Boy, was I in for a treat!
We spent the next four days living in Kohewhata Marae in Northland, hosted by the Wihongi whanāu of the Ngāpuhi iwi. We were welcomed into the marae in a traditional pōwhiri. Matua Ted and his whānau spent time talking us through his whakapapa, the history and significance of the marae.
Through the days, we had groups of speakers come in and share with us their mahi. These were Māori leaders who were doing purposeful work to support Māori communities and helping Māori reconnect with their roots. We visited Waitangi Treaty Grounds to learn more about the history around Te Tiriti and the impact on the indigenous community. For many of us, the experience at Waitangi Treaty grounds felt quite “touristy” in contrast to the unstaged, authentic experience we were having at the Kohewhata marae.
Learning to me is a complex layering process. I started with very little knowledge of the history of New Zealand and Māori practices and tradition. Through these few days, I acquired so much knowledge although I was also conscious that there were others in my cohort who knew a lot more than I did and hence a lot of these may not be new to them. This, in turn, gave me a lot of opportunity to learn from my classmates.
The deeper layer of learning came from an appreciation and tremendous respect for Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview). More importantly, I saw Māori tikanga come to life in the interactions with the Wihongi family, the speakers and my classmates. Manaakitanga - the Wihongi whānau treated us like their family and made the marae feel like home for us. We learnt Kotahitanga through sharing of daily chores and upkeep of the marae. I learnt Whanaungatanga through the deep connections I formed with my classmates in very powerful korero, shared tears and laughter.
Surprisingly, in my journey of discovery around how Māori are deeply connected with their tīpuna (ancestors), I too became much more deeply connected to my ancestry than I ever felt in my life. For that I am immensely grateful.
I started the Leadership NZ journey thinking it was for my own development, but I have since realized it is more than that. Leadership is about accountability, and I am accountable for understanding the issues that matter to Aotearoa if I am to be a great leader in my profession, my community and my whanāu. I will continue to deeply reflect on what my role is and hope to never forget to get in the shoes of others to see things beyond the superficial.
As Spiderman says, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Where to next….?
Did Adelene’s story resonate with you? This is one of many courageous, enriching and impactful journeys on The NZ Leadership Programme.
Are you a leader for the future of Aotearoa? Are you a mid-level, senior or community leader in New Zealand who wishes to help evolve its leadership landscape? Do you know someone who is?
Applications are open for the The NZ Leadership Programme 2022.
We warmly invite suitable leaders across New Zealand to apply now.