Whenua, placenta, land, and turangawaewae.

Today we had an interesting discussion around the Maori word for land - whenua. Interestingly Maori have the same name for the placenta. We discussed the placenta and the amazing job it does in nourishing, protecting, and growing a baby. We made the connection to our relationship with the land - whenua.

‘Te toto o te tangata he kai. Te oranga o te tangata he whenua.’ 
(The lifeblood of a person is derived from food; the livelihood of a people depends on land.)

We then discussed how places can be significant to people because of their connections to it. We explored the question 'Why do people sometimes kiss the ground?' I discussed the significance of my childhood home, the city of London I spent 4 years in, and the Tongariro National Park which holds many memories and stories in my life. The students then discussed significant places in their lives. 

Tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) In the Māori world view, much of life is about finding one’s tūrangawaewae, one’s foundation and place in the world. This is traditionally expressed through a people’s relationship with particular places, such as a mountain, a river and other important sites.

This will all be leading to the students creating a 'mihi' or 'pepeha' (an introduction of themselves so people can make connections with them) that is really significant and meaningful for them.