traditional knowledge conference 2008 te tatau pounamu

A – focus, attention, driving force, compel urge, extension of spaceO – cyclic, overview, organize, of place, of time, of spaceKo – essence, distant, nurturing, resound, descendKa – ignite, light, future, presentOka – feeling, line of descentAo – energy, balance, perceive, universalKao – path, horizon, assembled, collectedKoa – truth, fulfilment, peaceAko – inner hearing, reflect, journey, understand, remember, enlighten, warm, awareness, share,listen, receive, value.We understand Ako to be an all-encompassing phenomenon of knowledge, sourced from thewhakapapa (genealogical links) and the vibrations of our reo. To explain this we draw on the image ofthe tukutuku (lattice weaving) panel.Figure 1. Tukutuku panel.In creating the tukutuku panel the peace binding process weaves the poutama (the pattern shown inFigure 1), representing the stairway to māramatanga (enlightenment). The crisscross pattern representsngā whetū (stars), an image that reflects another knowledge form. It is a narrative of ascent and descent,the interconnectedness between Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) and Ranginui (Sky Father), the orderedsequence of all things in existence and our position within it. The tukutuku also reminds us that ourlearning is evolving as we strive towards Māramatanga, Mauri Ora, Mauri Ako and Mauri Wānanga.So what is an Ako moment? It is when our wairua (energy of spirit), our mauri (life essence), ourhistories, our lived experiences and our stories come together in one spontaneous moment of creativealignment and the Tatau Pounamu (the doors of spiritual inquiry) are opened to reveal a moment that istruly uplifting. This is the Ako moment. Quite often it can come as a rush, a sudden explosive energy ofintensity, much like a fire that wells up from within. Other times it can come as peaceful as our awa(river), calm and serene on windless summer afternoons.The Ō of Ako: Recognizing Ako Moments in our WhareAs kaimahi within an indigenous organization, we acknowledge that Ako moments echo our truths, ourtraditions and new realities. It is a capacity that has always been with us. Since the beginning of time ithas informed our knowing, our doing and our total state of being. We returned to this one evening in2007 when our whaea (respected older woman), Aroha Huaki, shared ngā kōrero o nēhera (storiesbrought forward from the past) to remind us of the balance and the interconnectedness of the unseenworld and the physical world. The impact of this sharing left us with a lingering feeling ofenlightenment, warmth, the exhaling of “haaa” and the understanding that within the simplicity of thestories shared there were powerful messages. Reflecting on the occurrences during that evening, wehave come to recognize these moments of clarity as Ako moments. They are snapshots of livedexperiences that are often intangible but are of significant relevance due to their transformative nature.Ako moments continue to evolve as we consciously invite these experiences to permeate our livesand to affirm that the traditions and knowledge of our tūpuna strengthen our personal resolve and ourcollective identity as Māori. These reflections and revelations, shared with one another, inspire andencourage us to challenge the thinking and external knowledge constructs that are not our own, and to229