Te Ao Māori

Te Ao Māori refers to the Māori worldview — a relational and holistic way of understanding the world, grounded in the deep interconnection between people, land (whenua), spirit (wairua), and future generations. Māori are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, with ancestral ties to iwi (tribes), hapū (sub-tribes), and whānau (extended families) whose values and practices span centuries through whakapapa (genealogy), tikanga (customs), and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems).

This worldview is rooted in principles such as whanaungatanga (relationships), manaakitanga (care and respect), kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the natural world), wairuatanga (spiritual wellbeing), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). It promotes collective wellbeing, intergenerational responsibility, and culturally grounded approaches to leadership, innovation, and transformation.

At Tiaki Akoako, Te Ao Māori forms the foundation of our kaupapa. It informs our work across wellbeing, education, misinformation resilience, and Indigenous innovation — guiding how we foster trust, build alliances, share knowledge, and centre the voices of communities. Our approach moves beyond transactional thinking, offering models based on long-term relationships, shared values, and mutual uplift.

Our founder, Gareth Jones, is of Māori and Celtic descent — with whakapapa connections to Te Arawa, Tainui, and Taranaki iwi, and ancestral ties to Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. His lived experience and doctoral research highlight that both Māori and Celtic traditions are deeply collective, relational, and culturally rich. These shared values offer powerful insights into how diverse Indigenous and ancestral frameworks can inform contemporary responses to global challenges.

Through Te Ao Māori, Tiaki Akoako is committed to advancing kaupapa that honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, empower Māori, Pacific, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander communities, and create spaces where Indigenous worldviews lead.