How can Te Reo (Maori language) and Tikanga (Maori culture) relate to computing? I have been told as a computer person many times and by many people that we are a strange variety. Names such as “geek” or “weirdo” have been thrown my way.
I am amazed by some of the accusations about my supposed strange ways. The amazing thing is that my accusers seem less grounded than me. One of the people who accused me of having strange religious beliefs all tied up with computing was herself involved in naked séances!
I find much to commend with the New Zealand Maori people. I applaud them for their respect of the land, the sea and their older people. The New Zealand Maori people are a true delight.
The M?ori word tikanga has a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formality, lore, manner, meaning, mechanism, method, protocol, style. It is generally taken to mean “the M?ori way of doing things”, it is derived from the M?ori word tika meaning “right” or “correct”.
I enjoyed studying Tikanga.
Te Reo, on the other hand, is the Maori language. A lot of New Zealand has Maori place names. For example, Kaikoura on the East Coast of the South Island getting towards the top of the island. Kai means food, and koura means cray fish. Beautiful food.
When I was Head of School of ICT, I called myself Te kaiwhakahaere o te Wananga Rorohiko. What does this mean?
• Wananga means an area for learning, much like the old Greek Academy. A person should be able to work and learn in a supportive and encouraging environment.
• Rorohiko is a transliteration meaning fast brain, or computer.
• Kaiwhakahaere means conductor or administrator. I liked the thought that it was my responsibility to conduct the IT Academy, just as a conductor is responsible for setting the cadence and rhythm for an orchestra. Alternatively kaiwhakahaere is the leader (Haere) of the food boat (kai whaka).
The words wananga or academy implies a sharing. Everyone in a wananga has a role to play. Just as the Bee Gees weren’t the same without the third harmony and musicianship that was Maurice, it is the same for an academy. When members are unable to contribute, the music is less sweet and not as good.
Many Maori learners learn by kinaesthetic methods. We can certainly do more of this with our training methods. This will enhance our output.
We can learn at lot from Maori studies. We can learn to respect the land, the sea and also learn about many other things such as the wisdom of the older person, different learning styles and music. May we stay in tune with such things as we learn a little bit more each day?