Nau mai, haere mai ki te whare kōrero o Manawataki – welcome to our ‘house of tales’ here at Manawataki. We are so excited to be welcoming you to our very first blog post, especially as we officially launch our brand-new website! Manawataki has been around since 2020, but now it feels like our business is finally growing up as we step into this new phase. With that said, this is a great opportunity for us to introduce Manawataki to you and share a little about who we are – and where better to start than with the name.

Manawataki origins

From baby names to business names, Manawataki holds a lot of meaning to us. The name comes from our mātāmua, our firstborn, Te Manawataki. She was born after going through some tough times as a whānau and her name was chosen to restore the natural rhythm to our life again. Manawataki means the rhythm or the beat, and to us, it also refers to the heartbeat (manawa – heart, taki – beat) and ties into the essence and life that something has. Her name inspired the direction of our business and highlights our view of te reo and tikanga Māori.

For us, te reo and tikanga are the manawataki, the heartbeat, of Māori culture. If we were to look at what really sets us apart as Māori, it is the language we speak and the traditions and customs that we practice today, passed down from our tūpuna. It’s also important that these two elements go hand in hand. Without te reo, one of the most important parts of our identity would be lost, and without our tikanga to guide what and how we do things, we may as well be any other culture just speaking Māori words. Having the name Manawataki reminds us why we do what we do, and of our responsibility to continue to keep our language and culture alive for our own tamariki.

What’s so special about a name?

Names have been a big focus for us recently as we await the arrival of our 4th pēpi (any day now). It has got us thinking about names within our whānau, names that we like, and the importance of names in general. A name holds whakapapa, history, and stories. There is power in a name, it can shape identities and evoke emotions. It is a reflection of culture, heritage, and personal experiences that make up who we are and summarise us in one breath.

From the teachings passed down to us by our grandparents, one of our beliefs is that if we take on an ancestral name, we also take on some of their characteristics and qualities, good or bad. This is why it’s so important to know about our history and whakapapa and to seek that kōrero out.

When we meet new people, especially as kaiako Māori, it’s important for us to make sure we pronounce people’s names correctly. It’s about respect for the individual, their identity, their history, and the meaning behind their name. For Māori, we see each person not as just as an individual, but as a reflection of everything that they are and who they have come from.

So, the next time you come across a name that might seem a little tricky to pronounce, no matter what culture they come from, consider what a name might mean to that person. It might seem like such a simple thing to just say a name, but the reality is that some people go their entire lives having their names butchered, mispronounced, or even being told “that’s too hard, I’ll call you ….”

With the names Te Hau Paeroa and Marihi-Te-Ātaahua, we have experienced this exact situation our whole lives. For Te Hau, pronunciation has often been ‘Tee How’ with the rest of the name dying off because it’s too hard. For Marihi, there have been variations from ‘Maharey’ to the worst spelling ever of ‘Margigiteataau’.

When someone makes the effort to say our names correctly, we feel seen, acknowledged, and respected, so we will always make that effort ourselves no matter how many tries it takes to get someone else’s name right.

If you struggle with Māori names, try using Te Aka Māori Dictionary online – you may need to split the name up at times if it has multiple parts to it. There’s an audio icon next to each word so you can hear the pronunciation, and this is such a fantastic and free resource that anyone can access.

Check out this link to learn how to say ‘Manawataki’ https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/13669.