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Weaving te ao Māori into everyday mahi
A question that we never tend to reflect on, is when we ask:
Who is my mahi (work) really for? Whose values shape the way we work, communicate, and lead?
At HERA, our team recently took part in Run Aotearoa’s Te Ao Māori for Marketers workshop. It wasn’t about learning a checklist of cultural practices. It was a reminder to slow down and reflect on how we think, connect, and create, and what that means for the way we work in Aotearoa.
Te ao Māori (the Māori world view) teaches us that everything is connected. That purpose, balance, and respect for the natural world are not abstract ideas; they are foundations for survival and sustainability. Our tūpuna (ancestors) understood systems thinking long before we gave it that name. They built relationships with their environment, each other, and the unseen forces that shaped their decisions.
Those lessons matter more than ever today.
As we move into an age of AI, automation, and digital transformation, it’s easy to lose sight of the human and environmental context our work sits within. The workshop reminded us that progress must be guided by values: by tikanga (customs and correct practice), which helps us act appropriately in each situation, and by manaakitanga (care and respect) and whakawhanaungatanga (relationship and connection), which remind us to lead with empathy and intention.
Because technology without whakapapa (genealogy or connection) has no grounding.
The conversation around data sovereignty or Te Mana Raraunga (the power and authority over data) drives this home. Data, like people, has whakapapa. It carries context, origin, and meaning. When we strip it of that, we risk repeating the same extractive patterns that have shaped our industries for generations.
That challenge is not just for marketers or policymakers. It’s for all of us — engineers, fabricators, researchers, and contractors – who are building the systems and infrastructure that define how we live.
Te ao Māori offers a framework that aligns perfectly with sustainable and ethical innovation. It asks us to think not only about what we are building, but why and for whom. It reminds us that true progress honours both people and place.
So how do we begin?
That’s the question behind Mātauranga Māori in Mahi: Unlocked, a free course and toolkit designed to help people across all sectors bring te ao Māori principles into everyday work.
Whether you’re leading a project team, designing new technology, or working on the tools, this toolkit offers practical ways to bring reflection and balance into your mahi — to build confidence using te reo Māori (the Māori language) and tikanga, lead with manaakitanga, and ground your decisions in values that stand the test of time.
Because learning from our roots isn’t about looking back. It’s about remembering what has always kept us connected, resilient, and forward-thinking.
Register your interest in Mātauranga Māori in Mahi: Unlocked today.
