The Spirit of Manaaki: Maata, a Living Library of Maori Wisdom and Medicine Practices

(Paperback)

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Maori elder Maata Wharehokas teachings on birth, death, climate, and healing

Reveals how Maata integrated her own experiences of trauma and colonialism with traditional Mori wisdom to develop modern teachings

Shares Mori practices around birth, death, and healing, and Maatas ritual of Kahu Whakatere to embrace bereavement, transition, and loss

Tells the story of Parihaka, the birthplace of nonviolent protest, and how its teachings speak to humanity today

Entering the Mori worldview is like stepping into a verdant landscape where humans and plants, animals, the land, rain, and mountains are united. This may sound like a step into a distant past, but it is the model of living that matriarch Maata Wharehoka has been sustaining her entire life in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The Mori word manaaki means to protect, to show respect, and to take care. This is the essence of Maata Wharehokas wisdom. Transmitting Maatas wisdom to the world, Stephanie explores Maatas pioneering efforts in healthcare, parenting, and social justice as well as her interpretations of traditional Mori teachings. The author reveals how Maata used her experiences of trauma and colonialism, along with generational Indigenous wisdom, to develop teachings for our times. Readers will learn Maatas Mori practices around healing, death and dying, and relationship to elders as well as her views on the sanctity of birthing, parenting, kuiatanga (the way of the kuia, or women elders), inclusive healthcare, and the Earth. The author looks at Maatas practice of Kahu Whakatere, a ritual to embrace bereavement, transition, and loss that reveals how death can be a peacemaker and unifier. Stephanie explores the Mori view of the climate crisis and how to address it with nature-informed consciousness.

With reflective exercises that share the hard-won wisdom of an elder, this book allows Maatas spirit of manaakiprotection, respect, and careto reach beyond Aotearoa to the world.

Author Bio

Stephanie Mines, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in neuropsychology at the Union Institute. She is the author of six books, including The Secret of Resilience, that reflect over three decades of research as a neuroscientist, embryologist, and climate activist. She is the founder of The TARA Approach, a nonprofit dedicated to providing sustainable health options to individuals and communities, and the founder of Climate Change and Consciousness, a global network to accelerate regenerative responses to the climate crisis.