Addressing the inquiry question – Perspective from Kaa Williams
He mārama ake te kitea o ngā kawenga tuakana/teina i ētahi horopaki, tēnā i ētahi atu? Kei te hāngai anō ki tēnei horopaki? Mēnā āe, ko wai te teina i konei?
Ko tēnei āhua o te tuakana, teina ehara i te āhuatanga whakararu i ngā mahi akoranga, i te noho tahi rānei o te tangata. Mai rānō, ko te tikanga he tauawhi, he manaaki, he poipoi, he tohutohu, he tiaki tētahi i tētahi. No reira, ka tāea te whakatau i te āwangawanga, i te pōhēhē, i te wairua whakahī ma te whakapono, he mana, he mauri to te tuakana.
I roto i a tatau mahi akoranga, ka tāea, ma te pātaitai, ma te whakapārekareka i ngā korero, ma te noho māmā ka tuku ana i o mōhiotanga, ma te tohatoha i o whakaaro i runga i te wairua whakaiti. Ko te mea nui ko te waiho i tōna mana ki a ia tonu. Kua tukuna e koe o whakaaro, māna e hopu mai, māna anō e whakahoki mai taua mana.
Are the roles of tuakana/teina more apparent in particular contexts and settings? Do they apply in this context? If so, who is the teina here?
This custom of tuakana/teina is not one that restricts or constrains learning in all its forms or creates problems within the unity of family life. From the beginning, the tradition embraces the customs of caring for, moulding, and mentoring each other. Anxieties, mistaken thinking, and arrogance can be allayed by a belief in the authority, the inner strength, embodied within the senior status of an elder person.
In our teaching work, it is possible through questioning and through friendly talk in a non-threatening way to share thoughts and opinions in a humble manner. The most important thing is to respect a person’s dignity. You will have presented your thoughts, and that person will receive and acknowledge that information in their own way.
