--- title: "Manaakitanga: The Political Art of Nurturing Others" sousTitre: "A Māori Ethic of Relational Sovereignty" description: "Hirini Moko Mead, a contemporary Māori thinker, reveals in *Tikanga Māori* how *manaakitanga* transcends hospitality to become a technology of rebalancing relationships between humans, non-humans, and territories. This meditation explores how this practice, grounded in the protection of another’s *mana*, structures a sovereignty where power is measured by the capacity to nourish the strength of others." date: 2026-08-12 lang: en tradition: maori auteurs: ["Sir Hirini Moko Mead"] --- # Manaakitanga: The Political Art of Nurturing Others M Māori ethics does not merely prescribe behavior. It offers a grammar of relationships in which every act is a political gesture, a way of weaving or unraveling the world. According to Sir Hirini Moko Mead, this grammar revolves around principles that function as tests: before acting, one checks whether the action fits into an existing genealogy, whether it replicates an ancestral model, or whether it upholds the foundational values of *tikanga*. Among these values, *manaakitanga* holds a central place—not as a mere rule of courtesy, but as a technology for rebalancing the forces at play. ## The Principle as a Test of Reality Sir Hirini Moko Mead observes that decisions, from a Māori perspective, are not made in abstraction. They are subjected to a series of concrete filters. The first involves determining whether a new event can be linked to an existing lineage, to a story already lived. If not, one examines whether an ancestral model might serve as a guide. Only as a last resort, when these two tests fail, does one turn to the principles themselves—those values that structure collective and individual life. Among these principles, some, like the balance of exchanges or the sacred, are already embedded in the earlier tests. What remains are those that directly concern how beings treat one another: the bond of extended kinship, hospitality, the protection of personal power. These values are not distant ideals but tools for assessing each situation. They demand, for instance, that one care for one’s own, welcome the stranger with generosity, and above all, ensure that another’s power is never diminished. These are very important values which embrace other values such as aroha ki te tangata, concern for our people, being a good host and providing; hospitality for guests, protecting the mana of people and not doing anything that threatens their mana or, worse still, damages personal mana. These values hold paramount importance, encompassing other principles such as *aroha ki te tangata*—care for our people—the art of being a good host and meeting their needs, hospitality toward visitors, the protection of another’s *mana*, and the avoidance of any act that might threaten this *mana* or, worse still, erode one’s own. ## Obligation as an Extension of the Bond The principle of extended kinship, as described by Sir Hirini Moko Mead, is not confined to blood ties. It extends to all who share a cause, a place, or a common experience. A colleague, a fellow tribe member, even a political ally, can become kin through this value. The obligation to assist that follows is not merely a moral recommendation—it is a structural necessity. If a relative suffers an injustice, others must act. If a relative embarks on a scientific or political endeavor, their kin are bound to support them, even if the undertaking lies outside tradition. This extension of the bond transforms kinship into a political force. It creates networks of solidarity that transcend familial and tribal boundaries. Yet it also imposes constraints: one cannot ignore the needs of those within this expanded circle. Physical presence, for example, is a duty. Showing one’s face at a gathering is a way of affirming that the bond exists and is active—a means of nourishing the relationship, of keeping it alive. ## Hospitality as a Rebalancing of Powers *Manaakitanga*, often translated as hospitality, is far more than that. According to Sir Hirini Moko Mead, it is a practice of tending to relationships, where every gesture aims to preserve or enhance the power of others. Offering a meal, welcoming a visitor, or resolving a conflict with restraint—these are acts that strengthen the social fabric. But this practice is not disinterested: it rests on the idea that each person’s power depends on that of others. In gift exchanges, for instance, the choice of what is offered is never arbitrary. It must reflect the social standing of the partners and, above all, contribute to increasing their power. A chief, in particular, is expected to meet this standard: their resources must circulate to honor births, marriages, and mourning. The gift is not a mere transaction but an affirmation of the relationship and the power of those involved. If the gift is poorly chosen—if it humiliates or weakens the other—it destroys the bond instead of nourishing it. ## Sovereignty as the Capacity to Nurture What emerges from this ethic is a conception of power radically different from that which dominates Western societies. Here, power is not measured by the capacity to dominate but by the ability to nurture others. A chief is not powerful because they impose their will but because they know how to mobilize their resources to strengthen their community. Likewise, a person is respected not because they accumulate wealth but because they circulate it in ways that enhance collective power. This relational sovereignty rests on a fragile balance. Relationships, Sir Hirini Moko Mead reminds us, are always threatened by imbalance. A miscalculated gesture, a hurtful word, an ill-suited gift—and the entire network weakens. Hence the necessity of rebalancing rituals, of practices like *muru*, which allow offenses to be repaired without severing ties. These practices are not relics of the past but active tools for maintaining the group’s cohesion. *[A Voice from Within]* Sir Hirini Moko Mead, a contemporary Māori thinker, writes from a situated position: that of a member of the Māori people committed to transmitting and reinterpreting traditional values. His work, *Tikanga Māori: Living by Māori Values*, is a cornerstone for understanding how these values structure a political and relational ethic. The bilingual citation above is a house rendering, validated for its fidelity to the original meaning. ## A Political Technology for the Living *Manaakitanga* is not an abstract virtue but a political technology in service of the living. It does not apply solely to humans but also to non-humans and territories. By caring for others, by ensuring their power is not diminished, one preserves the world’s balance. This ethic offers an alternative to the extractive logic that prevails today: it proposes a way of life where power is measured by the capacity to nourish, protect, and empower. In a world marked by ecological and social imbalances, this Māori vision of power as the care of relationships may well hold a key to re-enchanting our connection to the living. It reminds us that sovereignty does not lie in domination but in the ability to forge bonds that strengthen all beings—human and non-human—in their own power. ## Sources - Hirini Moko Mead, *Tikanga Maori Living By Maori Values* — Huia Publishers, 2003, trans. rendu français maison (œuvre en anglais, courtes citations attribuées) Canonical source : https://viasophia.org/en/reenchanter/2026-08-12-manaakitanga-art-politique-faire-grandir/