Manaaki, manaakitanga

Manaaki combines the two words ‘mana’ and ‘aki’ (to exert or encourage) so it refers to practices that uphold mana. Adding the suffix ‘tanga’ gives the meaning of a general quality of attention to mana in relationships.

The mana of a host group is maintained and enhanced through generous care of visitors, which is why manaakitanga has come to be equated with the modern notion of hospitality. Manaakitanga might include, for example, providing foods that visitors did not have in their home areas.

A more authentic understanding of manaaki as linked to mana extends its application to all forms of thinking and action that enhance mana. Taking responsibility for oneself, treating others with respect and caring about the non-human inhabitants of the Earth, including animals, are all aspects of manaakitanga.

The above ideas of kaitaikitanga and manaakitanga inform Professor Eloise Jillings’ ground-breaking work leading Māori veterinary education and equity.

Kaitiakitanga has become a metaphor for care of nature. This metaphor is easily extended to a notion of guardianship and care for animals in the veterinary sense, including non-native species (cats and dogs) that make up most of a typical vet’s daily work.

Kaitiakitanga, thus understood, connects veterinary practice to whakapapa and the webs of connection between people and nature, including animals. As Eloise explains, “There are actual whakapapa connections, ancestral connections in how Māori think about things, that are different from the way non-Māori would.”

Manaakitanga brings in the three key Māori ethical values of pono, tika and aroha summed up in combination as doing the right thing with integrity and love. Eloise uses manaakitanga to guide her work as a leader in opening up veterinary education to more actively include Māori people and knowledge.