Quote of the day:
One way of understanding what rangatira means is to cut the word in two, ranga meaning to weave, and tira meaning a group. To be a rangatira is not about being an individual leader, out front– the leadership is best seen in encouraging collective power – taking up one’s responsibilities and obligations to the greater group. In its purest sense then, rangatiratanga is about weaving the people together with leadership that becomes an example of benefit to the people.
Ultimately, if we look to our greatest examples of Māori politicians in this land since the Māori Representation Act of 1867, the central underlying value has been how well that representation truly reflects the hearts and minds of the people that placed them in power. Te Ururoa Flavell.
This is all a bit of stretch of interpretation. “Ranga” does mean weave with an “a” on the end but it also means to avenge. “Tira means a group. “Tanga” means circumstance, time of place + whole lot of other bits —”A suffix used to make verbs into nouns, sometimes called derived nouns, and the usual ending for verbs ( I always suffix was a breed of sheep) etc – from the Maori dictionary -on line.
Rangatiratanga is difficult to justify with Flavell’s interpretation. In contemporary terms it means leadership by an individual, iwi, hapu over land and resources and influence but not power.
Not too sure what you are getting with this quote. If its about the Maori hui this week about the privatisation issue, listen to Nick Davidson – National Radio last week who has a very sensible of things on this issue
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2530671/nick-davidson
Thanks for the redefinition. I was taking the positive view that it meant working with people rather than being dictatorial.