The money edition

Nau mai, haere mai to ‘Get Cultured’ from Te Arawhata e hoa mā,

It’s getting to that time… the sun is beaming, we’re looking forward to BBQs, catch-ups with friends and whānau, and hitting the beach—but we’re also thinking about the pūtea/money honey! 

This week we’re sharing our top four picks on the kaupapa/topic of pūtea for a dose of culture between those gift budgets and Christmas lunch costings.

This is nothing like accounting class e te whānau, these recommendations are full of refreshing angles, historic knowledge, and inspiring stories. Whether you’re a saver, a spender, or a mega splurger, they’re about to add a whole lot of  value to your wiki/week.

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Watch: Te Aorere Pēwhairangi’s kōrero from ‘M9: Whiua ki te ao!/Cast the Māori language to the world!’

for the feels

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“I want to talk about the $50 note and the Ngāti Porou pūrakau that it tells.”

- Te Aorere Pēwhairangi introduces his kōrero at M9

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Like many from Ngāti Porou, Te Aorere Pēwhairangi, te reo Māori consultant, broadcaster, and office-voted no.1 tik-tok heart throb, always carries a $50 note in his wāreti/wallet—not for what it can buy, but for what the tāne printed on it stands for.

So who is this man featured on the fifty?

Born on the East Coast in 1874, Apirana Ngata of Ngāti Porou was a major advocate the well-being and advancement of Māori. His long list of feats include being the first Māori to graduate from university and the first New Zealander to graduate with two degrees.

In this moving kōrero, Pēwhairangi tells his own life story through trademark humour and wit, including why Ngāta is his superhero. This is one of many takes out there on Apirana’s legacy. You’ll never look at a $50 the same way again.

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Find it: on the M9 Youtube channel
Time: 15 mins
Cost: free

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Listen to: ‘Tikanga 101 - Koha’ a podcast episode from Taringa

for the learnings

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“Kaua e haere ko tō rae anake/Don’t just go with your forehead.”

- important advice when showing up to hui

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The Taringa team are talking koha and their advice is clear; don't turn up for Māori hui/meetings empty-handed. Remember to stop off at the ATM or pick up a packet of biccies for koha on the way!

Te Aka Maori Dictionary defines the concept of koha as a ‘gift present, offering, donation, contribution’ that ‘has connotations of reciprocity’ and is ‘central to maintaining social relationships.’

Sounds simple enough, heoi/but which option is right for which event? And who should we hand it to? And how and when?

This episode takes us on a gentle but thorough deep-dive into koha, discussing tips, tricks, and tikanga to ease any anxiety we might have and set us up to be the best manuhiri/visitors ever on all our roady stops this raumati/summer.

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Find it: on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts
Time: 25 mins
Cost: free with your account

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Do: check out the‘Dirty Money’ series by Taika Waititi

for fun

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“On Waititi’s one-dollar notes Queen Elizabeth II makes way for 19th-century Māori heroes Te Kooti and Te Rauparaha.”

- Toi ō Tāmaki/Auckland Art Gallery on Taika Waititi’s ‘Dirty Money’ series

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He’s recognised for his filmmaking and acting, but did you know Taika Waititi is also a self-taught painter and illustrator?

His 'Dirty Money' series was created back in 1999 pre Thor, Rita Ora, and all those Met Galas. Like much of Taika’s work it takes a playful approach to what can be a fairly contentious topic, using humour and creativity to reconstruct our country’s past banknotes and explore themes of power and monarchy.

While the 'Dirty Money' series isn't physically displayed, you can view a few mīharo/awesome pieces on the Toi o Tāmaki/Auckland Art Gallery website.

Whether it’s a political move or a curious look at the star’s early career, this pick is the perfect procrastination scroll as we all start checking out for Christmas.

FYI ‘cop cash’ and ‘mob dollars’  are not acceptable forms of legal tender. 

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Find it: on the Auckland Art Gallery website
Time: 5 min scoll
Cost: free

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Read: the Māori Millionaire blog by Te Kahukura Boynton

for the inspo

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“Te Kahukura shares her knowledge, experiences, and insights in order to inspire and empower the next generation of Māori millionaires.”

-the kaupapa summed up on the Māori Millionaire website

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Te Kahukura Boynton, AKA the Māori Millionaire is a young entrepreneur publicly working towards some pretty inspiring whāinga/goals for a wealthy life, including a net worth of $1,000,000, good health, and regular devotion to community uplifting.

Hold strong if you struggle with comparison—she wants to achieve all of this by the age of 25. 

But it’s not just for her. Te Kahukura believes that if more Māori take control of our finances, we can even up the disparities we face in areas like education and healthcare. She shares all her tips on a refreshingly honest website and blog because she desperately wants to āwhina/help all of us get there too (Pākehā and Tauiwi, you’re welcome too). 

It’s a treasure trove for cracking those New Year ambitions e te whānau. Take up the invite to jump on this waka.

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Find: the blog here and her insta here
Time: 5 minuteish articles
Cost: free

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OK, now we have the pūtea sorted, it’s time to get into the celebrations.

Next week we’re coming at ya with full festive spirit—Māori styles.

Hei konā mai/Bye for now!

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