The Vibration of the Soul 

In our journey across Taitokerau, I often talk about the "frequency" of our communities. This isn’t just modern "New Age" talk, it is a deeply spiritual and indigenous reality. Our mauri, the life force that binds us, operates on different levels. When we talk about frequency, we are really talking about the state of our wairua. In the teachings of Dr. David Hawkins, we see a scale where emotions like shame, guilt, and fear are measured at the lowest levels. These are "heavy" states. They contract our energy and keep us small. In Te Ao Māori, this is akin to being stuck in Te Pō, the darkness of limited potential, where our ancestors struggled to find the light.

Courage is the Gateway 

The true turning point in our spiritual evolution is courage. In our reo, we call this being māia. This is the threshold where we stop being victims of our environment, or the "Babylonian" system that surrounds us, and start taking agency. Courage is the frequency where we decide that the status quo is no longer enough for our whānau. It is the moment we choose to prioritise the health of our land and people over the extractive profit of the old world.

A Manual for Standing Firm

Kia ora e te whānau. We have reached the final post in our series looking at Research Report #268. We have talked about our language, our leadership, and our shared economy. Today, we look at the spiritual "backbone" that allowed our ancestors to stand firm against colonial pressure. In the ancient Ethiopian Bible, there are three unique books called the Books of Meqabyan. These books aren't found in Western Bibles, but for us as Ngāpuhi, they serve as a powerful manual for indigenous resistance.

The Meqabyan Legacy

The Books of Meqabyan tell the stories of righteous people who refused to bow down to greedy kings or false idols. They chose to follow the laws of the Creator rather than the unfair rules of men. This resonates deeply with our own history in Taitokerau. When we look at the lives of the Ethiopian martyrs, we see a reflection of our own leaders who refused to be "trodden down" by foreign systems. Ihu (Yeshua's name in the Paipera Tapu) gave us the strength to know that even if our physical world is under pressure, our wairua (spirit) remains free.

True Meaning of Wealth

Kia ora e te whānau. As we continue through Research Report #268, we move from the way we speak and learn to the way we manage our resources. Many of us have been taught that "economics" is just a fancy word for making money and growing the GDP. But for our Ngāpuhi ancestors and the ancient people of Ethiopia, prosperity was never about how much one person could pile up for themselves. It was about the health and wholeness of the entire community.

Economy of Affection

Mānuka Hēnare described our traditional system as an "Economy of Mana" or an "Economy of Affection." In this system, our choices were guided by our relationships with each other and the land, not just by profit. Wealth was measured by how much you could give away and how well you could feed the people. This is the exact same principle found in the ancient Ethiopian scriptures, where the goal of the Kingdom is "Shalom", a peace that comes when everything is complete, whole, and shared fairly.

The House of Learning

Kia ora e te whānau. Today we are looking at how our ancestors passed on knowledge. In Research Report #268, we find a deep resonance between our Whare Wānanga o Te Tai Tokerau and the ancient monastic schools of Ethiopia, known as the Abinet Temhert Bet. Both systems were designed to do much more than just teach facts; they were built to feed the wairua (spirit) and ensure that the sacred thread connecting us to the Divine was never broken.

Validating Our Ancient Schools

As I’ve said before, we aren't looking to Ethiopia to find a new way of life. We are Ngāpuhi, and our traditions are rooted right here in the North. But when we see how the Ethiopian people preserved their ancient schools for over 1,500 years, it validates the importance of our own wānanga. It shows us that protecting our sacred knowledge from colonial "BS" isn't just about culture, it is about maintaining our spiritual health. Both traditions teach that true wisdom begins with a deep respect for Ihu (Yeshua's name in the Paipera Tapu).

The Source of Power

Kia ora e te whānau. As we move deeper into Research Report #268, we come to a topic that is often misunderstood in modern politics: sovereignty. For many today, sovereignty is about who has the most guns or who sits in a big building in Wellington. But for our Ngāpuhi ancestors and the ancient people of Ethiopia, true sovereignty, or Rangatiratanga, was never something human beings created on their own. It was a gift and a responsibility handed down from the Creator.

The King of Kings

In the Ethiopian tradition, the leader was known as the Negusa Nagast, which means "King of Kings." This title wasn't meant to brag about earthly power. Instead, it was a constant reminder that any earthly leader is subservient to the Divine. In Ethiopia, the state was seen as a servant of God, limited by the laws of heaven. This matches the way our own rangatira viewed their role. Leadership was not a career choice; it was a sacred vocation to maintain the balance between the people and the spiritual realm.

A Sacred Connection

Kia ora e te whānau. As we carry on with our journey through Research Report #268, we are looking at something very close to my heart, the power of the words we speak. We are exploring the beautiful connection between the ancient Ethiopian tongue and our own Te Reo Māori. This isn't about becoming like another culture; it’s about identifying a universal truth that our ancestors understood long ago.

Standing in Our Own Truth

I want to be very clear from the start: we aren't trying to copy the Ethiopian people or their customs. We are Ngāpuhi, and we stand firm on our own soil, guided by our own ancestors and tikanga. We look to Ethiopia because they are a unique "spiritual witness." Because they were never colonised, their ancient Bible and their language remained pure. Their story doesn't give us a new path; it simply proves that the path we are already on is a sacred one. It validates that our Reo is a direct gift from the Creator.

The Alpha Signal

The Alpha Frequency is the original, pure spiritual signal that flows directly from the Source through Yeshua. He is not just a figure from history, but the living principle of logic, order, and divine love that anchors our reality. When we talk about "tuning in," we are choosing to silence the static of modern isolation and return to the frequency of interconnectedness. In Te Tai Tokerau, this signal is most clearly heard through the covenantal identity we have carried since 1835 and 1840.

Kia ora e te whānau. Today we are tuning into the highest frequency of all, the one that binds our history to the eternal promises of the Creator. In the North, we don't just see a piece of paper when we look at Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We see a sacred bond, a living kawanata that reflects the very nature of Yeshua’s kingdom.

Birthplace of Covenant

Taitokerau is a region of profound spiritual significance, serving as the birthplace of both He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. For the people of the North, the Treaty is frequently described by Ngāpuhi leaders as a "kawanata", a spiritual covenant with the Crown. It is more than a legal contract, it is a spiritual bond that echoes the ancient Ethiopian concept of "Kidan," a covenant that binds God to His people.

The Mesh of Unity

We have reached the end of our journey through the spiritual gifts, and it is only right that we conclude by looking at how they all weave together. In Western cultures, when we talk about the "body of Yeshua", we often focus on "inclusion", making sure everyone has a seat at the table. But in the North, we see this through the lens of kotahitanga, which is a deep, inherent unity and togetherness that recognises the mana of every single soul. We are not just a collection of individuals who decided to hang out; we are a unified mesh where every strand is vital.

This unity is not something we create through our own effort; it is a spiritual state called Mauri Ora, where the breath of the Spirit flows freely through every member. We are a living, breathing iwi in Yeshua, where our connection to one another is as real and as physical as our connection to the land. When we prioritise this collective life force, we move away from competing for attention and start focusing on the health of the whole.

The Power of the Hidden

One of the most profound teachings in the Bible is that the parts of the body that seem "weaker" or less visible are actually indispensable. In our Māori way of thinking, these "hidden" parts are like the internal organs that sustain our mauri. A person whose gift is simply to "be", to hold the mana of our elders or the innocence of our children, is just as vital as the one who speaks from the front.

Gifts As People

In many Western traditions, we often focus on the "offices" of the church as titles of status or positions in a hierarchy. We think of the "Apostle" or the "Pastor" as a rank to be achieved. However, when we look at the letter to the Ephesians, we see that these gifts are actually people given by the Creator to the community. They are not just roles; they are individuals empowered by Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) to serve as the structural integrity of the iwi.

When we reframe these offices through a Māori lens, they become navigational and protective roles designed to ensure the safety and flourishing of our collective waka. They shift from being about "who is in charge" to being about "who is looking after the people". This perspective prioritises the responsibility of guarding the mana of the Gospel and the well-being of every whānau member.

The Navigator and Matakite

The role of the Apostle is reframed as the kaihautū, the navigator of the waka. Just as a traditional navigator understands the stars and the currents, the spiritual kaihautū keeps the people on course through turbulent spiritual waters. They are sent with authority, not to rule, but to guide the community toward new horizons while ensuring the vessel stays upright and moving forward.

Holistic Well-Being

When we talk about healing in our modern society, we often think of it as a physical process, fixing a broken bone or curing a virus. In many Western theological traditions, the "gifts of healings" are viewed as supernatural interventions for physical ailments. While this is true, our Māori worldview offers a much broader and more integrated perspective on what it means to be well.

Health, or hauora, is a holistic state that involves the deep interrelationship of mind, body, spirit, and place. We understand that you cannot truly heal the body without also addressing the spirit and the land it belongs to. By recognising this connection, we move away from the mistake of seeing the world as separate, disconnected pieces and embrace the truth that everything is woven together.

Restoring The Vital Spark

Through our lens, healing is essentially the restoration of mauri, the vital life force that binds our physical and spiritual existence. When Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) exercises the gift of healing through a believer, it is a form of rongoā, or spiritual remedy, that addresses the root cause of an ailment.

Beyond Hierarchy

In many Western models, leadership is often viewed through a lens of hierarchy, where one person stands at the top of a pyramid and exercises power over others. This perspective can lead to a focus on status, titles, and individual authority. However, when we look at the biblical gift of leadership through the lens of Te Ao Māori, it is reframed as rangatiratanga. This shift moves us away from "power over" and toward a communal, relational understanding of spiritual authority.

The Art Of Weaving

The word rangatira carries a beautiful linguistic depth, it is often understood as one who "weaves" (raranga) the people together. Therefore, spiritual leadership is not about commanding a group from the front, it is about the "weaving of the mana" of every member into a unified whāriki (mat). A leader is someone empowered by Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) to see the unique strands of talent, history, and mana in each person and coordinate them so the whole community moves in unison.

Beyond The Transaction

In many Western cultures, giving is often seen as a transaction, a one-way donation where we hand over money or resources to help a cause. We focus on the amount given and the tax receipt we get in return. But when we look at the biblical gift of giving through a Māori lens, it shifts from being a donation to being an act of maintaining whanaungatanga, or deep relationship.

Reframing giving as koha means we are not just giving a "thing", we are releasing a taonga (treasure) that carries our very breath and spirit. This is the ethics of koha, where every gift is an investment in the collective well-being of our people. It is a recognition that the strength of the group is more important than the wealth of any single person.

The Spirit Of The Gift

When Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) imparts the spiritual gift of giving, a person begins to see resources as something held in trust for the iwi (tribe). In our traditional thinking, a gift carries the hau, or the spirit of the giver. This creates a spiritual connection that requires a response. When you give at the Spirit's prompting, you are not just clearing out your bank account; you are participating in a reciprocal flow of divine life.

Beyond The Chore List

In many Western contexts, the spiritual gifts of service and mercy are often viewed as separate, functional tasks. Service is often seen as the practical meeting of needs, like setting up chairs or cleaning the hall, while mercy is seen as having compassion for those who are suffering. When we look at these through a purely individualistic lens, they can feel like a "to-do" list or a personality trait for those who are "naturally kind".

However, in Te Ao Māori, these two gifts are not separate departments. They are synthesised and elevated into the paramount value of manaakitanga. This shift moves us away from seeing service as a menial task and transforms it into a supernatural enablement provided by Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) to uphold the very life force of our community.

Encouraging The Mana

The word manaakitanga is deeply significant because it is derived from two core concepts: mana (authority or dignity) and aki (to encourage or urge). Therefore, when we exercise the spiritual gifts of service and mercy, we are not just "helping out". We are actually performing the sacred act of "encouraging the mana" of another person.

The Voice Of Truth

Prophecy is often misunderstood in the modern world as a kind of spiritual fortune-telling or a way to predict the future like a weather report. However, the biblical term propheteia simply refers to the ability to speak forth God's word with absolute clarity. When we look at this enablement through the lens of Te Ao Māori, it undergoes a powerful transformation, moving from "prediction" to "tohungatanga".

Beyond Predicting Events

In our worldview, this gift is akin to the role of the tohunga, the expert or priest who acts as a medium between the Creator and the people. Reframing prophecy as tohungatanga means it is the act of applying spiritual wisdom to a current situation to ensure the community remains in a state of pono (truth) and tika (righteousness). It is not about guessing what happens next year; it is about speaking the truth that is needed right now.

The Vital Spark

While mana provides the authority to act, it is mauri that provides the animation. In our worldview, mauri is the life force or vital spark that binds the physical and spiritual realms together. It is not just something we talk about in a religious sense, every person, every place, and even every object possesses mauri. When Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) imparts a spiritual gift to a believer, we can understand this as the enlivening of that person's mauri to perform a task that far exceeds their natural human capacity.

This means a spiritual gift is not a dead tool, it is a living part of who we are. It is the "spark" of the Creator igniting our own life force to serve our whānau and our land. When we operate in our gifts, we are not just doing a job, we are manifesting a vibrant, living energy that brings health and vitality to everyone around us.

The Breath In The Gift

The concept of hau, which refers to the breath or vital essence, adds a deeper layer to how we understand these enablements. In traditional Māori thought, a gift is never just a neutral object, it carries the hau, or the spirit, of the giver. This creates what we call a "spirit of the gift" that necessitates reciprocity. The gift creates a connection between the one who gives and the one who receives.

Power Held In Trust

When we talk about spiritual gifts in the North, we have to talk about the concept of mana. In our worldview, mana refers to extraordinary power, essence, or presence that comes from the atua (God) and our ancestors. It is the very currency of spiritual power, but it works very differently than the way the world views "power". While Western culture often sees power as something to be grabbed or owned, mana is never a personal possession.

Instead, mana is a spiritual authority that is held in trust for the benefit of the collective. When Wairua Tapu (the Holy Spirit) imparts a gift to you, it is not a "skill" for your own resume, but a manifestation of mana flowing through you for the benefit of the iwi. You are the vessel, the carrier of a presence that belongs to the whole community.

The Sacredness Of The Gift

Closely tied to mana is the concept of tapu, which signifies sacredness and restriction. In Te Ao Māori, if you are operating in a spiritual gift, you are in a state of tapu. This means you are "set apart" for a divine purpose by Wairua Tapu. You are no longer in the ordinary space, you are standing in a place of direct connection to the Source of all life.

The Pressure of Change

Kia ora, whānau. Today we are looking at one of Ihu’s most practical stories about survival and change. He warned us that you cannot pour a fresh, powerful message into old, brittle containers without everything falling apart. It is time to check if our own minds, habits, and community structures are flexible enough to hold the bright future we want to build here in Taitokerau.

During His time on earth, Ihu (Yeshua’s name in the Paipera Tapu) was constantly challenged by religious leaders who tried to force His message of freedom back into rigid, dusty old rulebooks. To show them why this wouldn't work, He used a simple picture from everyday farm life about materials and gas pressure. Let us look at what the scriptures say about this literal science.

"Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins: else the skins burst, and the wine runneth out, and the skins perish: but they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." - Matthew 9:17 (Ethiopian Orthodox Bible)

Ge'ez text: ወኢይወድዩኒ ወይነ ሐዲሰ ውስተ ዝቅ ብሉይ፤ ወእመ አኮሰ ይበተክ ዝቅ ወውእቱኒ ወይን ይውኃዝ ወዝቅኒ ይማስን፤ ዘእንበለስ ወይነ ሐዲሰ ውስተ ዝቅ ሐዲስ ይወድዩ ወክሌሆሙ ይትዓቀቡ።

Te Reo Maori, Paipera Tapu, 1868 translation: E kore hoki e rorohia te puwhero hou ki nga kahu tawhito: kei pakaru nga kahu, a ka maringi te puwhero, ka piri hoki nga kahu: engari e rorohia ana te puwhero hou ki nga kahu hou, a ka mau tahi raua.

Identifying the Distractions

Kia ora, whānau. Today we are wrapping up our series on why the message of Ihu (Yeshua’s name in the Paipera Tapu) matters so deeply right here in Taitokerau. To do that, we need to talk straight about the big distractions that block us from reaching our true potential. Ihu was a master at cutting through the political BS and religious noise of His day. We need to use that same clear signal to strip back the heavy colonial layers that are currently hurting our Hauora, which is our holistic wellbeing.

In the North, our spiritual foundation tells us that recognising deceptions is the first step to finding freedom and fairness. These deceptions have been mixed into our daily lives through generations of colonisation, making things look confusing. Ihu taught us a beautiful truth that cuts right through this static.

The Truth Sets Free

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32 (Ethiopian Orthodox Bible)

Ge'ez text: ወታእምሩ ጽድቀ ወጽድቅ ያጋእዘክሙ።

Te Reo Maori, Paipera Tapu, 1868 translation: A ka matau koutou ki te pono, ma te pono hoki koutou ka rangatira ai.

When Ihu spoke these words, He was not talking about a dry checklist of rules. He was talking about a deep, living freedom that restores our mind, body, and spirit altogether. To experience this, we have to call out the specific lies that try to keep us small and dependent on external systems.

A Common Lie

Kia ora, whānau. Let us talk about who we are and how we stand before God. For a very long time, people in Taitokerau have been told a destructive lie. They were made to feel that they had to choose between their beautiful Māori culture and their Christian faith. Many thought they had to leave their culture and their whakapapa at the church door just to be accepted.

But Ihu (Yeshua’s name in the Paipera Tapu) never asked us to drop our heritage. He is the one who created our unique family lines, our language, and our deep ties to this land. When we understand this, we realise that our identity is not a barrier to faith, it is the very soil where our faith is meant to grow.

Standing Strong Together

Being fully Māori and fully Christian is a beautiful reality. It means we completely reject the old missionary ideas that suggested our ancestors had to be changed into copies of Europeans before they could follow God. We do not need to adopt Western ways of thinking to be good Christians.

The Great Deception: The Myth of Scarcity

Kia ora, whānau. Today we need to stand up and confront the biggest lie holding us back here in Taitokerau. It is the fear-driven idea that there is simply not enough to go around. We see this political BS everywhere, from bad economic policies to media stories that keep everyone anxious. This mindset tells us we must compete, grab what we can, and look out only for ourselves. But this is a massive spiritual deception.

A Generous Design

When we look at how the world was created, we see that our Creator designed it to be full of life and care. The idea of constant shortage comes from colonial capitalism, which loves to split people into winners and losers. In the North, we see the real-world harm of this thinking. Our young people miss out on work, and our regional numbers stay low because wealth is sucked out instead of shared. Yeshua came to break this cycle by teaching us to see the world through a lens of absolute abundance.