Making Connections - The Power of Oral Storytelling | Trent Hohaia | TEDxUOA

TEDx Talks
19 Dec 201717:52

Summary

TLDRThe speaker, a young Maori man, shares his journey of self-discovery and the importance of storytelling in connecting to one's cultural roots. He discusses his upbringing in a diverse South Auckland, his struggle with identity as a Maori academic, and the profound impact of traditional Maori navigation stories on his understanding of his heritage. He advocates for the repatriation of storytelling in Maori homes to foster identity and resilience, drawing parallels between the strength of forests and the strength found in community and shared narratives.

Takeaways

  • πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘§ The speaker is the youngest of five siblings, with an older sister who was absent during his early childhood and has a tendency to act motherly towards him.
  • 🏠 Growing up in South Auckland, the speaker cherished the cultural diversity and felt a sense of pride in being from a multi-talented family.
  • πŸŽ“ Despite not always being the best student, the speaker excelled academically, often being at the top of his class, which was surprising to him given the stereotype that being Maori and achieving academically were separate.
  • 🧐 The speaker struggled with an identity crisis, feeling that his Maori heritage and academic success were at odds with each other, leading to a denial of his heritage for a time.
  • 🌍 Traveling the world, the speaker sought to find his identity but was repeatedly asked where he was from, which led him to question his own origins and identity more deeply.
  • πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘¦ A conversation with an older brother in London sparked a realization about the sacrifices made by his parents and the speaker's role as an inheritor of their legacy.
  • πŸ† The speaker's academic achievements were seen as exceptional due to his Maori background, which perpetuated the stereotype that Maori people are not typically high achievers.
  • πŸ“š A story shared by a man named Michael about Polynesian navigation skills helped the speaker see the value in his Maori heritage and the importance of storytelling in understanding one's identity.
  • 🌳 The speaker founded a social enterprise called 'Toitoi Tito' to promote oral storytelling traditions, emphasizing the relational, developmental, and prescriptive power of stories.
  • 🌱 Storytelling is described as foundational, with stories being the roots that give shape to the world and provide a sense of identity and purpose.
  • 🌿 The speaker passionately advocates for the importance of storytelling in connecting to one's culture and history as a means to address contemporary social issues and foster a stronger sense of identity and community.

Q & A

  • What is the significance of the speaker's older sister being 17 years older than him?

    -The speaker's older sister being 17 years older gives her a maternal role in his life, which is reflected in her tendency to speak to him as if she were his mother. However, there's also a humorous twist as she was not around for the first year of his life due to being in Germany and recorded over videos of him with MTV music videos.

  • How did the speaker's upbringing among four brothers influence his perspective on life?

    -Growing up in the shadow of his older brothers, who were all good at sports, talented, or excelled in school, the speaker admired them and thought being their little brother was amazing. This likely instilled a sense of admiration for achievement and a desire to follow in their footsteps.

  • What was the speaker's initial struggle with his Maori identity in relation to academic achievement?

    -The speaker initially struggled with the notion that being Maori and achieving academically were separate and could not coexist. He felt that being Maori was seen as incompatible with being intelligent, which led to an identity crisis where he questioned his own achievements and identity.

  • How did the speaker's travel experiences contribute to his understanding of his identity?

    -Traveling the world made the speaker confront the question 'where am I from?' repeatedly, as people asked him about his origins. This led him to introspect and question his identity, realizing that the aspects he used to identify himself were mostly about his family, not his own individual identity.

  • What revelation did the speaker have during his conversation with his brother at the pub?

    -The speaker realized that he had been a worse son to his family than they deserved. This conversation made him reflect on the sacrifices and contributions his parents had made for him and his siblings, leading him to understand the importance of living up to his family's legacy.

  • What was the speaker's academic performance like during his university years?

    -The speaker excelled academically in university, being on the dean's list for academic excellence and receiving the Marti academic excellence award two years in a row. He maintained an average of about 90% on all his submissions.

  • How did the speaker's achievements at university affect his perception of his Maori identity?

    -Despite his academic success, the speaker felt that he was seen as an exception rather than the norm for Maori students, which perpetuated the stereotype that Maori students are unlikely to achieve academically. This realization deepened his identity crisis.

  • What impact did the story told by Michael King have on the speaker's understanding of his Maori heritage?

    -The story about the Polynesian navigators and their incredible feat of navigating the Pacific Ocean changed the speaker's perspective. It made him realize that being Maori and achieving great things were not separate but intertwined, thus resolving his identity crisis.

  • What is the purpose of the social enterprise 'Tota Tito' that the speaker started?

    -Tota Tito, meaning to compose verses in unison, is a social enterprise aimed at promoting oral storytelling traditions. The speaker believes that storytelling is relational, developmental, and prescriptive, and that it can help ground individuals in their cultural identity.

  • How does the speaker connect the concept of storytelling to the health of forests and the problems faced by Maori communities?

    -The speaker uses the metaphor of the kahikatea tree and its root system to illustrate the importance of connection and relationship in both nature and human society. He suggests that the problems faced by Maori communities, such as high suicide rates and domestic violence, may be a result of disconnection from their cultural roots and identity.

  • What is the speaker's vision for the future regarding the repatriation of traditional Maori learning methods?

    -The speaker envisions a future where young Maori are surrounded by stories that affirm their identity, making them feel relevant, meaningful, and capable. He believes that by understanding and connecting to their past through storytelling, they can achieve stability and navigate the future more effectively.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ Family Dynamics and Identity Struggle

The speaker, Jin Ho, introduces himself as the youngest of five siblings and reflects on his childhood overshadowed by his older siblings' achievements. He humorously recounts his older sister's attempt to mother him despite her absence during his early years. Jin's narrative delves into his Maori heritage and the internal conflict he faced between his academic success and cultural identity. He shares his journey of self-discovery, beginning with his academic achievements and the stereotypes he encountered, leading to a deeper exploration of his Maori roots and the repatriation of traditional learning methods.

05:01

πŸŽ“ Academic Excellence and Cultural Identity

Jin Ho discusses his academic success at university, where he excelled despite the underlying stereotype that Maori students were unlikely to achieve academically. He received multiple awards and maintained a high GPA, which he saw as a way to honor his parents' sacrifices. However, he also faced comments that reinforced the stereotype, making him feel like an exception rather than the norm. This led to an ongoing identity crisis, which was further explored during his travels and a profound conversation with his brother about their family's contributions and sacrifices.

10:02

πŸ—ΊοΈ The Power of Storytelling and Cultural Connection

The speaker shares a transformative experience where he learned about the incredible navigation skills of his Polynesian ancestors, which challenged the derogatory 'Great Wave' theory. This revelation connected him to a proud history and inspired him to embrace his Maori identity fully. Jin Ho founded a social enterprise, 'Tautoko', to promote oral storytelling traditions, emphasizing their relational, developmental, and knowledge-preserving aspects. He believes storytelling is essential for identity formation and navigating the future, drawing parallels between the strength of forests and the strength derived from communal storytelling and connection.

15:02

🌳 The Importance of Connection and Cultural Resilience

Jin Ho concludes by addressing the pressing social issues faced by the Maori community, such as high suicide rates and domestic violence, attributing these in part to a disconnection from cultural roots. He advocates for the importance of storytelling in fostering a sense of identity and connection, using the metaphor of the kahikatea tree and its interwoven root system to illustrate the strength found in relationships. He envisions a future where young Maori are empowered by stories that affirm their worth and potential, and he encourages everyone to recognize and harness the power of their own stories.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Identity

Identity in the video refers to an individual's understanding of their own self in relation to their cultural, familial, and personal history. It is a central theme as the speaker grapples with his Maori heritage and academic success, seeking to reconcile the stereotypes and expectations associated with being Maori. The speaker's journey to find his identity is a key narrative, exemplified when he reflects on his family's sacrifices and his own achievements, leading him to understand that being Maori and successful are not mutually exclusive.

πŸ’‘Stereotype

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses the stereotype that Maori people cannot achieve academically, which he initially internalizes. This stereotype is challenged when he excels in university, yet he also notes that his success paradoxically reinforces the stereotype by being seen as an exception rather than the norm.

πŸ’‘Cultural Disconnection

Cultural disconnection is the lack of connection to one's cultural roots and traditions. The speaker mentions this concept in relation to the high rates of social issues among the Maori community, suggesting that these problems stem from a disconnection from their cultural heritage. The video emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with cultural stories and traditions as a means to address this disconnection and its associated issues.

πŸ’‘Storytelling

Storytelling is the act of telling stories, especially within a cultural context. The video highlights the power of storytelling as a means to preserve knowledge, build relationships, and shape identity. The speaker's own experiences and the examples he provides, such as the story of the Polynesian navigators, illustrate how storytelling can connect individuals to their past and provide a sense of belonging and purpose.

πŸ’‘Maori

Maori refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. The video discusses the Maori identity and the challenges faced by the speaker in reconciling his academic success with his Maori heritage. The term is used to explore themes of cultural pride, stereotypes, and the importance of cultural preservation and understanding within the Maori community.

πŸ’‘Repatriation

In the video, repatriation refers to the reintroduction of traditional Maori learning methods into the homes and lives of the Maori people. The speaker is passionate about this concept, believing that reconnecting with these traditional methods can help address cultural disconnection and its associated social issues.

πŸ’‘Academic Achievement

Academic achievement is the success attained in educational activities and assessments. The speaker reflects on his own academic achievements and the surprising reactions he received as a Maori student, which often served to reinforce the stereotype that Maori students do not excel academically. His personal journey with academic achievement is a central part of the narrative, as he seeks to challenge and change these perceptions.

πŸ’‘Polynesian Navigators

Polynesian navigators refers to the skilled seafarers of the Polynesian culture who navigated the vast Pacific Ocean using their deep understanding of the environment. In the video, the speaker recounts a story about these navigators, emphasizing their remarkable skills and the respect they command from scholars, which helps him to reframe his understanding of what it means to be Maori and successful.

πŸ’‘Kahikatea

The kahikatea is a native New Zealand tree mentioned in the video as a metaphor for strength through connection. The speaker uses the kahikatea to illustrate the idea that, like the tree's root system, people can find stability and strength through their interconnected relationships and shared stories.

πŸ’‘Social Enterprise

A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being. The speaker mentions starting a social enterprise called 'Total Tito,' which aims to promote storytelling and cultural connection. This enterprise is an example of the speaker's commitment to fostering cultural identity and connection through storytelling.

πŸ’‘Mental Health

Mental health refers to the state of an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. The video discusses the rising rates of mental health issues, particularly among the Maori community, and suggests that a lack of connection to cultural roots and stories may be a contributing factor. The speaker advocates for the power of storytelling as a means to improve mental health by fostering a sense of identity and connection.

Highlights

Speaker is the youngest of five siblings with a 17-year age gap between him and his older sister.

Older sister was in Germany for the first year of the speaker's life, missing important family moments.

Speaker grew up in the shadow of his older brothers who were talented in various fields.

The speaker's identity crisis due to the stereotype that being Maori and achieving academically are separate.

Speaker's realization of the sacrifices made by his parents and the importance of honoring his Maori heritage.

The speaker's academic excellence at university, challenging the stereotype about Maori students.

Speaker's identity crisis persists despite academic success, feeling abnormal as a high-achieving Maori.

The transformative power of storytelling and its role in finding identity and purpose.

The speaker's encounter with Michael, learning about Polynesian navigation and its significance.

The importance of oral storytelling traditions and their role in preserving Maori culture.

The speaker's initiative to start a social enterprise called 'Total Tito' to promote storytelling.

Storytelling as a relational, developmental, and prescriptive tool that shapes our world.

The role of stories in providing knowledge and understanding of one's cultural roots.

The metaphor of the forest and the importance of interconnectedness for strength and survival.

The current social issues faced by the Maori community, including high suicide rates and isolation.

The speaker's vision for the future, where identity is rooted in cultural connection and storytelling.

The call to action for the audience to recognize and utilize the power of their own stories.

The analogy of the kahikatea tree and its survival strategy through interconnected roots.

Transcripts

play00:02

I'm the youngest of five of my family

play00:05

there's four boys including myself and

play00:07

there's my older sister she's 17 years

play00:09

older than me what's wonderful about

play00:11

having a 17 year old or a sister who's

play00:14

17 years older than you and she feels

play00:16

like she could speak to you like she is

play00:17

your mother and whenever she tries to do

play00:19

that to me I remind you is that for the

play00:21

first year of my life she actually

play00:22

wasn't around she was in Germany

play00:23

I don't exchange with your high school

play00:25

and my mother sent her videos of me

play00:28

doing adorable baby things and she

play00:30

thought it would be a good idea to

play00:32

record over them with MTV music videos

play00:33

so I love my sister my three older

play00:37

brothers I grew up completely and

play00:39

utterly in their shadow and I loved it

play00:41

they were all good at sport or talented

play00:44

or good at school or did really well and

play00:46

as I was growing up I thought far out

play00:48

being their little brother it's pretty

play00:50

amazing

play00:51

who I hope well how did he like what

play00:54

soccer mighty public eye audio do tuned

play00:55

in Hanoi no Nazi money puts our heart

play00:58

Tina premature art anatomy Kia Crematory

play01:01

Milwaukee errata we took her to remove a

play01:05

part of in WA a question point car we

play01:08

worry buddy muharram Omaha caricature

play01:12

katoa my name is Jin ho hi I'm really

play01:16

privileged to be in front of you here

play01:17

today to speak about something that I'm

play01:19

deeply passionate about and that is the

play01:21

repatriation of traditional Maori

play01:23

learning methods into the homes of final

play01:25

across South Tarawa our storytelling

play01:28

because I believe that through

play01:31

storytelling what we're able to do is

play01:33

find identity in the present and then

play01:35

better navigate the future through

play01:36

connection to the past so that's what

play01:39

I'm gonna be exploring with you guys all

play01:40

today I was born and raised in South

play01:42

Auckland and a place called to Kearney

play01:43

and that's between money they weren't

play01:45

purple cutter and I loved it growing up

play01:47

in the south side all the different

play01:48

cultures with different people different

play01:50

languages different kinds of food all

play01:52

those things I loved being from South

play01:54

Auckland and I thought far out being

play01:56

from South Falklands pretty amazing did

play01:59

all of my schooling at South Auckland

play02:00

um I wasn't always the best student and

play02:02

to like on my report it used to say

play02:04

things like

play02:05

chances of distraction to other people

play02:07

in class and I feel like that's more on

play02:09

the end than on me

play02:11

nevertheless that was written but I

play02:14

always did really well at school and

play02:15

school kinda came really easy to me I

play02:17

was always at the top if not near the

play02:19

top of pretty much every class I was in

play02:21

what's really surprised me because I'm

play02:23

Modi and all throughout my life growing

play02:27

up I knew although no one ever

play02:29

explicitly said it to me that being

play02:31

Maori in achieving academically were

play02:32

separate things that they couldn't be

play02:35

the same thing and I thought ah you know

play02:38

what it's probably because I'm only half

play02:41

Modi so the other half of me is probably

play02:43

the smart house and being MALDI can't be

play02:46

smart so I had this conundrum actually I

play02:49

was this conundrum here I was at high

play02:51

school talented capable achieving well

play02:54

and credibly good-looking yellow was

play02:57

moldy and had this idea that man I like

play02:59

this can't be me

play03:01

so either I'm not moldy or I can't be

play03:04

intelligent and that shook me and I

play03:07

began to deny who I was I remember this

play03:10

in English class there was a movie

play03:12

called Oh - it's a really good New

play03:14

Zealand made film and there's the same

play03:16

what scared one of the girls in class

play03:18

and I'm really embarrassed by what I

play03:21

said to here but what I said to her when

play03:23

she got scared as I said I don't worry

play03:24

Marty's not real you laugh but honestly

play03:29

that was my identity about myself for

play03:31

years this thought that who I was was

play03:34

some relic as I graduated high school a

play03:38

year after I graduated I went overseas

play03:40

first time of my life first time I been

play03:42

away from my family for more than a week

play03:44

at the time and I thought this is it

play03:46

I'm gonna find out who I am by traveling

play03:48

the world I'm gonna find my purpose in

play03:49

life and unequivocally wherever I went

play03:52

people asked me where are you from I was

play03:56

frustrated traveled all the way around

play03:58

the world to discover who I was and

play03:59

people kept asking me where I come from

play04:01

and so I said as they kept asking me

play04:04

this question I started asking it of

play04:05

myself actually where am i from

play04:07

I knew I was from South Auckland I knew

play04:10

I was Marty but I didn't know a whole

play04:11

lot else and the things I used to

play04:14

identify myself actually had very little

play04:16

to do with me they were all about my

play04:17

family while I was traveling I went to

play04:20

London to visit my oldest brother who

play04:21

still

play04:22

it's coming home next year with his wife

play04:23

on his new baby I'm really excited and

play04:26

there's I visited him I stayed with him

play04:28

for about a month and one of the nights

play04:31

we into a pub because that's what older

play04:32

brothers like to do take your little

play04:34

brother to the pub and teach him the

play04:35

facts of life I wasn't aware that my

play04:37

brother knew those facts but clearly he

play04:40

thought he did and as we're sitting in

play04:42

the pub I started talking and we ended

play04:44

up talking about our family and I had

play04:46

what I can only call a revelation my

play04:49

revelation was this for the first 19

play04:51

years of my life I've been a worse son

play04:53

to my family than they deserve as my

play04:56

brother and I say let's talk about the

play04:57

sacrifices and the contributions my

play04:59

parents had made not just to me but to

play05:01

all my siblings I started to unmark

play05:02

understand myself in relation to their

play05:04

sacrifice what does this call out of me

play05:07

man I'm their only inheritor of these

play05:09

eggs my father left a six-figure sum job

play05:12

to teach my brothers how to play rugby

play05:13

to coach the team six figures any lifter

play05:17

my father's our kind of man who will fix

play05:20

things you don't know what broken my mum

play05:22

was the kind of person who'll figure out

play05:23

that you're the one that broke them and

play05:24

then go tell your father and I love my

play05:27

parents so after this conversation I

play05:29

came home two jobs one discover who I

play05:32

was to become a better son for my family

play05:35

so I enrolled in university because I

play05:37

thought far out they've put so much into

play05:39

me that I need to particularly my mother

play05:43

but also my father have put so much into

play05:44

me to prepare me well for academics the

play05:47

least I can do was achieve well for them

play05:48

so I signed up to University in the

play05:50

first few years I was on the dean's list

play05:51

of academic excellence reserved for the

play05:53

2% highest achievers and the faculty

play05:56

regardless of your year I received the

play05:59

Marti academic excellence award two

play06:00

years in a row and I achieved an average

play06:01

Myatt Army University never getting

play06:04

anything less than about a 90% on

play06:05

anything I submitted I don't

play06:07

particularly care about grades I don't

play06:10

see personally but I knew that what I

play06:13

needed to do was work hard for my mother

play06:16

but the funny thing that happened was I

play06:18

was at I was at the top of all these

play06:20

classes I wasn't and I heard comments

play06:21

like this it's really good to see a

play06:23

Maori boy at the top of the class and

play06:26

while these were well-intentioned what

play06:28

they served to remind me was man

play06:30

academic achievement and being Maori are

play06:32

not the same thing

play06:33

if you're Maori you

play06:35

unlikely to achieve here and I thought

play06:38

that by doing well maybe I'd change the

play06:39

stereotype but actually what amazes me

play06:41

is that I perpetuated the stereotype

play06:43

because I became seen as abnormal

play06:46

exceptional that it wasn't normal for

play06:48

Marta to do this so actually I wanted to

play06:49

come closer to my identity as Modi and

play06:51

by doing well I was going further away

play06:53

from it and my identity crisis persisted

play06:57

Who am I if these things are happening a

play06:59

couple years after I graduated

play07:01

University I was staying at a Mud Island

play07:03

Golden Bay and Toto and I met a man

play07:05

named Michael sucker hats a brand he

play07:07

told me a story he told me the story of

play07:09

how in the 13th century Polynesian

play07:11

navigators my ancestors using the tips

play07:13

of connections to the environment to the

play07:15

understanding of the flood patterns of

play07:16

birds ocean currents and star lights

play07:18

using all those things to navigate to

play07:20

arrive an altered or here today

play07:22

now the navigation of the Pacific Ocean

play07:23

by my ancestors academically was thought

play07:25

of as a mistake there was this idea

play07:28

called the Great Wave which is racist

play07:30

and that simplicity the idea was a lot

play07:32

of Polynesians were out in there Walker

play07:33

and a great wave just happened to sweep

play07:35

them from Micronesia all the way down to

play07:37

Altair Dora and I remember this because

play07:42

it made me angry to hear them and then I

play07:44

heard a sentence that I'll never forget

play07:46

because it's a sentence that's changed

play07:47

my life as he was telling the story he

play07:49

said this Jared Diamond the prominent

play07:52

academic was asked at a conference what

play07:54

is the greatest achievement of mankind

play07:55

is that the curing of polio as at the

play07:57

1960s civil rights movement in the south

play07:59

in America is the putting of a man on

play08:01

the moon as of the fall of the Berlin

play08:02

Wall and he said unequivocally without a

play08:04

doubt it is the navigation of the South

play08:06

Pacific by early Polynesian explorers

play08:07

the idea that they stumbled upon our

play08:10

Theodora is as likely as finding a speck

play08:12

of dust in the eye of a needle the

play08:14

needle in the haystack

play08:15

the haystack in a panic one hit dear

play08:17

White full of haystacks and something in

play08:21

me shifted suddenly achieving great

play08:25

things and being mild he would no longer

play08:27

separate effects they'd never been super

play08:29

but these narratives had dominated my

play08:32

idea of what it meant to be who I was

play08:33

and through connections to story I was

play08:36

able to find an identity in the prison

play08:37

and understand my purpose moving forward

play08:39

much like when I spoke to my brother in

play08:41

the pub understanding my parents

play08:42

sacrifices I found purpose and began to

play08:45

act and that's what I'm passionate to

play08:47

talk to you all about today is the power

play08:49

of our story storytelling connecting to

play08:51

your culture market everyone coaches

play08:53

history in order to understand identity

play08:55

in the prison and navigate the future

play08:57

well yes

play09:05

so after I heard this I just fell in

play09:08

love with oral storytelling traditions

play09:10

and I once understand what is it about

play09:12

these things that helps ground us and

play09:14

identity what are that what's the

play09:15

functional aspect of us this year I've

play09:17

started a social enterprise called total

play09:19

Tito which means to compose verses in

play09:22

unison so the idea is to people seeing

play09:25

the same song making up the words at the

play09:28

same time which i think is beautiful and

play09:32

as I started this I wanted to understand

play09:33

here the function of these things and

play09:35

these are the things that I lens

play09:39

storytelling is relational a

play09:41

developmental my angeles's are like this

play09:43

people will forget what you see don't

play09:46

forget what you did but they'll never

play09:47

forget how you made them feel

play09:49

the act of sitting down with someone not

play09:52

taking photos of your coffees not

play09:53

checking your phone to see who asked

play09:55

wants to hang out the act of sitting

play09:57

down with a person face to face and

play09:58

sharing stories we have no idea the

play10:01

capacity our attention can has to affect

play10:04

the lives of those around us words

play10:08

create world's storytelling is not just

play10:11

descriptive it's prescriptive so this is

play10:13

the basic idea of advertising if you're

play10:15

appealing message enough it becomes

play10:16

truth so the narratives that are fixed

play10:18

in my life and will affect some of your

play10:19

lives I simply have repeated enough that

play10:23

they become true so advertising the

play10:25

basic premises buy this product and you

play10:28

will be better off or don't buy this

play10:30

product and you'll be worse off now

play10:32

those ideas hearing those once or twice

play10:34

a day that's fine but if we continue to

play10:38

hear these ideas that talk about our

play10:39

self-worth degrading without something

play10:41

thousands of times a day repeated every

play10:43

day for our for the entirety of our

play10:45

lives that begins to do something

play10:47

because storage having it is

play10:48

prescriptive it creates world's words

play10:51

create world's our storytelling gives

play10:54

knowledge assault so the reason some

play10:57

forms of esoteric knowledge of Maori and

play10:59

Salman Chong and polynesian Fijian and

play11:01

many other cultures

play11:02

the world have survived thousands of

play11:04

years of migration and coronation and

play11:06

all of the other things they've survived

play11:07

is because they'd had a face

play11:09

there are countless books I always hear

play11:11

this from fish is at University oh man I

play11:13

hate learning theory and I think there's

play11:17

people that have written these theories

play11:18

that set with other people sent letters

play11:21

communicator face-to-face in this is

play11:23

their last week and we hate it because

play11:24

there's no face to it that's one of the

play11:27

reasons sometimes theory can just be

play11:28

boring but this is perhaps the most

play11:32

important thing I lens so the model word

play11:34

for story is poo taco product as a

play11:37

compound word the first word poo tucky

play11:39

or base foundation the second with Rocco

play11:41

tree so when we talk about our story

play11:45

it's what we're talking about is the

play11:46

base of our trees their roots now if you

play11:48

know anything about Marty the martyr

play11:50

creation story often called mythology

play11:52

wrongly Talia Mejia wanted to separate

play11:56

his parents don't you know him Papa to

play11:57

arnica because he understood that for

play12:00

them for this would be a world of light

play12:01

he needed to separate his parents who

play12:03

were on perpetual embrace so great was

play12:05

their love for one another

play12:06

he talked to his siblings some of them

play12:08

said yeah boy let's do it

play12:09

someone said no no no no don't make my

play12:11

dad mad but he resigned himself he said

play12:13

no we have to do this and what he lay

play12:16

his back against his mother and he put

play12:18

his feet against his father and he began

play12:19

to push and as he did so he separated

play12:23

and created the world we have today the

play12:25

word our word for story is base of the

play12:27

tree tani monitor as that's where the

play12:30

god of our forests

play12:31

so for Maori when we talk about stories

play12:34

our pudica our roots we're literally

play12:36

talking about the things that created

play12:38

our world that give our world shape no

play12:40

wonder connecting to these things are so

play12:42

important no wonder we can find identity

play12:46

and connecting to the past through story

play12:55

thank you oh so why is this all

play12:59

important what's the point of our

play13:01

storytelling what what's the value why

play13:04

do we need to know this stuff currently

play13:06

an outtie at all we have the highest

play13:07

user we have the highest suicide rate in

play13:08

the developed world our young men and

play13:11

our young Maori men specifically our 1.5

play13:14

times high

play13:15

in the national average I have a 1.5

play13:18

higher chance likelihood to commit

play13:19

suicide than the national average which

play13:20

is already the highest in the world we

play13:22

have higher rates of domestic violence

play13:23

we have huge rates of infant mortality

play13:25

we are an increasingly isolated

play13:27

generation we spend less time face to

play13:29

face with other humans than at any time

play13:30

in history any time in human history

play13:36

these things are creating our identity I

play13:39

believe that is born out of

play13:41

disconnection not connection we see

play13:44

mental health rates rise and part of

play13:46

that is because mental health as being

play13:47

we're getting better at diagnosing it

play13:49

but part of it and I believe is because

play13:51

we have generations growing up not

play13:53

understanding their connection to the

play13:54

world because they're connected to

play13:56

temporal things that are not based on

play13:59

anything that's heaven during lasting

play14:02

contributions to the world and it's not

play14:04

right those things happening in our

play14:06

country I think we all just believe

play14:08

they're not right no matter how you

play14:09

slice it and their intricate their

play14:12

intricate problems with different causes

play14:14

and different ways of solving them but

play14:16

all of us know that those things are not

play14:18

what we want out their door to be

play14:21

there's a there's a tree could the

play14:24

kakatiya that's a native sheets well

play14:26

table and it has no tap roots separates

play14:28

are the root systems that dig deep into

play14:30

the earth to provide stability for trees

play14:32

so that we in faced with challenges from

play14:34

the wind rain sleet snow earthquakes

play14:36

that they can remain strong and now

play14:37

trees don't have them dr. Hackett's here

play14:40

has existed since the Jurassic period so

play14:42

it's got good at surviving and the way

play14:44

it's done there is it's learn to

play14:46

intertwine its roots with other kakatiya

play14:48

around it and other trees it's poo

play14:51

d'arco it's stories finding stability

play14:54

through connection to others alone in

play14:57

the field okay a Casilla is vulnerable

play14:58

to the shifting of the earth the

play15:00

shifting and moving of the wind of rain

play15:02

but connected finally in relationship

play15:04

with others through sharing of story our

play15:07

forests can remain strong the Marty word

play15:10

for forest is na he D na means mini or

play15:13

plural hidden means connections so when

play15:17

we look them to the forest what my

play15:18

ancestors saw was the mutually

play15:20

beneficial neutrally dependent

play15:22

interwoven interconnected relationships

play15:24

that were able to sustain the diversity

play15:26

of life Paul cut it out

play15:29

that's what we saw when we looked into

play15:31

it and it's easy to see and I'll seal to

play15:34

the outer door today with the problems

play15:36

we have understand it's easier than to

play15:39

understand the health of our forests

play15:41

relationally who are we sharing our

play15:43

stories with what value do we place on

play15:46

the roots that we send out in

play15:47

relationship to others or are we

play15:48

standing alone in the field is that why

play15:51

so many of us are falling

play15:53

I'm deeply passionate about this stuff I

play15:56

love it because I believe that the

play15:59

problems we're facing today as a result

play16:00

of disconnection but I have this dream

play16:05

what will it look like in a hundred

play16:07

years if the next generation of young

play16:11

Maori but of young people in general I

play16:13

surrounded from birth from cradle to

play16:15

career with stories that affirm who they

play16:18

are tell them that they're relevant

play16:20

meaningful capable talented purpose with

play16:22

greatness and that being whoever you are

play16:24

and for me being Maori is not a burden

play16:26

but it's a gift I believe that through

play16:31

connection through understanding

play16:32

ourselves not in isolation but through

play16:34

connection to the past through story

play16:36

like I understood myself and hearing the

play16:38

sacrifices of my parents causing me to

play16:40

find identity and then move to enroll in

play16:43

university and all those things and

play16:44

achieve well they're finding connection

play16:47

to the past giving meaning to the

play16:49

presence helping us better navigate the

play16:51

future who might we be if our identity

play16:55

is not based on just who I am what I

play16:58

wear what I do the things I like but if

play17:00

we send out our story we send out our

play17:03

connection to others that we might

play17:05

achieve stability relationally with all

play17:08

of us don't know how many of us there

play17:10

are in this room but all of you has

play17:12

really said Heather story don't doubt

play17:15

the power of your own story what's

play17:17

interesting about a forest about an idea

play17:19

is that trees aren't made strong because

play17:22

they are strong they're made strong

play17:25

because of their relationship in

play17:26

connection to others the kahikatea has

play17:28

survived a hundred hits from the dress

play17:29

appeared 180 million years long-term

play17:32

intergenerational transformative change

play17:34

as possible through connection to

play17:36

relationship no they're not till a

play17:39

democratic artwork or time Nike TNA hey

play17:41

off are we okay

play17:42

namioka Ojeda Kapoor thank you very much

play17:49

[Applause]

Rate This
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
StorytellingCultural IdentityMental HealthMaori HeritagePersonal GrowthEducational ExcellenceFamily BondsAncestral WisdomCommunity ConnectionIdentity Crisis