Māori words are translated on their first use in the text, and the nearest English equivalent that best captures their meaning is given in parentheses. These words are listed below for ease of reference. Direct quotes are left intact in the text, but any Māori words are included below in the glossary.

Aotearoa literally “Long White Cloud”; in common usage as the Māori name for New Zealand

aroha caring, compassionate love for others, reciprocity

awa river

atua spirit, god

awhi support, embrace

Āwhina(-tanga) support, help

haere mai welcome, come here

hapū sub-tribe grouping defined by descent from a named ancestor, generally associated with a local district and community

harakeke flax

hinengaro mind

hui a generic term for a Māori gathering, meeting

Io God, usually considered as a pre-European deity

iwi a people, as in te iwi Māori (the Māori people), usually translated as tribe

kai food

kaitiaki care, guardianship

kanohi-ki-te-kanohi face-to-face

kanohi kitea the face seen

kapa haka dance

karakia blessing

kaumātua elder

kaupapa philosophy, plan, purpose

kaupapa Māori Māori focused, Māori theme

kawa protocol

kāwanatanga governance

kia ora be well/be healthy used as general greeting

koha donation, gift

kohanga reo literally “language nest”; Māori language preschool education administered by Māori and with Māori centred teaching and philosophy

kōkiri training, development

Kotahitanga Unity

kōrero speak; conversation

koroua (koro) male elder

kowhaiwhai painted patterns

kuia female elder

kura kaupapa school established and administered by Māori with Māori-centred teachings all taught in the Māori language

mā te wā wait and see, patience

mana power, influence

mana kainga the values/influence of household

manaakitanga care

mānuka tea tree; a native shrub with a fine twiggy form

Māori Indigenous people in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Māoritanga Māori culture

marae meeting-house and associated land and buildings recognised as belonging to, and of ancestral significance to local indigenous people; cultural centre of local Māori community

matua(-tanga) parent of either sex, siblings and cousins of a parents’ generation (parenting)

maunga mountain

mauri life principle

moana sea

mokopuna grandchildgrandchildren

naumai welcome

ope group

oritetanga citizenship

pae tapu male orators welcoming visitors on to the marae

Pākehā non-Māori of mainly British descent

pānui announcement, advertisement

pakeke adult, senior status

poukai annual Kingitanga celebrations and discussions

pōwhiri wecome

rangatahi modern youth

raranga weaving

Ratana Ratana Church

rūnanga assembly

tamariki children (child)

tangata whenua Māori on their own ancestral land, indigenous Māori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand

tangihanga mourning, funeral wake lasting several days

taonga treasure

taonga tuku iho treasures handed down

tapu sacred, forbidden

tauiwi foreigners, non-Māori

te ao Māori the Māori world

te ha o te tangata respect

Te Puni Kōkiri Ministry of Māori Affairs

te reo [Māori] the [Māori] language

te taha side, aspect

Te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi; the constitutional agreement between the British Crown and the indigenous Māori people

tikanga custom, rule, principles

tinana body, physical aspects of a person

tino rangatiratanga sovereignty

tukutuku woven panels

tuku iho handed down

waiata song-poem, sing or chant in unison

wairua(-tanga) spirit (spirituality)

waka canoe

wānanga a traditional institution of higher learning, generally describing a kaupapa Māori tertiary educational institution

whaea mother, aunt, older woman

whakairo carving

whaikōrero oratory

whakahīhī showing off, boastful

whakaiti reduce, belittle

whakamā used to describe a range of feelings from shyness through embarrassment to shame and behaviour involving varying degrees of withdrawal and unresponsiveness

whakamana empowerment

whakapakari strengthen

whakapapa descent line(s) tracing the descent lines between ancestors and their descendants; the recital and study of descent lines and associated kinship linkages

whakapapa kōrero history based on genealogical markers and events

whakatauki proverb

whakawhanaungatanga the process of making connecting with whanau

whānau family, blood relation, used with a broader contemporary meaning for extended family

whānaunga(-tanga) referring to family relationships, used with a broader contemporary meaning for connecting with extended family and making hapu and tribal connections

whāngai adopt

whariki woven floor mat

whenua land, also used for 'afterbirth'