Whakapapa means genealogy, lineage, or line of descent.
He mea nui ki a tātau ō tātau whakapapa: Our genealogies are important to us.
At the center of Tuhono’s online network’s philosophy is an understanding of collective identity and the purpose or perceived value of whānau. Through the knowledge of the unique whakapapa connections Māori have with their whānau, land, marae and iwi, a sense of identity that is a basic need for everyone, is created. Finding a place of belonging and identifying the connection you have with the people, the land and the culture provides a spiritual nourishment that contributes to the mental, intellectual and emotional well-being of a whānau.
Individuals become part of something of value, and in turn they begin to play a positive and active role within their extended whānau, hapū, iwi and the wider community.
Register with Tūhono and begin to build a small whakapapa profile and in time, if you want, share this with your whānau. This will allow you and your whānau to identify lost connections and re-affirm current ties.
Genealogy Software
For a more advanced tool to store your whakapapa, you may like to look at the following links:
Family Tree Maker http://www.familytreemaker.com/
Easily build your family tree, preserve your family legacy and update your tree anywhere.
Family Tree Builder https://www.myheritage.com/
Download Family Tree Builder, free genealogy software for putting together your family tree. It's not only completely free, and free of ads and spyware, but it's also one of the best genealogy software programs you'll find. It has original, easy-to-use pages that let you grow your family tree visually.
Finding Your Iwi
We have a number of calls from individuals asking which iwi they belong to or where their grandparent is from. However, Tūhono recommend whānau help each other when trying to find their whakapapa links. This can be a daunting and challenging time for people seeking their whakapapa especially if their past family relationships have been fractured. All we can say is that there is someone in your family, if not your immediate family, your extended family, who will know something – remember the more time and dedication (and sacrifice) you put into finding your whakapapa the less of a sacrifice your children and grandchildren have to make, and that is a great thing!
Māori Land Online (http://www.maorilandonline.govt.nz/gis/home.htm)
You may also like to do a search on the Māori Land Online website. This website, originally launched in 2004, provides a snapshot of current ownership, trustee, memorial and block information for land that falls within the jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 and other legislation. This is primarily Māori Customary and Māori Freehold Land, but also includes, General Land Owned by Māori, Crown Land reserved for Māori and some treaty settlement reserves, mahingā kai and fishing rights areas.