In my journey to reconnect with my ancestors, my ao Māori, and myself once again through reading, and in light of July housing Matariki, the Māori New Year this year, I have opened my mind and soul to this wonderful pukapuka (book). Dr Hinemoa’s Elder’s Aroha is a collection of whakataukī (proverbs) that she has expanded on, using her experiences and the teachings of many before her, to give insight and guidance as to how we can connect with the wisdom of our Māori to live in harmony with the planet, Papatūānuku.

Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia, e kore e whati. When we stand alone, we are vulnerable, but together we are unbreakable. See the world differently, through some of the wisest of human eyes. Discover traditional Māori philosophy through 52 whakataukī – simple, powerful life lessons, one for every week. Each one is retold by respected Māori psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder to show how we can live a less stressful daily life, with more contentment and kindness for each other and the planet. Find out how the power of aroha can help you each day, and through its many meanings – fundamental Māori values – make a happier world for everyone.

I didn’t go into this thinking it would be a short non-fiction that I could zip through for the sake of my reading. I didn’t even start this for the purpose of finding out how to be more in tune with the world. I went into Aroha wanting to learn more kupu, more Māori words, to help further my understanding of te reo Māori. I spoke the whakataukī out loud, making sure to pronounce it to the best of my ability. I really tried to immerse myself from the beginning with this pukapuka, and I feel that in doing so, I let myself be open to the many teachings this tome of knowledge could impart on me. I knew going into this that my understanding of kupu and te ao Māori could restrict my full understanding of the lessons, but I didn’t let it stop me from taking the bits I could feel in my heart and holding them close.

Reading Aroha is very easy, not only because of the short reflections and conversational manner that Dr Hinemoa Elder uses within these writings, but because the teachings are so fundamental and universal. Everyone would be able to read this and understand, even tamariki (children). Of course, there are some whakatauki that will resonate more with you than others, as I found myself, but overall, I didn’t feel that any teaching was out of place. It flows so smoothly from one to another, not just the sayings themselves but their respective chapters, and the pukapuka carries a weight despite its small size.

What Aroha has done for me is open up a part of my mind to the power of reflexive non-fiction that I previously had left to a few specific books. I am not a self-help book reader, and non-fiction reading as a source of pleasure isn’t usually the road I travel with my voluntary reading. Aroha has changed that mentality for me, and I eagerly look forward to reading more of the genre, not just Wawata, Ara, and Waitohu that Dr Hinemoa Elder has published, but more Māori non-fiction and academic texts. I know I will be returning to these whakatauki many times over, so I am so glad I bought these books, and I really want to write several of these down to pin to my wall above my desk. I cannot pick a favourite between Tūwhitia te hopo (Banish your fears), He kokonga whare e kitea; he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea (The corners of the house may be seen and examined; not so the corners of the heart), and Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takatini (My success is not mine alone, it is the success of the collective). I think I will have to write them all out and embody them all!