Tupuna

Tupuna means ancestor — but it is more than a word for those who came before. Tupuna speaks to our relationship and connection through whakapapa — our bloodlines, heritage, and identity. It anchors us in a lineage that is both physical and metaphysical, connecting us not only to human ancestors, but also to atua (gods, guardians) and to the natural world — mountains, rivers, oceans, forests — all of which are considered kin.

Tupuna is not fixed in the past. It is a living presence, a current that moves through us. It carries the wisdom, beliefs, and experiences of generations, spilling into the present and nourishing our own becoming. In this sense, tupuna is also a metaphor for flourishing — for growth, strength, and resilience. It reminds us that we are not isolated beings, but the unfolding of a greater story.

We are the embodiment of ancestral hopes and dreams — the living, breathing manifestation of those who once imagined us into being. And just as we are shaped by what has come before, we also carry the responsibility to shape what is yet to come. The future is not separate from us — it is seeded through our choices, our care, and our connection to tupuna.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
My strength is not that of a single warrior, but that of many.

This whakatauki (proverb) enhances the meaning of Tupuna and reminds us that our strength, our identity, and our purpose are never ours alone. They are collective, inherited, and shared — flowing from those who stood before us and toward those who are yet to arrive. To live with awareness of our tupuna is to walk with humility, purpose, and aroha — knowing we are always part of something much greater than ourselves.