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Listen "What does it mean to be an ally? Lindsay interviews Benji Moorhouse"
Episode Synopsis
Benji Moorehouse (he/him) is an academic, public servant, and advocate for the importance of youth voices at decision-making tables. Benji is passionate about centering indigenous-led approaches, caring for our environment, and paving the way for the next generation of change-makers in Government.
In this episode, Benji and I discussed what it means to be an ally as white immigrants to Aotearoa New Zealand. This included conversation about the ways in which we were “welcomed in” to learn about te ao Māori and te reo Māori. We spoke about privilege, times we’ve gotten things wrong, and influential teachings we’ve turned to along our journey to improve ourselves. We discussed the “colonizer mindset” and explored Benji’s perspective on allyship as an openly gay man from the UK, on a lifelong journey of learning and unlearning.
Throughout the episode, we use some te reo Māori words, which are defined below:
Kia ora: a commonly used greeting
Pepeha: a way of introducing yourself in Māori that tells the story of people and places you’re connected to
Mahi: work
Whenua: land
Kaitiakitanga: guardianship of the sky, sea, and land (a Māori term)
Pakeha: White person, or white person in Aotearoa New Zealand
Mana whenua: People who are indigenous to the land
Te Tiriti: Short for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi
Te Reo: the Māori language
Te Ao Māori: the Māori worldview
Manaaki: to take care of, protect, give hospitality to
Mana-enhancing: approaching something or someone with respect and mutual understanding
Kaumatua: a respected tribal elder in a Māori community
Noho Marae: An overnight stay on a Marae
Mātauranga or Mātauranga Māori: Māori knowledge. It's a modern term that broadly includes traditions, values, concepts, philosophies, world views and understandings derived from uniquely Māori cultural points of view.
Kōrero: a talk, discussion, or meeting
Tōku Reo: is a language learning show created by Professor John Moorfield. It’s a fun and vibrant way of learning Te Reo Māori in the comfort of your own home.”
Benji lives in te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) with his partner, Devin.
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This episode was recorded in March 2023.
My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.
My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
In this episode, Benji and I discussed what it means to be an ally as white immigrants to Aotearoa New Zealand. This included conversation about the ways in which we were “welcomed in” to learn about te ao Māori and te reo Māori. We spoke about privilege, times we’ve gotten things wrong, and influential teachings we’ve turned to along our journey to improve ourselves. We discussed the “colonizer mindset” and explored Benji’s perspective on allyship as an openly gay man from the UK, on a lifelong journey of learning and unlearning.
Throughout the episode, we use some te reo Māori words, which are defined below:
Kia ora: a commonly used greeting
Pepeha: a way of introducing yourself in Māori that tells the story of people and places you’re connected to
Mahi: work
Whenua: land
Kaitiakitanga: guardianship of the sky, sea, and land (a Māori term)
Pakeha: White person, or white person in Aotearoa New Zealand
Mana whenua: People who are indigenous to the land
Te Tiriti: Short for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi
Te Reo: the Māori language
Te Ao Māori: the Māori worldview
Manaaki: to take care of, protect, give hospitality to
Mana-enhancing: approaching something or someone with respect and mutual understanding
Kaumatua: a respected tribal elder in a Māori community
Noho Marae: An overnight stay on a Marae
Mātauranga or Mātauranga Māori: Māori knowledge. It's a modern term that broadly includes traditions, values, concepts, philosophies, world views and understandings derived from uniquely Māori cultural points of view.
Kōrero: a talk, discussion, or meeting
Tōku Reo: is a language learning show created by Professor John Moorfield. It’s a fun and vibrant way of learning Te Reo Māori in the comfort of your own home.”
Benji lives in te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) with his partner, Devin.
-
This episode was recorded in March 2023.
My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.
My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
In God we trust