Season 3 | Why Māori celebrate īkura/periods.

“Ikura is a symbol of whakapapa.”
Sophia Wairoa (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) is a student at the University of Waikato where she explores ancient Māori and Indigenous worldviews.
She shared with Ohinga, the unique Māori perspective of the period/ikura as sacred and a connection to our tīpuna.
“The reason why ikura was seen as such a sacred gift is because it carries the life force of our ancestors. It doesn’t just connect us to here in Aotearoa, but it connects us to our whanaunga in Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.”
Ohinga is a Māori-focused digital series for Rangatahi, exploring current affairs and events through their lens in Aotearoa and beyond. Join the conversation on our TikTok account @ohinga_nz or find us on Instagram @ohinganz.
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