Te tangi o te kūmara—a sweet exclamation: Mana Wahine perspectives on universal humility and humble boasting
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Supplementary material
Other Title
Authors
Heke, Deborah
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Grantor
Date
2025-01-24
Supervisors
Type
Journal Article
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Aotearoa
New Zealand
Māori proverbs
proverbs
Māori women
women
cultural identity
kūmara (Ipomoea batatas)
New Zealand
Māori proverbs
proverbs
Māori women
women
cultural identity
kūmara (Ipomoea batatas)
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Heke, D. (2025). Te tangi o te kūmara—a sweet exclamation: Mana Wahine perspectives on universal humility and humble boasting. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 21(1), 188-192. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241312417
Abstract
Whakataukī (cultural sayings or proverbs where the author is unknown) and the customary practices of Māori (Indigenous peoples of New Zealand) are integral to maintaining Māori cultural identity. Their value can depend on the context of their development and when they are practised. This commentary introduces the concept of te tangi o te kūmara (the song of the sweet potato)—a metaphor developed from conversations with wāhine Māori (Māori women) about their physical activity and its connection with identity, Māori worldview, and whakapapa (genealogy and kinship). This concept illustrates a sweet exclamation of success in place of universal humility—from a Mana Wahine (Māori intersectional feminist theory) perspective, and responds to the broad interpretation of the whakataukī: kāore te kūmara e korero mō tōna ake reka (the sweet potato does not speak of its own sweetness), instead encouraging wāhine (women) to speak up and speak out about their successes and beliefs.
Tribal affiliation: Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa)
Publisher
Sage
Permanent link
Link to ePress publication
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241312417
Copyright holder
Author
Copyright notice
CC BY Attribution 4.0 International