What is Tikanga?
Tikanga is the customary way of doing things that is tika — right, proper, and grounded in balance and relationship.
Tikanga is not simply a written set of rules. It is carried through korero, lived experience, community practice, and intergenerational teaching. It is learned through participation, guidance, observation, and responsibility to others.
The values and principles of tikanga remain deeply relevant in how communities care for people, relationships, and the natural world today.
Tikanga as a Living Tradition
Tikanga is not frozen in time. It adapts to changing circumstances while remaining grounded in enduring principles and relationships.
As the Supreme Court noted in Ellis v The King [2022]:
“Tikanga is the first law of Aotearoa, existing long before the arrival of the common law, and continuing to exist alongside it.”
Tikanga remains an important and living part of Aotearoa’s legal, cultural, and community landscape.
The Tikanga That Guides White Lotus
Manaakitanga – Hospitality and Care
We care for our members and guests with generosity, hospitality, warmth, and respect. Sharing food, space, and presence is an important part of how we express community and belonging.
Whanaungatanga – Kinship and Relationship
We value meaningful relationships, mutual support, and collective responsibility. Our association is built on connection, participation, and care for one another.
Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship and Stewardship
We seek to care responsibly for our resources, spaces, community, and environment so that what is entrusted to us may continue to nourish future generations.
Tino Rangatiratanga – Self-Determination
We value the ability of communities to organise themselves according to their own values, responsibilities, and tikanga while contributing positively to the wider world around them.
Why This Matters
White Lotus is a membership-based association grounded in tikanga, community, and shared responsibility.
The values above are not symbolic additions to our work. They shape how we relate to one another, how we care for our space, how we share food and knowledge, and how we participate together as a community.
When we speak of tikanga tuku iho, we are referring to the customary values and practices that continue to guide relationships, responsibility, and community life across generations.