Compassionate Strength and Kaitiakitanga: walking together in care♡

What happened on Tongariro, the placing of a rāhui by Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro after the fire is a clear and powerful expression of kaitiakitanga. It is an act of guardianship, deep respect, and cultural responsibility toward the whenua.

Compassionate Strength aligns naturally with this expression of kaitiakitanga. Both are grounded in the same movement: slowing down, seeing clearly, acting with care, and honouring the interconnectedness between people and the natural world.

Compassionate Strength supports the expression of kaitiakitanga by encouraging qualities such as:

Gentle awareness
Compassionate Strength invites people to pay attention, not hurriedly, but with spaciousness. This awareness helps individuals recognise the needs of the environment, the signs of stress on the land, and moments when protection is required.

Respectful pause
A rāhui is a pause that says, “This place needs space to recover.” Compassionate Strength teaches the same kind of internal pause, the ability to stop, breathe, and respond mindfully rather than react automatically. When communities adopt this mindset, they naturally align with cultural practices that prioritise healing and restoration.

Compassion for the living world
At its heart, kaitiakitanga acknowledges that the environment is not a resource to be used, but a living relation to be cared for. Compassionate Strength cultivates empathy and compassion not only for people but for ecosystems, forests, rivers, and species. When empathy grows, care becomes action.

Strength that protects
There is a quiet firmness in both Compassionate Strength and kaitiakitanga. It’s not forceful, but it is unwavering. It says: “This matters. We will stand for this.”
A rāhui is one such act of protective strength. Compassionate Strength supports individuals and communities in finding that same protective energy within themselves, the courage to uphold tikanga, boundaries, and sustainable choices.

Collective wellbeing
Compassionate Strength recognises that wellbeing isn’t individual, it is shared. The health of people depends on the health of the land. Kaitiakitanga holds a deeper truth with ancestral wisdom. When we follow its guidance, we contribute to sustainable healing, balance, and belonging for all.