Article: Taha Whanau

 Taha Whānau

Information sourced from Te Whare Tapa Wha

What is taha whānau?

Taha whānau is the part of te whare tapa whā that relates to our family and our own belonging. Taha whānau is about who makes you feel you belong, who you care about and who you share your life with. Whānau is about extended relationships as well, not just your immediate relatives. This can include your colleagues (hoamahi), friends, community and all of the people that you care about. You have a unique place and a role to fulfil within your whānau and your whānau contributes to your well being and identity. 

Taha whānau and links to whenua

Recap: Whenua is the place where you stand. It is your connection to the land. It is a source of life, wellbeing and nourishment for everyone. Whenua include soil, rocks, plants, animals and people, these are known as the tangata whenua. People are linked physically and spiritually to the land. It is the earth that connects you to your ancestors (tūpuna) and also all of the generations that will come after you. This link to your whānau as well as your roots from your ancestors have shaped your immediate whānau and this also shapes the community and environment that you belong to and where you find these other people that you care about. 

Covid19 - Level 3

As of 11:59pm last night Auckland moved to alert level 3. In this part of the reading we are going to recap the importance of alert level 3 and what this might look like for you and your taha whānau. According to covid.19 govt at alert level 3 there is a medium risk of community transmission with active but managed clusters. This means that there are still cases in the community but they are in clusters that are known and being managed by health officials. They are asking that you follow the public health rules to protect yourself, your whānau and our communities.

Travel and transport at Alert Level 3

At alert level 3, travel is restricted and only allowed for movement in your local area - for example going to work or school if you need to, going shopping or getting some exercise. You can use public transport for essential personal movement and permitted travel in your local area. You are asked to always wear a face covering on public transport as well as visiting businesses in your local area. This time in level 3 we are being asked to keep our bubbles small and exclusive with the recommendation being that you only keep to your existing bubble that you have been in for alert level 4. 

Stay at home as much as possible, wear a face covering, get a test if you are unwell. It is also really important that you track all of your movements even if you just went for a walk around your home. Make sure you maintain good hygiene and be kind, follow the rules and hopefully we won’t need to stay in level 3 for too long!