Reflecting the TEDx Talk by Tame Iti – Mana: The Power in Knowing Who You Are.
“No one can tell you that you are not important and your experience does not matter.
And if they do, I challenge them to say it to your face —
where they can see your eyes and feel your breath.”
— Tame Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe, Waikato, Te Arawa)
The Essence of Mana
Tame Iti opens the talk with whakapapa — naming his maunga, his awa, his marae, his home.
Before he speaks of politics, protest, or art, he grounds us in belonging.
This is mana — not power over, but power from: the strength that flows from knowing who you are, where you come from, and the stories that have shaped you.
In Te Ao Māori, mana is not earned through title or position. It is cultivated through whakapapa, whenua, and whakawhanaungatanga. It binds a person to place and to people, anchoring them across time.
As Tame Iti says:
“Mana bridges you to your past, present, and future.”
To live with mana is to live in right relationship — with your tīpuna, your truth, and the world you help shape.
Kanohi ki te Kanohi – Eye to Eye
Throughout the kōrero, Tame Iti returns to one powerful principle:
“Kanohi ki te kanohi, tāngata ki te tāngata” — eye to eye, person to person.
In these few words lies an entire philosophy of dialogue and justice.
He reminds us that real transformation does not happen through distance, emails, or policy papers — it happens when we come close enough to see each other’s eyes and feel each other’s breath.
When we meet kanohi ki te kanohi, we move beyond abstraction into relationship. We restore mana through presence.
This is not only political; it is deeply human.
It is how reconciliation begins — not by diminishing difference, but by dignifying it.
From Protest to Presence
The acts of protest by Tame Iti are well known — symbolic, creative, and provocative. Yet beneath the theatre lies a profound strategic insight: visibility is sovereignty.
By pitching a tent at Parliament and calling it the Māori Embassy, or by standing on a ladder to speak eye to eye with Crown officials, Tame Iti refused the hierarchy of gaze.
He transformed confrontation into kanohi ki te kanohi — insisting that conversation only holds integrity when both parties stand on equal ground.
This is leadership as whakatau tika — right action, grounded in courage, clarity, and respect.
In his words and actions, Tame Iti reminds us that mana is not diminished by humility, nor strengthened by aggression.
It is sustained through coherence — the alignment between knowing, doing, and being.
The Art of Remembering
“You have to keep the pressure on — keep reminding people of the things they would rather forget.”
This is not bitterness; it is accountability.
The activism of Tame Iti has always been about memory — ensuring that the stories of tīpuna are not silenced by convenience or comfort.
To remember is an act of resistance.
To remind is an act of care.
Through his storytelling, he shows us that leadership is not only about creating new futures, but about re-seeing the past — bringing what was denied back into rightful view.
This is whaihua: meaningful growth and contribution born from truth.
Mana in Modern Leadership
Within the system of Manu Hōmiromiro: Poutama Insights™ and Hā Tārewa: Poutama Flow™, the message shared by Tame Iti resonates deeply. Leadership, in its kaupapa-aligned form, is not about control but kaitiakitanga — the stewardship of rhythm, coherence, and relationship.
Kanohi ki te kanohi invites leaders to move from command to connection.
It calls for courage — to meet others with openness, to confront discomfort with integrity, and to stand present in the space between worldviews.
This is Poutama IQ™ in practice: strategic clarity grounded in cultural wisdom.
And it is Poutama EQ™ in action: embodied presence guided by relational intelligence.
Closing Reflection
At its heart, Mana: The Power in Knowing Who You Are is not about protest, but presence.
It is an invitation to remember who we are, to look one another in the eye, and to restore balance where distance has created disconnection.
Mana is not bestowed; it is remembered.
It is not spoken for; it is lived.
And when we meet kanohi ki te kanohi, we do more than speak — we see, we hear, and we honour the breath that connects us.
Reflection for Leaders
Take a moment to consider:
-
How often do I meet others kanohi ki te kanohi — in true relational presence, not transaction?
-
What does mana look and feel like in my practice of leadership?
-
Where might I need to restore balance between authority and respect, assertion and understanding?
Further Exploration
To explore kaupapa-aligned frameworks that deepen presence, coherence, and collective rhythm in leadership, visit: Poutama IQ Ascent Series™.
To watch the full TED Talk by Tame Iti, see: Mana: The Power in Knowing Who You Are – Tame Iti (TEDxAuckland)
Image credit: Tahere, K. (2025). Used with permission.
Author: Megan Tahere. (2025).