Te Ira Atua: The spiritual spark of the child

This paper explores the spiritual dimensions of traditional Māori ways of knowing the world and the child. It makes connections to traditional Māori perceptions of the creation of the world, the connectedness of the person to the creation of the
world (whakapapa), the conceptualisation of the world (wairuatanga) and their importance to the wellbeing and holistic dimensions of the child. It then discusses Māori ways of knowing the child, the spiritual nature of the child and the traits each child inherits, including tapu, mana, mauri and wairua. It emphasises the importance of these traits to the wellbeing and development of the child, acknowledging the interconnectedness of the physical and the spiritual, and the connection to previous generations. Finally it discusses implications for the children’s wellbeing within early childhood education.