Exploring Sexuality in Te Ao Māori

Nā Te Aorewa Rolleston | Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui

Taera—Sexual desire.

The sexual admiration I have for women as well as men is one built upon layers. These layers of  whenua are a part of my cultural lineage, my whakapapa.

When it comes to my attraction to women it is not purely a passion or longing. Instead it is more so an emotion encapsulated by the realm of wairuatanga—spirituality.  

Sexual desire to most seems to mean the feelings that motivate you to engage in sexual pleasure or sexual activities. This is especially true as we transition through young adulthood and become comfortable with who and what we’re into. Everything becomes more transparent over time and through experience while we find out just what sexual desire means to us. 

Western culture tends to categorise sexuality as a means of oppression. In Te Ao Māori, sexuality is viewed in terms of freedom and flow—a spectrum of love. This is how my sexuality manifests. I love women and I admire the physical, spiritual, emotional, and thus sexual properties and qualities that we carry from birth. 

The way I go about relationships with others is focused on and harvested by the Atua Wāhine who I have grown up learning about. They have changed my whole perception in terms of what sexual desire can mean.

Papatūānuku encapsulates the depth and breadth of women as the emotionally infused and nurturing mothers that we evolve into if we ever decide to. The embrace of her arohatanga has always been intriguing to me—the safety and solitude in this space. Papa  constantly reaffirms why I am comfortable and strengthened by my attraction to women.

Now, we should move towards Hine-nui-te-pō. Her realm of belonging is in the cocoon of the underworld. It’s the place of dark existence, death, loss, grief, and yearning for light that only comes through in specs and not rays. But to an important degree, Hine is undervalued and for many reasons misunderstood and overshadowed. 

The harshest shades of sexuality can sometimes challenge our values as tangata whenua. Sexual desires, for Māori are not just represented by the physical, our taha tīnana. They are encompassed by our taha wairua, our spirituality. Thus we are reminded that those we share our taera with are entering our Ao. For me, Hine encompasses a self-sustaining love, where she can deny others and still be empowered.

My appreciation for women especially is one embraced by self sustainability above all else. I have asked for assistance from Hine at various times when I’ve needed to understand why being a self-sustained individual promotes our taha tīnana and taha wairua.  This helps us to heal our sexual desires so that they are more stable and eventually we can love others more assertively.

Hine is hidden away from the living world and instead shares her love and embrace with those who have passed on. But, there is a goodness to patience and believing that something will form eventually from our discipline and self exploration as well.

Above all else, I seek solace from Hineahuone—our first physicalization of femininity. She was affectionately and passionately manifested by Tāne Mahuta, the God of the forest under his gaze and perception of what female sexuality consists of. 

I see the qualities we carry both internally and externally as women and I float in lust all over again, time after time. Our physical complexion much like Hineahuone is a vast and complex map paved by our whakapapa and cultural lineage. The lines, marks, curves, hollows, and pigments are small but gracious aspects of our being. Internally we are infused with ngākau, emotional beauty, birthing capabilities, virtues, and hidden intentions as we walk on the body of Papa with elegance and poise. 

The attraction and sexual admiration I possess for women is one that I do not share often. But, it is sexuality and sexual desires which are embroidered into the vision and perceptions we have of the world and those around us. 

It is Taera which can be explained effortlessly through wairuatanga and the facets of Te Whare Tapa Whā—holistic health. 

Hence, Taera can align with the realm of sexuality in a decolonized state and sense.