If you've ever felt confused or intimidated by Māori cultural protocols, Tāmati Rimene-Sproat is heading to your TV screen to help out.
His upcoming series Hongi to Hāngī: and everything in between is a two-part guide to all things tikanga Māori.
Tāmati Rimene-Sproat Photo: TVNZ
Hongi to Hāngī: and everything in between was made with the support of NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho. It airs on TVNZ 1 from Tuesday 14 June.
Rimene-Sproat tells Jesse Mulligan that a lot of people - including some of his own friends and whanau - have a genuine interest in learning what goes on in a marae but aren't quite sure how to find out.
Hongi to Hāngī - which he describes as "a soft intro into te ao Māori " - is for people who are interested but have been apprehensive to ask directly.
"This show and this kaupapa is about exploring and answering some of those questions in a way that's fun and engaging and also holds our mana and the mana of the tikanga.
"It's a cool little series that I hope people will enjoy."
Rimene-Sproat was born to a Māori mother and Scottish father and raised in te ao Māori with te reo as his first language.
He understands why other people, including his pakeha cousins, are intimidated by the idea of visiting a marae as they fear making cultural missteps.
"One of the most important things we want to get across on [Hongi to Hāngī] is that marae are beautiful places and you should actually want to see a marae because this is basically the last stronghold of Māori culture and Māori tikanga. It's a beautiful, cool space. You have a lot of fun, too, at a marae."
In Hongi to Hāngī, Rimene-Sproat explores the meaning behind protocols such as not wearing shoes inside and not sitting on tables.
Most customs, like these, are very practical, he says.
"Obviously your bum isn't the best place to have any kind of food. You don't want your bum or anything out of your bum anywhere near kai.
"I'm a bit of a Tikanga whip when it comes to bums on tables at my workplace just because I don't like peoples' bums near my food."
Another Māori tradition is always ensuring your guests leave with a full puku (stomach).
"There's a very practical reason behind that tikanga but it's a beautiful tikanga because it relates to this idea of looking after guests, being a good host and manakitanga (hospitality}."
With projects like Hongi to Hāngī, Rimene-Sproat hopes to "open the window a little bit for non-Maori to see how beautiful our culture is."
