The term Hawaiiki refers to our place of origin. On the Marae this is the pipi, the genealogy of our people. This is kept by the women.

Our origin encompasses both the physical attributes that we are descended from and the whakaaro of our ancestors. 

The physical attributes are generated from the whakaaro as everything is created through thought. From a Maori perspective whakaaro is powerful enough to create and recreate any aspect of reality and since we are all connected through the coupena our whakaaro effects everyone and most strongly effects our whakapapa. When we clean up our individual act that has an influence on our whole whanau, everyone who is closely connected to us. The opposite is also true. If we act or think in a negative we affect everyone who is closely connected to us.