tupuna

plural tupunas · plural tūpuna · alternative tipuna

1. New ZealandAn ancestor, especially a grandparent, in Maori culture.

   […] tupunas are there, beside us, in the rain, and when the sun comes busting out.

   1998, Janet Hunt, Hone Tuwhare: A Biography, page 139

   2 more examples

   We have carved the journeys of the adventures of our tūpuna, who were true navigators—venturing into the unknown—sailing towards the sun.

   2015 June 1, Chellie Spiller, Rachel Wolfgramm, Indigenous Spiritualities at Work: Transforming the Spirit of Enterprise, IAP, →ISBN, page 253

   The existence of our wairua in this realm allows us to connect with our tūpuna in the spirit world. The spiritual connection to our tūpuna also exists in certain portals of communication with them.

   2019 July 18, Kieran O'Donoghue, Robyn Munford, New Theories for Social Work Practice: Ethical Practice for Working with Individuals, Families and Communities, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, →ISBN, page 203