Whakapapa is a Māori concept that means genealogy, ancestry, or the connections between generations. It explains where people come from and how they are related to their ancestors, family, and the natural world.

In Māori knowledge, whakapapa shows that all living things are connected, including people, animals, plants, mountains, rivers, and the land.

In Science

In science, we also study how living things are connected through inheritance and evolution. For example:

• Children inherit genes from their parents.
  
  

• Traits are passed down through generations.
  
  

• Scientists use family trees and evolutionary trees to show how organisms are related.
  
  

This is similar to whakapapa because both ideas explain relationships between generations and the connections between living things.

Example

A person may trace their whakapapa to their parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
In biology, we can trace traits such as eye colour or blood type through a family.

Why Whakapapa is Important

Whakapapa helps people:

• Understand their identity and family history
  
  

• Recognise their connection to the environment
  
  

• Respect the relationships between living things
  
  

In Simple Terms

Whakapapa is about understanding where we come from and how everything in the world is connected.

• A (Adenosine) always pairs with T (Thymine) and T (Thymine) always pairs A (Adenosine) in a DNA molecule 

• G (Guanine) pairs with C (Cytosine) and C (Cytosine) pairs with  G (Guanine). This complementary base parining in DNA forms the genetic code of an organism.