Tapu is a concept often misunderstood when people attempt to translate its meaning outside of Māori culture. This is because it is extremely broad and often translated definitions do not appreciate it (Sachdev: 1989). It is extremely important to understand that tapu has the capacity to vary in intensity depending on the context of the local environment (Sachdev 1989). To add to the complexity of Tapu, we must take into account that something/someone/somewhere may contain a positive or negative tapu (Sachdev: 1989). In some cases, Tapu can be used to describe something that is sacred and one wishes to keep safe. In other cases however, tapu can be used in the sense that one's tapu is negative and perhaps a place one might want to stay away from because it is impure (Bowden 1979: 52). An example that links tapu to Māori leadership is that Māori men are naturally classified as having a positive tapu that is said to be intrinsic in them. Women in Māori society, however, are called noa and not tapu. It is important to note that men in Māori society were seen as more suitable for leadership positions, particularly in politics, by settlers (Mead 1994: 3). Tapu is then further defined by your elders or whakapapa. In other words, your ancestry also plays a role in determining the strength of your tapu (Duncan 2015). Therefore, having a prestigious and respected family and a whakapapa can elevate your superior status within Māori tribes (Bowden 1979:53). The person who holds the greater amount of tapu is considered the ariki (high chief/chief) (Bowden 1979: 53). These processes of defining a person's tapu to help determine their role in the tribe illustrate that the concept of tapu is of fundamental importance in determining Māori leadership (Bowden: