Maori culture
Encyclopedia
Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, an Eastern Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...

 people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture
Culture of New Zealand
The culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British and European custom, interwoven with Maori and Polynesian tradition. An isolated Pacific Island nation, New Zealand was comparatively recently settled by humans...

. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori culture, the Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

 suffix -tanga being roughly equivalent to the qualitative noun ending "-ness" in English.

Origins

The East Polynesian ancestors of the Māori were hunters, fishers, and gardeners. After arriving in New Zealand, Māori had to rapidly adapt their material culture and agricultural practices to suit the climate of their new land - cold and harsh in comparison to tropical island Polynesia. Great ingenuity was required to grow the tropical plants they had brought with them from Polynesia, including taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...

, kumara
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...

, tī pore, gourds, and yams
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...

; this was especially difficult in the chillier southern parts of the country. The harakeke (flax plant) served as a replacement for coconut fronds and hibiscus fibre in the manufacture of mats, baskets, rope, fishing nets and clothing.

The rhizomes of Pteridium esculentum (aruhe) were used as a staple food, especially for exploring or hunting groups away from permanent settlements; much of the widespread distribution of this species in present-day New Zealand is a consequence of prehistoric deforestation and subsequent tending of aruhe stands on rich soils (which produced the best rhizomes). The rhizomes were air-dried so that they could be stored and became lighter; for consumption, they were briefly heated and then softened with a patu aruhe (rhizome pounder); the starch could then be sucked from the fibers by each diner, or collected if it were to be prepared for a larger feast. Patu aruhe were significant items and several distinct styles were developed.

Seasonal activities included gardening, fishing and the hunting of birds. Main tasks were separated for men and women, but there were also a lot of group activities involving food gathering and food cultivation, and warfare. Art was and is a prominent part of the culture as seen in the carving of houses, canoes, weapons, and other items of high status. The people also wore highly decorative personal ornaments, and people of rank often had their skin marked with extensive tā moko
Ta moko
Tā moko is the permanent body and face marking by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Traditionally it is distinct from tattoo and tatau in that the skin was carved by rather than punctured...

similar to tattooing.

With the growth of tourism and exposure of haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...

to international audiences on TV and at sporting competitions, Māori culture that was previously observed only in Māori society and social gatherings with a significant Māori aspect, is increasingly seen as fundamental to New Zealand culture as a whole.

Marae

The most appropriate venue for any Māori cultural event is a marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...

, an enclosed area of land where a meeting house or wharenui
Wharenui
A wharenui is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a marae. Wharenui are usually called 'meeting houses' in New Zealand English.-Wharenui:...

(literally "big house") stands. A marae is the centre for much of Māori community life. Generally the Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

 is used in ceremonies and speeches, although translations and explanations are provided when the primary participants are not Māori speakers. Increasingly, New Zealand schools and universities have their own marae to facilitate the teaching of Māori language and culture.

The marae is a communal ceremonial centre where meetings and ceremonies take place in accordance with traditional protocols. The marae symbolises group unity and generally consists of an open grassed area in front of a large carved meeting house, along with a dining hall and other facilities necessary to provide a comfortable stay for visiting groups. On the marae official functions take place including formal welcomes, celebrations, wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...

s, christenings, tribal
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...

 reunions, and tangihanga
Tangihanga
Tangihanga, or more commonly, Tangi, is a Māori funeral rite.Each iwi differs on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the tūpāpaku is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported to the marae...

(funerals). The older people have the authority on the marae, and they impart to the young people traditions and cultural practices including legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

s, songs or the arts of weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...

 or carving.

Marae protocols

The details of the protocol, or "kawa", vary by iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...

 but in all cases locals and visitors have to respect certain rules especially during the rituals of encounter. When a group of people come to stay on a marae, they are considered manuhiri (guests) while the hosts of the marae are known as tāngata whenua
Tangata Whenua
Tāngata whenua is a Māori term of the indigenous peoples of New Zealand and literally means "people of the land", from tāngata, 'people' and whenua land.-Meanings:...

. Should other groups of manuhiri arrive, the manuhiri who arrived previously - regardless of their race - are considered tāngata whenua for the purposes of formally welcoming the new group.

Marae food

Although marae have modern cooking facilities, the hāngi
Hangi
Hāngi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven still used for special occasions.To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the...

, a traditional way of cooking food in Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...

, is still used to provide meals for large groups because the food it produces is considered flavourful. The hāngi consists of a shallow hole dug in the ground. A fire is prepared in the hole and stones are placed on the top of it. When the stones are hot the hāngi is prepared for cooking by leaving the hot stones and some of the coals at the bottom of the hole. The food is placed on top of the stones, the meat first, with the vegetables, such as kumara
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...

 and potatoes, on top of it. The hāngi is then covered with leaves or mats woven out of flax (or wet sacks) and left to cook. Finally, soil is heaped over the hāngi to keep the heat in.

Marae events

Like in pre-European times, marae continue to be the location of many ceremonial events, including birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. The most important event located at marae are tangihanga
Tangihanga
Tangihanga, or more commonly, Tangi, is a Māori funeral rite.Each iwi differs on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the tūpāpaku is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported to the marae...

. Tangihanga are the means by which the dead are farewelled and the surviving family members supported in Māori society. As indicated by Ka'ai and Higgins, "the importance of the tangihanga and its central place in marae custom is reflected in the fact that it takes precedence over any other gathering on the marae" (p. 90).

Marae oral tradition

The history of individual tribal groups is kept by means of narratives, songs and chants, hence the importance of music, story and poetry. Oratory, the making of speeches, is especially important in the rituals of encounter, and it is regarded as important for a speaker to include allusions to traditional narrative and to a complex system of proverbial sayings, called whakataukī. Oral tradition includes song, calls, chants, haka and formalized speech patterns that recall the history of the people.

Events and activities

Significant Māori cultural events or activities include:
  • The hui or meeting, usually on a marae. It begins with a pōwhiri
    Powhiri
    A Pōwhiri is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and finally the hongi...

    (a welcome). If a visitor is noteworthy, he or she may be welcomed with an aggressive challenge by a warrior armed with a taiaha
    Taiaha
    A Taiaha is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand.It is a wooden, or sometimes whale bone, close quarters, staff weapon used for short sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with quick footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha are usually between in length...

    (traditional fighting staff), who then offers a token of peace, such as a fern frond, to the visitor. Acceptance of the token in the face of such aggression is a demonstration of the courage and mana
    Mana
    Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....

    (charisma) of the visitor. The pōwhiri is highly structured, with speeches from both hosts and guests following a traditional format, their sequence dictated by the kawa (protocol) of that place, and followed by waiata
    Maori music
    Te Pūoro Māori or Māori Music is music composed or performed by Māori, the native people of New Zealand, and includes a wide variety of folk music styles, often integrated with poetry and dance, as well as modern rock and roll, soul, reggae and hip hop....

    , songs. Hui are held for business, for festivities or for rites of passage such as baptism, marriage and death.It is appreciated if foreign guests can say a few words in Māori and sing a song they are familiar with as a group.
  • The haka
    Haka
    Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...

    - an action chant, often described as a "war dance", but more a chant with hand gestures and foot stamping, originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess and abusing the opposition. Now regularly performed by New Zealand representative rugby
    Rugby football
    Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

     and rugby league
    Rugby league
    Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

     teams before a game begins. There are many different haka though one, "Ka mate" by Te Rauparaha
    Te Rauparaha
    Te Rauparaha was a Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars. He was influential in the original sale of conquered Rangitane land to the New Zealand Company and was a participant in the Wairau Incident in Marlborough...

    , is much more widely known than any other.
  • Kapa haka
    Kapa haka
    The term Kapa haka is commonly known in Aotearoa as 'Maori Performing Arts' or the 'cultural dance' of Maori people...

    (haka
    Haka
    Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...

    groups) often come together to practice and perform cultural items such as waiata or songs, especially action songs, and haka for entertainment. Poi dances may also form part of the repertoire. Traditional instruments sometime accompany the group, though the guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

     is also commonly used. Many New Zealand schools now have a kapa haka as part of the Māori studies curriculum. Today, national kapa haka competitions are held where groups are judged to find the best performers; these draw large crowds. (The common expression "kapa haka group" is strictly speaking, a tautology
    Tautology (rhetoric)
    Tautology is an unnecessary or unessential repetition of meaning, using different and dissimilar words that effectively say the same thing...

    .)
  • Koha
    Koha (custom)
    Koha is a New Zealand Māori custom which can be translated as gift, present, offering, donation or contribution.-Traditional usage:Koha is an example of the reciprocity which is a common feature of much Māori tradition, and often involves the giving of gifts by visitors to a host marae...

    are gifts to the hosts, often of food or traditional items, though money is most commonly used today.Traditionally, the essence of koha is that it is voluntary and comes from the heart, so to specify the amount is contrary to its spirit. Increasingly it is common for the koha to be a fixed sum per head that is communicated to the guests in private, so there is no embarressment. Recipients rely on the donors' aroha (empathy), manaakitanga (cherishing) and wairua (spirit) to ensure that it is enough. Thanks for koha are accordingly warm.
  • Matariki
    Matariki
    In the Māori language Matariki is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster and also of the season of its first rising in late May or early June - taken as the beginning of the new year...

    , "Māori New Year", celebrates the first rising of the Pleiades
    Pleiades
    Pleiades can refer to:Astronomy and science*Pleiades , an open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus**Pleiades in folklore and literature, interpretations and traditional meanings of the star cluster among various human cultures...

     in late May or early June. Traditionally the actual time for the celebration of Matariki varies, with some iwi
    Iwi
    In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...

     celebrating it immediately, others waiting until the rising of the next full moon
    Full moon
    Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...

    . It is a day where they pay respect to the people they have lost but also gain over the last year that has passed. Celebrating the day and night with prayers, feast, love, singing and music.After lapsing for many years it is now becoming more widely celebrated in a range of ways and over the period of a week or month
    Month
    A month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately...

     anywhere from early June to late July.

Movies and books

Films that feature Māori themes and culture include:
  • Utu
    Utu (film)
    Utu is a 1983 New Zealand movie directed by Geoff Murphy. It starred Anzac Wallace. Utu was reputed to have one of the largest budgets for a New Zealand film at the time...

    , 1983, loosely based on events from Te Kooti's War
    Te Kooti's War
    Te Kooti's War was one of the New Zealand Wars, the series of conflicts fought between 1845 and 1872 between the Māori and the colonizing European settlers, often referred to as Pākehā. This particular conflict covered most of the East Cape region and the centre of the North Island of New Zealand...

  • Ngati
    Ngati
    Ngati is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea.-Production:Ngati is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written and directed by Māori. Producer John O'Shea, an icon in New...

    , 1987, set in 1948, looking at the threat of unemployment for a local Māori community.
  • Boy
    Boy (2010 film)
    Boy is a 2010 New Zealand coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. In New Zealand, the film has eclipsed previous records for a first week's box office takings for a local production...

    , 2010, by Taika Waititi
    Taika Waititi
    Taika Waititi , also known as Taika Cohen, is a New Zealand-born film director, writer, painter, comedian and actor named as one of Varietys "ten new directors to watch" in 2007....

    , coming-of-age comedy-drama
  • Whale Rider, 2002 by Niki Caro
    Niki Caro
    Niki Caro is film director, producer and screenwriter who was born in Wellington, New Zealand. Her 2002 film Whale Rider was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals....

    , a 12-year-old girl's struggles for chiefly succession
  • Once Were Warriors
    Once Were Warriors (film)
    Once Were Warriors is a 1994 film based on New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling 1990 first novel. The film tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and their problems with poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence, mostly brought on by family patriarch Jake...

    , 1994, graphic depiction of urban Māori and domestic violence


The novels of Witi Ihimaera
Witi Ihimaera
Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler, DCNZM, QSM , generally known as Witi Ihimaera , is a New Zealand author, and is often regarded as one of the most prominent Māori writers alive.-Biography:...

 and the short stories of Patricia Grace
Patricia Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, DCNZM, QSO, is a notable Māori writer of novels, short stories, and children's books....

 provide an insider's view of the culture. The Bone People
The Bone People
The Bone People is a Booker Prize-winning 1984 novel by New Zealand author Keri Hulme. Hulme was turned down by many publishing houses before she found a small publishing house in New Zealand called Spiral...

a novel by Keri Hulme, won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1985.

Sport

Māori take part fully in New Zealand's sporting culture with both the national Rugby league
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...

  and Rugby Union teams have featured many Māori players, and other sports also feature many Māori players. There are also national Māori rugby union
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...

, rugby league
New Zealand Maori rugby league team
-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...

 and cricket
New Zealand Maori cricket team
The New Zealand Māori cricket team is a team that represented the Māori community of New Zealand in the 2001 Pacifica Cup cricket tournament. Whilst their rugby union and rugby league counterparts play often, this is the only appearance to date of the cricket team.-2001 Pacifica Cup:The New Zealand...

 teams, which play in international competitions, separate from the main national ones.

Ki-o-rahi
Ki-o-rahi
Ki-o-rahi is a ball sport played in New Zealand with a small round ball called a 'ki'. The game is widely known in Māori communities and in scattered mainstream locations throughout the country. It is a fast-paced sport incorporating skills similar to Australian Rules, rugby union, netball and touch...

 and tapawai
Tapawai
Tapawai also known as Tapuwae is a traditional Māori ball game. Today it is played on a hard surface such as a netball court. The court consists of two sides where players pass the ball aiming to knock the block in the middle of the two sides over....

 are two sports of Māori origin. Ki-o-rahi got an unexpected boost when McDonalds chose it to represent New Zealand.

Broadcasting

Māori Television
Maori Television
Māori Television is a New Zealand TV station broadcasting programmes that make a significant contribution to the revitalisation of the Māori language and culture . Funded by the New Zealand Government, the station started broadcasting on 28 March 2004 from a base in Newmarket.Te Reo is the...

 is a New Zealand TV station  broadcasting programmes that tries to make a significant contribution to the revitalisation of te reo and tikanga Māori
Tikanga Maori
The Māori word tikanga has a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formality, lore, manner, meaning, mechanism, method, protocol, style....

. Funded by the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 Government, the station started broadcasting on 28 March 2004 from a base in Newmarket
Newmarket, New Zealand
Newmarket is an Auckland suburb to the south-east of the central business district. With its high building density, especially of retail shops, it is considered New Zealand's premier retailing area, and a rival of local competitor Auckland CBD...

.

Te Reo
Te Reo (TV)
Te Reo is a New Zealand TV station broadcasting programmes exclusively in the Māori language with no advertising or subtitles. It also broadcasts special tribal programming and offers particular focus on new programming for the fluent audience....

 is the station's second channel, launched 28 March 2008. Te Reo is 100% Māori language with no advertising or subtitles featuring special tribal programming with a particular focus on new programming for the fluent audience.

Crime

Maori are over represented in each stage of the criminal justice system in New Zealand. This over representation has been rising since the 1960s. Although Maori are over represented in nearly all crime areas the highest figures are for violent crime followed by dishonesty offences. Statistics from the 2007 Department of Corrections report show although Maori in the 15 to 29 age bracket make up 15% of the population but they account for 42% of all criminal apprehensions. 50% of all New Zealand's prison population is Maori. In women's prisons 60% of the population is Maori. The rate of imprisonment for non Maori is 100 per 100K population and for Maori 650 per 100k population. Maori are also far more likely to be victims of crime than non Maori. Since the 1990s growing emphasis has been placed on citizens reporting child abuse in New Zealand,especially since the Roper report. Maori figures for child (under 5 year) abuse and neglect are 240% higher than non Maori according to New Zealand statistics.

Studies show that Maori have a negative attitude towards the police as a result of their high rate of involvement in crime. There are currently about 4,000 Maori in prison with about 16,000 Maori males between 20-29 having had 1 or more sentence in prison. This is about 30% of all Maori males in this age cohort. The criminal justice system report called this a catastrophe for Maori.

Since 2000 there have been high profile cases of Maori children being abused, neglected and killed by family members. Police investigations have shown that the perpetrator is often the casual male partner of the mother.
Reasons for high Maori crime have been investigated many times with similar results. Maori criminals tend to be from families with a history of tolerating violence and abuse. They come from a poor socio economic background with very low educational achievement and a history of drug and alcohol abuse and gang involvement. Because Maori have a higher birth rate than non Maori and a lower life expectancy, the percentage of Maori in the main active criminal age group is higher than for non Maori.

See also

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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