Maori Culture
William Avrit
Maori People and Culture
Ashford University
ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Instructor Henninger
11/17/2012
Maori People and Culture
New Zealanders often associate the word “M?oritanga” with their culture. The words meaning is “being like the M?ori people”. The Maori do not call their home New Zealand, but rather, Aotearoa, which means ‘land of the long white cloud’, as named by Kupe, who discovered New Zealand. The Maori themselves did not call themselves Maori until the English came and they felt a need to set themselves apart from the newcomers. The word Maori means ‘ordinary.” The Maori language is known as Te Reo Maori, spoken by fully twenty three percent of the population, even though only 15.6% of the population claim Maori heritage. The Maori language is gaining in popularity through cultural revival projects which share the knowledge and culture of the Maori people with the non-Maori in New Zealand as well as with tourists who visit New Zealand. The Maori culture and history is a rich one that should be preserved, and celebrated by all of New Zealand, not just the percentage of those who claim to have Maori blood.
Arrival and Settlement
The Maori are a Polynesian people located in New Zealand. It is theorized that the Maori colonized the island in the 14th century, though they may have arrived as early as 1150 AD. It is widely believed, despite being Polynesian, they originated in mainland China, though other anthropologists have them originating in Hawaii or Savaii, the largest island that is part of the Samoan island chain. (R. N. Hilmona, 2001, Helicon, 2010) The Maori were an excellent seafaring culture, which includes knowledge of astronomy, due to the reliance on stars and their positions for navigation at night. It was this knowledge that made it possible to settle in New Zealand.
Depending on where they were settled, the Maori way of life varied. Most of the Maori stayed on the coast, or near it and
Maori People and Culture
Ashford University
ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Instructor Henninger
11/17/2012
Maori People and Culture
New Zealanders often associate the word “M?oritanga” with their culture. The words meaning is “being like the M?ori people”. The Maori do not call their home New Zealand, but rather, Aotearoa, which means ‘land of the long white cloud’, as named by Kupe, who discovered New Zealand. The Maori themselves did not call themselves Maori until the English came and they felt a need to set themselves apart from the newcomers. The word Maori means ‘ordinary.” The Maori language is known as Te Reo Maori, spoken by fully twenty three percent of the population, even though only 15.6% of the population claim Maori heritage. The Maori language is gaining in popularity through cultural revival projects which share the knowledge and culture of the Maori people with the non-Maori in New Zealand as well as with tourists who visit New Zealand. The Maori culture and history is a rich one that should be preserved, and celebrated by all of New Zealand, not just the percentage of those who claim to have Maori blood.
Arrival and Settlement
The Maori are a Polynesian people located in New Zealand. It is theorized that the Maori colonized the island in the 14th century, though they may have arrived as early as 1150 AD. It is widely believed, despite being Polynesian, they originated in mainland China, though other anthropologists have them originating in Hawaii or Savaii, the largest island that is part of the Samoan island chain. (R. N. Hilmona, 2001, Helicon, 2010) The Maori were an excellent seafaring culture, which includes knowledge of astronomy, due to the reliance on stars and their positions for navigation at night. It was this knowledge that made it possible to settle in New Zealand.
Depending on where they were settled, the Maori way of life varied. Most of the Maori stayed on the coast, or near it and
References: W. J. Schafer (1998) Mapping the Godzone : A Primer on New Zealand Literature and Culture Honolulu: University of Hawai 'i Press. B. Manuhuia (1998) The challenge of urban Maori: Reconciling conceptions of indigeneity and social change Victoria University of Wellington Helicon (2010) The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide Helicon Publishing New Zealand Tourism Guide (2012) Maori Culture R.N.Himona (2001) From Hawaiki to Hawaiki R. Whitmore (2008) New Zealand in History