Maori Religion and Language Statistics

• 1 in 4 (130,482) people of Māori ethnicity speak the Māori language.
• Nearly one half of Māori language speakers were aged under 25 years.
• 1 in 4 people of Māori ethnicity speak more than one language.
• Over 1 in 3 people of Māori ethnicity in the Gisborne region speak the Māori language, with just under 1 in 3 in Bay of Plenty and Northland.
• 98 percent of people of Māori ethnicity who stated a religious affiliation were Christian.
  

The main Christian denominations were:

Maori Education and Knowledge

Maori have always embraced the acquisition of knowledge as a means of maintaining their mana and enhancing their quality of life. Maori society valued knowledge and maintained various institutions for its preservation and its dissemination at different levels. The teaching of essential everyday tasks was a day-to-day activity and individuals learnt through observation and practical experience. Learning took place while tending gardens, gathering seafood, and performing other tasks essential to the welfare of the people.

In a very real sense, Maori were aware of the old adage that knowledge is power.

The concept of "whare wananga"  is very important to the Maori and is related to a mental process of learning, rather than a physical location where learning took place. The Maori believe that when an individual undertook instruction at whare wananga, their classroom was the world they lived in and learning could take place anywhere, at any time. Wananga education focused on developing mental discipline and skill in several different fields of study. Maori education was, and still is, a gradual process of learning. 

 The arrival of Europeans brought new ideas and knowledge such as Christianity, as well as the tools of literacy. Maori quickly engaged with the new ideas and tools and incorporated them within their own knowledge systems. At the same time similar to many other indigenous cultures' history, the colonial influence of Europeans to the Maori people had negative effects in terms of a loss of traditional knowledge and an assimilative attitude.

Maori Contribution to Historical War Efforts

Members of the Boer War Maori Unit

The Boer War: Even before the outbreak of the war, many Maori were eager to contribute to the imperial cause in South Africa. After failure of the Jameson raid, as well as the Anglo-German crisis in 1896, Te Arawa, a Maori leader, offered to raise a guerrilla unit for service there. Despite their eager response to joining the effort, there was some resistance to the non-white Maori joining a "white peoples'" war. 

Recruitment Cartoon during the Second World War

Maori and the First World War:  Maori had mixed views about the First World War. Some supported the war effort and rushed to join up and more than 2000 Maori would served in the Native Contingent and Pioneer Battalion (later the Maori Pioneer Battalion). Others opposed the war as they did not want to fight for the British Crown, which was seen to have had negative effects on Maori communities in the 19th century. The varied reactions reflected Kiwi experiences of British actions in the previous century.

Maori and the Second World War:When the Second World War began, some Maori opposition to participation remained. One concern was the ability of Maori to maintain a combat force, given the size of their population.  However, by the time the Second World War ended in 1945 the 28th (Maori) Battalion had become one of the most decorated units in the New Zealand forces. The most important achievement was the Victoria Cross won by Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu in 1943. In the end, nearly 16,000 Maori enlisted for service during the Second World War.

How did this get in here?

Ta Moko

Ta Moko actually means the process of creating a tattoo. Moko is the product, the tattoo itself.
The tattoos are made by graving deep cuts into the skin, into which a pigment is tapped.
The Moko is very similar among the Maori to an identity card. For men, the Moko shows their rank in society, their status and ferocity. The male facial tattoo is generally divided into eight sections:

1. Ngakaipikirau (rank). The center forehead area
2. Ngunga (position). Around the brows
3. Uirere (hapu rank). The eyes and nose area
4. Uma (first or second marriage). The temples
5. Raurau (signature). The area under the nose
6. Taiohou (work). The cheek area
7. Wairua (mana). The chin
8. Taitoto (birth status). The jaw

Ancestry is indicated on each side of the face. The left side is generally (but not always, depending on the tribe) the father's side, while the right hand side indicates the mother's ancestry. Descent was a foremost requirement before a Moko could be undertaken.
If one side of a person's ancestry was not of rank, that side of the face would have no Moko design. Likewise if, in the centre forehead area there is no Moko design, this means the wearer either has no rank, or has not inherited rank.

It's not surprising that many people of other civilizations have come to admire the beauty of Maori tattoos. But keep in mind, if you're thinking of getting a Maori inspired tattoo...hold up.
Ta Moko is a cultural tradition and an important part of ancestry among the Maori. Think: did you ask first?

Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi was a treaty signed in 1840 between the British government and various Maori groups in New Zealand.
The treaty established a British governor with the right to rule the country, but also recognized Maori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave the Maori the rights of all British subjects.
To this day, the Maori look to the Treaty for rights and remedies for land loss and unequal treatment by the state, with little success. These inquiries eventually led to the creation of the Waitangi Tribunal under Treaty of Waitangi Act of 1975. The tribunal is responsible for investigating and making recommendations on clains brought by Maori groups relating to the breach of promises made in the original Treaty.


Te Tiriti o Waitangi is also generally regarded as the founding document of New Zealand  as a nation.

Maori Population changes (always interesting)

Estimates suggest that up to 100,000 Maori were living in New Zealand in 1769, at the time of first European contact

By 1896, there were only 42,113 people of predominantly Maori descent left in New Zealand.

However, good news! New Zealand's 2006 National Census reported that 565,329 people belonged to the Maori ethnic group. The Maori population is increasing and at a faster rate than the European population of New Zealand.

(thanks to He Korero mo Te reo Maori, the maori language information website, for all the info)