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)

Famous Maori Soprano Singer!

Here is a video of famous singer Kire te Kanawa, a world renowned soprano singer who is also of Maori descent

Stories and Legends

Marcus Winter is an indegenious artist of New Zealand, and is the only "performance painter" of his kind in Australasia and the Pacific.

The following is his live art performance using Sand Art. Marcus tells the Māori creation story of the world being formed by the violent separation of Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, by their children.

He later proceeds to present day landmarks of Auckland, New Zealand and ends with the welcome to the audience to the event

Famous Maori alert!

 Jermaine Clement! Raised by his Maori mother, Clement is now a famous actor, comedian and musician.

In the late 90s, Jermaine teamed up with Taika Cohen, also known as Taika Waititi, whose father is a Maori of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. The two formed the comedy duo called the Humourbeasts. In 2004, the pair toured New Zealand with their show called "The Untold Tales of the Maui", which rewrote the traditional Maori tales of the Māui.  

 
Nowadays, Jermaine is greater known as one half of the popular musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, along with Bret McKenzie. They are simply hilarious.

Here's a clip from their t.v. show to give you a little hint of what they're about:
http://www.youtube.com/

Kakahu- Maori Clothing

Maori clothing is made from traditional textiles and plants. Here are some characteristic garments worn by the Maori people.

Raincoat
This traditional raincoat is usually made of flax or kiekie

Tatua
This is a traditional belt


Korowai
This is a traditional special occasion cloak


Piupiu
This is a Maori kilt. The body of the piupiu is usually made from flax leaves that are carefully prepared with the muka or flax fibre exposed in some sections to cause geometric patterns to emerge.

Maori Haka

Here's a link to a video clip from the PBS series "Dances of Life"
Its a clip on one of the Haka, traditional Maori dances and chants.



The translated chant goes:

Make the earth tremble
As hard as we can
I am doomed! I will die!
No I am alive! Life is mine!
I will be defeated! I will die!
No! I take back my life. Life is mine!
I am born of distinguished people
Whose legacy shines on me like the sun.
Keep abreast! Keep abreast!
In your ranks hold fast! Into the shining sun!
- Maori War chant

guess what I found....

Was flipping through my art history textbook the other day, and stumbled across this very interesting page...
It's a comparison of two portraits of Te Pehi Kupe, the first by Englishman John Henry Sylvester, and the second by Te Pehi Kupe himself.
Who was Te Pehi Kupe? He was a Maori rangatira (political leader) and war leader, who played an significant role in the "Musket Wars". He was killed in his sleep in 1828 during a Kaiapoi night raid on the Ngati Toa.
What is so interesting about this page? Both portraits portray the leader's facial tattooing. However, as the author points out, in Sylvester's rendition he includes Te Pehi Kupe's head, shoulders, and British attire to underplay the tattoos. In contrast, the self-portrait consists of nothing but Te Pehi Kupe's tattoo, demonstrating the design's enormous importance to Kupe, symbolizing his position in his community.

The Necessary Stuff

We realized it might be important to give some context of the Maori so here it goes!


The Maori are a Polynesian people of New Zealand and were the first people to live in what is now the country of New Zealand. In 2010, they make up about 15 percent of New Zealand's population.
 Most live in cities but return to their traditional territories for birthdays, weddings, and funerals, or to help make decisions affecting their group. These events occur on marae  «muh RY», traditional Maori meeting places. There, they pass down their oral history, arts, laws, technology, and other cultural traditions. At this point, most Maori speak English, although some speak the Maori language as well.

 Let's learn a bit about Maori history now!

The predominant belief of scholars is that the Maori first settled New Zealand around 1200 BCE. Maori traditional beliefs and stories however, believe that they first began arriving more than 1,800 years ago. Maori made a living by fishing and hunting and also by growing crops. By the 1700's, all of New Zealand was under Maori control.


Europeans started arriving in New Zealand in the late 1700's. In 1840, Maori and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Waitangi. It gave the United Kingdom the right to govern New Zealand, and the British the right to live there. It guaranteed Maori ownership and control of all their lands, forests, fish, and waters. It also granted them all the rights and privileges of British citizens.

The early British immigrants did not respect the treaty and by 1900 had taken almost everything from Maori. In the early 1900's, a group of young, university-educated Maori in New Zealand's Parliament started changing the way Maori were treated. In 1975, Parliament set up a tribunal to investigate violations of the Treaty of Waitangi. The tribunal has recommended the return of much land and other resources to Maori.

Haere mai!

Welcome to our blog on the Maori peoples of New Zealand.
We hope to bring you interesting information about the history, culture, traditions and lifestyle of the Maori peoples. Stay tuned!

-Char Char & Alex