Aotearoa is another name for New Zealand which means 'land of the long white cloud.' Between 10-15% of the NZ population is Maori. Maori culture is really interesting itself and has a really interesting history. In this presentation 6 topics will be explained: 1) Their culture & traditions 2) Their foods 3) Their clothing/attire 4) How they settled in NZ 5) What is the Waitangi Treaty 6) Weapons
1: CULTURE & TRADITIONS......Maori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people, of New Zealand. They journeyed to NZ on canoes from Polynesia. Family and tribe are both really important to Maori people. The marae (meeting ground) is the center of Maori communities throughout NZ. It's a (fenced-in) area of carved buildings and grounds that belongs to a certain tribe or family. Dance is also a significant part of Maori culture. The kapa haka (Maori performance) incorporates singing, various facial expressions and of course dancing. In the dance, each action has a meaning. Today the haka is performed by the All Blacks before every game. Hunting is a vital practice for the Maori people. It started for food- they would mainly hunt birds to give them protein and use the feathers for adornment and cloaks- but slowly it developed into a sport (for fun). The fowling season for most tribes was during autumn. Tattooing also means a lot to the Maori people. It is called ta moko and is usually done on the face. The Maori think of it as a sacred thing. Each symbol has its own meaning, but like everything, mokos have slightly changed over the years.
2: THEIR FOODS.....The ancestors of the Maori people bought edible plants like Kumara, taro and yam from Polynesia. As the climate was much colder in Aotearoa, they used advanced cultivation techniques to get the crops to adapt to this new environment. A traditional method of cooking was the hangi, (earth oven) used when feeding a vast number of people. Small amounts of food was cooked in/on embers. As mentioned above hunting was another way they got their food, we are talking birds, dogs and rats. "Māori traditionally ate a mix of cultivated, hunted and gathered foods. In the 21st century many traditional ingredients and preparation techniques remained important, and some had been adapted to modern tastes." -Jenny Kaka-Scott and Charles Royal
3: CLOTHING & ATTIRE......Traditionally, the Maori people made their clothes form plants, feathers and animal skins. There are many kinds of garments that they wear including a variety of cloaks (due to the cold weather conditions in NZ). The Maori also have a lot of head pieces and jewellery which they make from feathers, stones and also bones. Maori believed that attire, adornments and hairstyles portrayed a lot about a person's status.
4: HOW THEY SETTLED IN NZ.......The Maori people were the first inhabitants of Aotearoa. According to the Maori, the very first explorer to reach NZ, was Kupe. From his Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki, he voyaged across the pacific on his waka hourua (canoe) using ocean currents and stars as his navigational guides. It is said that he arrived at the Hokianga Harbour in Northland around 1000 years ago. Later more people followed Kupe and landed in various parts of Aotearoa. Te Arawa, Matatua, Kurahaupo, Tokomaru, Aotea and Takitimu are the seven waka that arrived in NZ. This is how it all started for the Maori people and NZ.
5: WHAT IS THE WAITANGI TREATY.....?It is an agreement signed by British representatives and Maori chiefs of the north island of NZ on 6th February 1840. British settlement increased in NZ, therefore the British government decided to arrange an agreement with the Maori chiefs to become a British colony. The treaty was in English and later also translated into Maori. It was signed at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands thus the name. That day the treaty was signed by 43 chiefs of the north island. As it was taken all around the country 500+ chiefs signed it. Many disputes of land ownership followed this, including some violent conflicts. Land ownership issues carried on into the 20th century, until the majority of it was owned by settlers and the crown.
6: TRADE AND WEAPONS.......Before European settlement, the Maori people were the only ones on the island and it was common to find conflicts within tribes. The warriors of each tribe began training at a young age in order to have the correct skills and strength to defend their tribe. During combat they would use weapons. Many of their weapons were hand-held ones. Here are some weapons they used: Patu Onewa= this was one of the main weapons, made from basalt, a local resource. Patu Paraoa= this weapon was used as a club (the warrior would hit the opponent's shoulder with this) and made from another local resource, whalebone. Taiaha= this weapon is similar to a quarter stuff and is a 'weapon of authority' used by chiefs as defense. Mere Pounamu= a basic thrust weapon used to target the vital parts of the body such as the head and ribs.
BIBLIOGRAPHY; *www.armymuseum.co.nz *www.newzealand.com *media.newzealand.com *www.teara.govt.nz *www.lovenewzealand.net.nz * google images.
Credits:
Created with images by falco - "carving stake carved" • Meditations - "background bitter breakfast" • elliewee - "P1020093" • NJKean - "New Zealand Flag" • Allie_Caulfield - "2001-12-02 01-03 Neuseeland 105" • micaeltattoo - "Tatuagem Maori Tattoo" • plassen - "Haka" • Archives New Zealand - "Herald (Bunbury) Sheet, Te Tiriti o Waitangi" • MiraPhoto - "love heart romance" • Orin Zebest - "Thank You"