Maori Culture

1
Maori Culture
By Jennifer Baker, Emily Bruce, Céleste Gagnon,
Samantha Gardiner, Aubrie Graham, Katie Otter,
Bonnie Palmateer, and Lori Simeone.
2
The Maori

• The Maori people are the indigenous people of New
  Zealand.
• Maoritanga is the native language which is
  related to Tahitian and Hawaiian.
• The present Maori population has increased to
  about 250,000 and the Maori live in all parts of
  New Zealand, but predominately in the North
  Island where the climate is warmer.
• The Maori have adapted well to living in 21st
  century New Zealand, yet they have retained their
  unique culture, and this rich culture contributes
  much to New Zealand as a whole.

3
Population Distribution

• http//www.tpk.govt.nz/Maori/region/map1.pdf
• http//www.tpk.govt.nz/Maori/region/map7.pdf

4
Maori Demographics

• They are Polynesian and comprise about 15 of
  the country's population.
• 1 in 7 people are of Maori ethnicity
• The median age of the population is 22, in 1997
  it was 20
• 90 of the Maori people live in the North island

5
History and Background

• It is believed that the Maori migrated from
  Polynesia in canoes about the 9th century to 13th
  century AD.
• Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first
  European to encounter the Maori. Four members of
  his crew were killed in a bloody encounter in
  1642.
• In 1769 British explorer James Cook established
  friendly relations with some Maori. By 1800,
  visits by European ships were relatively
  frequent.
• At this time, the Maori population was severely
  reduced with the arrival of European settlers.
  War disease took their toll till eventually the
  population dropped to about 100,000.

6
Maori and the Land

• In 1840 representatives of Britain and Maori
  chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty
  established British rule, granted the Maori
  British citizenship, and recognized Maori land
  rights.
• 1860s brought Maori land wars
• 1890s a parliamentary government was commenced
  establishing democratic lines
• Maori eventually regained their numbers in their
  population through intermarriages and such
• Today many of the treaty's provisions are
  disputed and there has been an effort from the
  New Zealand government to recompense Maori Tribes
  for some land that was illegally confiscated.

7
Maori and Politics

• The first Maori inhabitants of New Zealand are
  now a minority
• In 1985 the government amendment the treaty of
  Waitangi
• In 1988 the government created the Treaty of
  Waitangi Act
• Te Ture Whenua Maori Act

8
Maori People and Culture

• Numbers
• In 2001 Maori comprised approximately 15
  (526,281 people) of New Zealands population.
  This figure is forecast to reach 16.6 (750,000)
  in 2021.
• Location
• In 2004 the Maori people were more diverse and
  dispersed than at any other time in their
  history. Some continued to live in their
  traditional tribal areas. Most, however, lived
  elsewhere, usually in urban centres. In 2001, 64
  of Maori were living in the main urban areas, and
  only 16 in rural areas. Many also lived in other
  countries, with over 70,000 in Australia and up
  to 10,000 in Britain.        

9
Maori People and Culture

• Culture
• The Maori culture is going through enormous
  change, with the establishment of new
  institutions and organizations.
• These include
• The creation of institutions where teaching and
  learning is conducted substantially in the Maori
  language. In 2001 there were over 500 kohanga reo
  (language nests), teaching over 10,000 preschool
  children over 50 kura kaupapa Maori (teaching
  schoolchildren in full Maori-language immersion
  programmes) and three whare wananga (tertiary
  institutes).

10
Maori People and Culture

• Culture Continued
• The rearrangement and strengthening of tribal
  structures and councils
• The recapitalization of tribally owned assets
• The establishment of over 20 Maori radio stations
  and a television channel
• Political representation, with 16 MPs of Maori
  background in Parliament in 2004.

11
Maori People and Culture

• Language
• The Maori language is an official language of
  New Zealand, and in recent years has undergone a
  revival. However, it is still threatened and,
  according to the 2001 census results, was spoken
  by only one in four Maori. Approximately 30,000
  non-Maori could speak the language.
• Prominent People
• In early 2000 a number of Maori individuals were
  regarded as major national figures or had
  international reputations in their chosen fields.
  Among them were the opera singer Dame Kiri Te
  Kanawa, film director Lee Tamahori, child actor
  Keisha Castle-Hughes, golfer Michael Campbell,
  artist Ralph Hotere, and writers Patricia Grace
  and Witi Ihimaera.

12
Language

• The vast majority of place names are of Maori
  origin. Maori has a logical structure and unlike
  English, has very consistent rules of
  pronunciation.
• Maori consists of five vowel sounds a e i o u
  ('a' as in 'car', 'e' as in 'egg', 'i' like the
  'ee' in 'tee', 'u' like an 'o' in 'to').
• There are eight consonants in Maori similar to
  those in English - 'h', 'k', 'm', 'n', 'p', 'r',
  't', and 'w'.
• There are also two different consonants - 'wh'
  and 'ng'. Many Maori pronounce the 'wh' sound
  similar to our 'f'. The 'ng' is similar to our
  own 'ng' sound in a word like 'sing', except that
  in Maori, words can start with 'ng'.

13
Maori Greetings

• Tena koe hello (one person)
• Tena Korua hello (to two people)
• Hei Konei or Kei Knoa Bye
• Kei te peblea koe How are you? (Southern
  dialect)
• Pehea ana How are you (northern dialect)
• Pai ahw Im well (northern dialect)
• Maori language day is celebrated annually in the
  last week of July.

The traditional Maori welcome is called a
powhiri, this involves a hongi which is a
greeting that involves pressing noses as opposed
to a kiss.
14
The Maori Family

• In the early 19th century, when British settlers
  arrived, the Maori people were living with their
  extended families in tribal groups.
• The land was owned by tribes and sub-tribes,
  rather than individuals.
• Since then, there have been many changes and
  challenges for the typical Maori family.
• Today most Maori people live in family units
• 82.4 of Maori people live in a family situation
• Extended families are still common.
• Extended families typically consist of
  grandparents, children, and grandchildren.
• Relatives (called whanau) are very important.

15
Family Roles

• Long ago, males and females had both significant
  roles in the Maori culture.
• Males were responsible for speaking to the tribe
  and even today, many elders still believe this
  should continue.
• The roles of both males and females have changed
  over the years.
• Some Maori women hold jobs outside the home.
• There is a greater incidence of domestic
  violence among Maori compared to non-Maori people
  in New Zealand.

16
View of Elders

• Traditionally elders were viewed with respect and
  held positions of authority.
• Today the Maori continue to have a very positive
  attitude toward aging and the elderly.
• Older people (called kaumatua) are considered
  wise and experienced, and their opinions are
  respected.
• Maori ancestry and age are of much greater
  importance than professional status.
• To some more elderly and conservative Maori the
  male head of family of a female prime minister
  would have the greater status and right to be
  heard first.
• The approach is often more flexible now and
  doctors, priests and even senior politicians are
  accorded additional rank over age alone.
• Powers of oratory are also recognized and can
  overcome many of the limitation of age or
  breeding.

17
Tapu (Conduct/Basic Beliefs)

• Tapu was one of the strongest forces in Maori
  life and had numerous meanings and references.
• Tapu can be interpreted as "sacred", and contains
  a strong imposition of rules and prohibitions.
  Certain people and objects contain mana-
  spiritual power or essence therefore a person,
  object or place, which is mana and considered
  tapu, may not be touched or even in some cases
  approached.
• For example, in earlier times, tribal members of
  a higher rank would not touch objects which
  belonged to members of a lower rank. Similarly,
  persons of a lower rank could not touch the
  belongings of a highborn person.
• Certain objects were particularly tapu, so much
  so that it was a dangerous act to even touch
  them, apart from suitably qualified priests. A
  breach of tapu could incur the wrath of the Gods
  and death was the penalty for serious
  infringements.

18
Noa (Conduct/Basic Beliefs) Continued)

• Noa, on the other hand, is the opposite to tapu
  and includes the concept of common.
• Noa also has the concept of a blessing in that it
  can lift the rules and prohibitions of tapu.

19
Traditional/Historical Rituals for Barren Women

• A rite, known as whakato tamariki, translated as
  child implanting was performed by priests.
• The priest asked which sex was desired by the
  parents, then procured a leaf which he cut into
  the outline of a human figure. He then conducted
  the woman to a tapu place and bade her lie down
  on a mat.
• A purification ritual followed in order to
  remove all evil and harmful influences.

20
Traditional/Historical Barren Rituals Continued

• The priest then intoned an invocation to Io the
  Supreme One, asking him to endow the woman with
  the powers of the Earth Formed Maid, the power to
  produce children.
• He then places the leaf image on the body of the
  woman, just above the navel.
• The next act is the lifting of the tapu from
  them both, after which the woman is free to
  return to her home.
• The priest preserved the leaf image, which was
  afterwards placed under her pillow when she was
  about to confined.
• A less ritualized processed was piki whenua, a
  woman stands over a birth site in hopes of
  becoming fertile.

21
Childbearing Beliefs

• Goddesses presiding over birth were
  Hina-te-iwaiwa or Hine-te-iwaiwa, and
  Hine-korako.
• The first-born male and female child is highly
  honoured. Later-born sons and daughters were not.
• In the case of a high-born woman, laborious work
  would not be expected of her when it was known
  that she was with child.
• During pregnancy, if a woman developed a desire
  for any particular food, it was said that the
  child craved it, and that food was called a
  whakawaiu, a producer of milk.
• The Maori believed that the unborn child
  receives sustenance from the mother through the
  fontanelles, or rua kai (food apertures).
• Sometimes a pregnant woman was not allowed to
  have her hair cut because it might stunt the
  childs growth in utero.

22
More Childbearing Beliefs

• If the dark parts of a woman's breasts are
  large, then the child is considered to be female,
  it is the reverse for a male child. Also, if a
  woman has a flushed face then the child is a
  female.
• A male child is never born during an easterly or
  northerly wind, and a female child during a
  southerly or westerly one.
• The Maori do not like to see an infant held much
  or frequently by people other than its parents.
• If a first-born child died in infancy the
  parents would get a priest to perform the Tuora
  rite over the next child born, so as to preserve
  its life.
• Cases of premature birth were supposed to have
  been brought about by the mother having infringed
  some law of tapu.

23
Birth Process

• Childbirth could not take place within the
  ordinary dwelling house, it was considered tapu.
• During the last few weeks of her pregnancy, a
  pregnant woman who was said to be tapu was
  segregated from the community and gave birth
  either in the open or in a temporary shelter
  which was erected for the purpose and later
  burnt. This was called the whare kohanga,
  literally, the nest house. It was only usually
  built for high-ranking women and only for their
  first delivery.
• Karakia (prayers) to Hineteiwaiwa, were recited
  to ease the pain during birth. The karakia would
  differ depending on whether the labour was going
  normally or was particularly difficult.
• The iho (cord) was cut with a chip of obsidian,
  tied with flax fibre and the stump rubbed with
  titoki oil before being bandaged. The whenua
  (placenta) was taken away by the mother's mother,
  aunt or other close relative to be buried in a
  secret place. When the dried naval cord
  eventually came away, it too was hidden.

24
Tua/Tohi Ritual

• The most important ceremony occurred when the
  iho (umbilical chord) falls off. resembled a
  traditional Christian baptism.
• The object of which was not so much the naming
  of the child as its dedication to the and placed
  in their care. It is also a purificatory ritual
  one, intended to remove the tapu pertaining to
  birth.
• Speeches were given by the relatives and both
  parents welcoming the newborn child into the
  world. A sort of baptism took place in a river.
• The two most important charms recited over the
  child during the ritual were known as the Tua of
  Tu and Tua of Rongo. The former was connected
  with the art of war, while the latter was for the
  purpose of endowing the child with energy and
  ability in the arts of peace.
• The child might be given a tapu name at birth,
  if of a high-class family, but this name was
  discarded at or after the Tua rite, and a new one
  was then given tothe infant. The first name is
  described as an ingoa whakaii or ingoa whakarare.
  

25
Maori View of Time

• The Maori cultural concept of time is also
  different from the frequent western
  conceptualization.
• As a part of the Maori belief system, time is
  considered to be a circular process.
• The traditional Maori notions of time are
  highly localized, in the sense that it differs
  from region to region, family to family. It is
  not possible to define one composite singular
  Maori perspective of time, just as it is
  impossible to isolate and identify absolute
  agreement on any universal truth from any
  culture.
• This is very much a part of their concept of
  whakapapa, which can be loosely translated as
  family tree, but is much more complicated than
  our notion of a family tree.
• Everything in the universe is connected in
  whakapapa, and this lends itself to a heightened
  feeling of connection between the past present
  and future.

26
Whakapapa

• Whakapapa is strictly the actual recital of
  genealogy, and a genealogical stave is used when
  the whakapapa recital is taking place.
• These are wooden sticks, called whakapapa rakau,
  with knobs running down the shaft. The knobs on
  the genealogical stave serve to help the memory
  when a person is reciting the whakapapa, the
  knobs representing the different ancestry.
• A genealogical stave may count up to 18
  successive generations in its carvings, and most
  original whakapapa rakau averaged over a meter in
  length.
• The whakapapa is also often retold in intricate
  carvings on the Whare (the meeting house on the
  Marae) paying tribute to the ancestors.

27
Maori View of Time

• Decisions made by those in charge were heavily
  affected by considerations for future
  generations. Those in the present considered
  themselves as stewards of resources for future
  generations.
• Concept of time is not fixed and is subject to
  constant amendment and modification. There is a
  constant move in between past and present. The
  cycle of traditions about the people, land, and
  events is dynamic and fluid.
• A way of describing how they see time is like a
  thread in something woven, it starts, stops,
  interacts with other threads in the woven
  material, and can be picked up again later. All
  of it complements each other to help build
  something large and tangible.

28
Maori View of Space

• Maori people tend to use minimal eye contact as
  it is a form of respect in their culture. It
  shows that the individual has respect for other
  peoples individual or personal space in formal
  situations. This is said to be very important
  when individuals are visiting another
  individuals home.
• Maori people also think that invading the space
  of ones head by stepping over it, is rude and
  they feel as though the individual who stepped
  over the other individuals head is invading or
  taking over their power, showing them no respect.
  It is bad for their mana (personal
  authority/power).
• Therefore personal space in the Maori people is
  very important and even though it may not be that
  way in our culture, it is very important to
  consider it when interacting with the Maori
  people.

29
Features of the Maori People
A prominent feature of Maori culture are the
striking tattoos that were worn. Full faced
tattoos or moko, amongst the Maori tribes was
predominantly a male activity. Female forms of
moko were restricted to the chin area, the upper
lip, and the nostrils.
Ta Moko represents a history of a person's
achievements and represented their status in
their tribe. It was like a resumé. It also served
as a reminder to people about their
responsibility in life. It was a huge honour for
people to have Ta Moko. There were no set
patterns to the Ta Moko and the meaning of the Ta
Moko was dependent on its placement on the face.
The left side of the face related to the father's
history and the right side to the mother's
history. Occasionally women would put small
markings over their faces or shoulders as a sign
that someone close to them had died.
30
Origin of Ta Moko
Originally, Ta Moko was chiseled into the skin
using an albatross bone. The pigmentations used
were Carui gum and dye from other vegetation that
was rendered to a soot and then mixed with oil.
Each tribal area used different pigments.
31
Traditional Dress

• The Maori made their clothes out of flax. Both
  Maori men and women wore much the same sort of
  clothes.
• Men wore a type of kilt around their waists the
  Maori, secured by a belt. Over their shoulders
  they threw a rectangular-shaped cape. Men wore
  their hair long. It was tied into, a knot on the
  top of the head and adorned with feathers or with
  a comb of bone or wood.
• Women and girls sometimes added a kind of apron
  round their waist. Women, cut their hair short.
• Both sexes wore neck or ear pendants of
  greenstone, human or sharks teeth, and bunches
  of feathers.
• Children usually did without any clothing until
  they were about ten years old.
• A headband kept feathers in place for dress
  occasions.
• Sandals covered the feet only as a protection
  against the cold or when walking over rough stony
  places.

32
Traditional Dress
33
The Haka/ Traditional Dance

• To most people, the haka is perceived as a war
  dance. The haka is performed as a pre-battle
  challenge to opposition.
• The word haka simply means a dance, or a song
  accompanied by dance. The terms do not do justice
  to the life force, the actions, words, rhythm,
  themes, meaning, style or history that are the
  haka.
• In early contact times, the haka was used as a
  part of the formal process when two parties came
  together. There was a challenge from the tangata
  whenua or tribe in their own territory, followed
  by a response from the manuhiri or visiting
  party.The encounter concluded with a tangata
  whenua performing a haka peruperu. The visitors
  would then respond with their own haka. Following
  speeches by both parties, they each moved
  together to hongi, the traditional greeting of
  pressing noses.
• It is now mostly reserved for special occasions
  such as visits by senior dignitaries. The
  principles that underpin the traditional rituals
  are still retained in a modern form.

34
Traditional Dance
35
Maori Religious Views

• The Maori believe that in the beginning, man
  began through an offering by their god Tane, in
  which all mankind was offered three baskets of
  knowledge called Nga Kete-o-te-Wananga. Within
  these baskets were the stories of creation,
  instructions concerning magic, and so on.
• The Maori believe that all living things are
  descended from the gods, embodied within certain
  mountains, rivers and lakes. All things have a
  type of soul in which they label the Wairua.
• Most things contain mana - spiritual essence.
  Mana is within man himself, land, nature, and
  also man-made objects. Contact with mana
  contained objects or beings by non-authorized
  persons or objects could cause the mana to be
  drained away.
• Extremely strict rules of tapu protected
  ceremonial objects, much filled with mana.

36
Beginning of Creation

• The Maori people are polytheistic because they
  worship multiple gods although they believe in
  one supreme god that controls all the other
  gods. They call this god Io.
• The power of Io moved amongst the elements of
  chaos, and from chaos came eons of darkness, from
  which light was emitted. From these forms of
  energy, light and darkness, evolved Ranginui (Sky
  Father) and Papatuanuku (Earth Mother).
• The power of the real God is manifested as
  sound, celestial music, so He is said to have
  sung the Creation into existence.
• Ranginui lay with Papatuanuku and their children
  became the gods of this world. When they were
  released, they were responsible for the creation
  of the universe the planets, stars, the sun, and
  every living thing on the earth, including
  mankind.

37
Maori Gods

• The children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku were
• Tangaroa, god of the sea, lakes and rivers with
  dominion over all the creatures that live in
  them. Tangaroa possesses several gifts, chief of
  this being the art of carving.
• Tane, the god of forests and its inhabitants,
  especially the birds.
• Tawhirimatea, god of the winds, storms and
  tempest.
• Rongomatane, the god of kumara and all
  cultivated foods. He is also the god of peace.
• Haumia, god of fernroot and nutritious wild
  herbs.
• Ruaumoko, god of volcanoes and earthquakes.
• Tumatauenga, god of man and war.
• Whiro, god of evil.

38
Maori God Tangaroa

• Tangaroa is the sea god who separated the sky
  from the earth. He is a son the earth-goddess
  Papatuanuku, who had so much water in her body
  that it swelled one day and burst forth, becoming
  the ocean.
• He may appear as a huge fish giving birth to all
  the sea creatures, including mermen and mermaids.
  From the latter sprang humanity, according to
  certain myths, so people are really fish who have
  lost their fish-like appearance.
• Others say also that human beings were once
  aquatic, hence their hairlessness. Tangaroa
  changes regularly into a green lizard, signifying
  fine weather.
• He only needs to breath once in 24 hours, so huge
  is he (this breathing explains the tidal
  movement).

39
Maori God Whiro

• Whiro is the lizard-god of the dead, evil and
  darkness. He lives in the dark misty underworld
  and is accompanied by a group of evil spirits.
• He inspires evil thoughts in the minds of people.

40
Godsticks

• Maori gods were sometimes represented by carved
  godsticks bound with cord.
• A godstick was frequently used in the ritual acts
  sanctifying the planting, tending and harvesting
  of sweet potato.

41
Tikis

• In New Zealand, however, tiki (full name is
  hei-tiki) is usually applied to the human figure
  carved in pounamu (greenstone, a stone similar to
  jade) as a neck ornament, but can be made from
  whale bone or teeth.
• They are highly valued treasures to their owners.
  Some individual tiki have names and traditional
  histories extending well back into the past.
• Tiki are worn around the neck - the hei part of
  the name carries this implication
• Significance of these ornaments has been lost,
  however it has been suggested that this ornament
  is a fertility charm representing the human
  embryo, and that it should be worn only by women
  yet early European visitors saw men wearing the
  hei-tiki and it is probable that the squat shape
  of the figure was influenced by the hardness of
  the material and that it was later likened to an
  embryo.

42
Tikis Continued

• Suspension is usually vertical but some are
  suspended on their side.
• There is some variety in the forms of tiki but
  this variation has not been very fully studied in
  relation to region of origin. The head inclined
  left or right appears to have no particular
  significance. One clear variation is between tiki
  with the head upright and those with the head
  tilted sideways. The likely explanation for the
  latter form is that it comes naturally from the
  use of rectangular adze blades as raw material.
  Other variations occur in the positions of the
  arms. In some the arms are asymmetric with one
  arm on the torso rather than the legs, or up to
  the mouth.

43
Marae

• The Marae is absolutely central to the Maori way
  of life.
• It is a focal point for groups who share kinship.
  Here they can meet to discuss and debate, to
  celebrate, to welcome the living and bid farewell
  to those that have passed on.
• It is the open space and buildings in a
  settlement or pa (fortified settlement) where the
  community gathered.
• There are over one thousand Marae throughout
  Aotearoa in rural areas and in cities.

44
Whare

• Usually facing the principal entrance to the
  Marae is the Whare. The Whare is nearly always
  situated, as in the past, between the Marae and
  the gateway.
• The Whare may be referred to in a number of ways
  the whare tipuna or whare tupuna, (ancestral
  house) whare whakairo (carved house), whare nui
  (large house), whare hui (meeting house), whare
  moe or whare puni (sleeping house) or whare
  runanga (council house).
• The whare is used for funerals, religious
  meetings, or entertaining visitor.
• No members of the local tribal community live
  permanently in a whare.
• Apart from rare exceptions, the whare is nearly
  always named after an ancestor.
• The Whare is usually symbolically designed to
  represent the chief and embody his ancestors.

45
Whare Continued

• Outside, in front of the whare and at its top is
  a tekoteko, or carved figure, which is placed on
  the roof and at the entrance to the whare. The
  tekoteko represents the ancestor's head.
• The maihi or carved parts of the tekoteko, which
  slope downwards from the whare, represent the
  ancestor's arms- held out as a welcome to
  visitors.
• The pole which runs down the centre of the whare
  from front to back represents the ancestor's
  backbone. This is a very solid piece of wood
  which is used. If the backbone is strong, the
  body is strong.
• The rafters from the carved figures on the inside
  of the whare represent the ribs of the ancestor.
• The smaller and larger Koruru carvings may be
  seen on the outside of the whare. The protruding
  tongue often seen is in defiance of the enemy.
  The glittering eyes of the Koruru are paua shells
  (abalone shellfish). The eyes of the Koruru
  represent the Ruru, the Maori name for the New
  Zealand native owl, a fierce fighter bird.

46
Marae/Whare
47
The Meaning of Food

• Kai (food) has always been an important part of
  the Maori way of life.
• Kai connects men and women to
• the spiritual realm through the gods
• the earth, and all the elements including the
  sun.
• the "other" men and women, as it is grown,
  harvested, traded, and eventually shared.
• themselves as it sustains and nurtures.
• Specialized knowledge and skills surround all
  aspects of Kai. The holders of that knowledge
  were not only revered but were charged with the
  responsibility of passing that knowledge and
  skill on to others.

48
Cookery and Preparation

• Before the arrival of Pakeha (fair skinned
  people), Maori had no metal or ceramic cooking
  vessels.
• Methods of cooking were severely limited and the
  only containers to hold liquid were Hue (gourds),
  wooden bowls, or vessels made from stone.
• Maori understood the perfection of wet steam
  smoke and could roast and bake in the open fire
  or hot ashes.
• Their diet was light on protein and included no
  grain-food products as a carbohydrate base for
  cooking.

49
Cookery and Preparation Continued

• Food is often cooked in a hole dug in the ground,
  in a traditional style known as a Hangi (earth
  oven).
• With this method, the food is placed on hot
  stones that have been heated in a fire and are
  covered in cabbage leaves or watercress to stop
  the food from burning.
• Mutton, pork, chicken, potatoes, and Kumera (a
  sweet potato) are then lowered into the pit in a
  basket. The food is covered with Mutton cloth and
  flax.
• Finally earth is placed on top to keep in the
  steam. The food takes about 3 hours to cook.

50
Hangi Pictures
51
Evolution of Preparation

• Maori were very highly skilled in the art of
  hunting, fishing, gathering, and cultivation, and
  possessed great ingenuity in creating Hakari
  (Banquets) from limited cooking resources.
• With the introduction of foreign foods and
  cooking equipment, Maori were quick to adapt to
  the ever changing needs of every day living
  taking into consideration the wisdom to cherish
  and retain many foods and culinary methods of the
  past.
• Yet within these limitations their cuisine was
  wide ranging, nutritious, and appetizing. When
  the Pakeha introduced different foods and
  equipment, Maori were quick to grasp their
  advantage.
• During the colonial era, Maori learned to use
  European foods and methods, and to adapt them to
  their own tastes.
• But at the same time retaining many of their
  favorite early methods such as smoking, drying,
  and steaming.

52
Significant Foods and Herbs

• Maori people gathered food from the forest,
  stream, sea, and garden.
• Their diet was traditionally birds and fish
  together with gathered wild herbs and roots.
  Gardens grew root crops including potato and
  kumara.
• Maori herbs are used that are mixed with
  traditional herbs and indigenous foods into
  contemporary cuisine.
• This includes delicacies such as kuku patties
  (made with distinctive green mussels), puha
  greens or salmon flavoured manuka (New Zealand
  tea tree) honey, kelp and horopito leaves.
• Maori potatoes of the taewa tutaekuri variety
  are unusual purple potatoes which were among the
  winners of the Slow Food 2000 awards that
  promotes the preservation of biodiversity.

53
Significant Foods and Herbs

• Rewena pararoa (Maori bread), is potato bread
  which is sold at weekend markets and some
  specialty bread shops.
• On Stewart Island, Maori continue to harvest the
  mutton bird. The bird has a very distinct flavor
  and is an acquired taste.
• Eel and puha (green leafy vegetables grown in
  streams) are also foods that are traditionally
  gathered by Maori.
• Tohu wines- the first indigenous branded wine to
  be produced for the export market. The wine is
  harvested from the regions of Marlborough and
  Gisborne.

54
Maori and Health

• Health is not a universal concept nor are health
  professionals necessarily best suited to
  formulate the health aspirations of a people.
  Like other fundamental objectives, health is
  defined for Maori people by their elders, at
  traditional tribal gatherings.
• Maori culture has a "whole person" view on how
  to look after your self. This means that paying
  attention to all of the key aspects of your life
  is important. This includes caring for soul,
  body, mind and whanau (family). Each of these is
  really important and balance is achieved when
  each dimension is in order. Its best explained
  using Te Tapa Wha model (Wellness Model)
• Te Taha Wairua (a spiritual dimension)
• Te Taha Hinengaro (a psychic dimension)
• Te Taha Tinana (a bodily dimension)
• Te Taha Whanau (a family dimension)

55
Te Taha Wairua/ Spirituality

• Acknowledged to be the most essential
  requirement for health.
• It means acknowledging who a person is, what
  they believe in, where they come from, and may be
  achieved in the form of Karakia or prayer.
• It is believed that without a spiritual
  awareness an individual can be considered to be
  lacking in wellbeing and more prone to ill
  health.
• It may also explore relationships with the
  environment, between people, or with heritage.
  The breakdown of this relationship could be seen
  in terms of ill health or lack of personal
  identity.
• When confronted with a problem Maori do not seek
  to analyze its separate components or parts but
  ask in what larger context it resides,
  incorporating ancestors or future generations to
  discussions. This may mean the discussion goes
  off on a tangent but the flow will return to the
  question.

56
Te Taha Hinengaro/ Psychic

• Thoughts, feelings and behaviour are vital to
  health in Te Ao Maori (the Maori world).
• Maori may be more impressed with unspoken
  signals, eye movement, bland expressions, and in
  some cases regard words as superfluous, even
  demeaning.
• Maori thinking can be can be described as being
  holistic. Understanding occurs less by dividing
  things into smaller and smaller parts.
• Healthy thinking for a Maori person is about
  relationships. The individual whose first thought
  is about putting themselves, their personal
  ambitions and their needs first, without
  recognizing the impact that it may have on others
  is considered unhealthy.
• Communication through emotions is important and
  more meaningful than the exchange of words and is
  valued just as much, for example, if Maori show
  what they feel, instead of talking about their
  feelings, this is regarded as healthy.

57
Te Taha Tinana/ Physical

• The most familiar component to all of us. The
  Maori consider the body and things associated
  with it as tapu (sacred/special).
• There is a clear separation between sacred and
  common. For instance the head is regarded as tapu
  and the Maori do not pat each other on the head,
  nor should food be anywhere near a persons head.
  When this happens it can be perceived as
  unhealthy. Hairbrushes should not be placed on
  tables nor should hats.
• Food is kept away from the body and so are
  utensils. A common thing that is observed in
  Maori households is that tea-towels are not
  placed in a washing machine but always washed by
  hand. Kitchen sinks/tubs should not be used to
  wash personal items either. When a laundry is in
  close proximity to the kitchen this can pose
  problems as well.
• It is important to take into consideration the
  view of personal space as previously discussed.

58
Te Taha Whanau/ Family

• The prime support system providing care, not
  only physically but also culturally and
  emotionally. For the Maori, whanau is about
  extended relationships rather than the western
  nuclear family concept.
• Maintaining family relationships is an important
  part of life and caring for young and old alike
  is paramount. Everyone has a place and a role to
  fulfill within their own whanau.
• Families contribute to a person's wellbeing and
  most importantly a person's identity. A Maori
  viewpoint of identity of identity derives much
  from family characteristics. It is important to
  understand that a person carrying an ancestral
  name will often be seen as having the qualities
  of their namesake.
• It is important to be aware for Maori, a persons
  identity is gleaned by asking "Where are you
  from" rather than "What is your name?" Maori
  identity is based upon an ancestral Waka (canoe)
  a physical landmark, which is usually a Maunga
  (mountain), a body of water Awa (river), Moana
  (sea) and a significant Tupuna (ancestor). Once
  this is known people can share a common bond.

59
Traditional Healers

• The Maori traditional health care believe in the
  power of healers who have had the traditional
  medicines, knowledge and healing passed on from
  generation to generation.
• There exist many healers which have shaped Maori
  view of health care. These healers include
• Papa Joe is an internationally renowned
  Indigenous Maori Healer. He was brought into the
  world completely aware and already knowing the
  pathway he was to walk. Being raised amongst his
  elders from birth, Papas great grandfather told
  his mother that the child she was carrying was to
  teach the old traditions of healing, star
  journeying, using bush medicine for healing and
  removal of negative entities from a persons
  energy and so much more. The old people knew of
  his healing abilities well before his birth as
  well as the extraordinary infinite ancient Maori
  knowledge Papas cellular memory would contain.

60
TeAwhimate Tawhai

• He has worked as a Maori healer for many years
  and has been a student of Papa Joe since 1995.
• As part of his work TeAwhimate specializes in the
  preparation of traditional Maori herbal medicine
  and continues to prepare and provide these
  medicine to people who require them.
• TeAwhimates work covers deep tissue massage,
  covering all aspects of the anatomy as well as
  counseling. He has incredible insight intuition
  and a wicked sense of humor. He also covers
  ground and house clearing.
• The philosophy that he works under
  is,Acknowledging my connection to my ancestors
  accentuates and affirms the teachings and
  ethnical values by which I live.My ancestral
  beginnings formulate my present being,
  encompassing the understandings of yesteryear and
  nurturing the holistic wellbeing of tomorrow.

61
Health Care

• Any wide scale intervention aimed at promoting
  health among Maori people must involve elders and
  may need to accept alternate goals and methods,
  relevant to current Maori thinking, though
  possibly peripheral to established Western health
  concerns.

62
Death and Dying Beliefs

• On death, the Maori believe that the spirit
  travels to the pohutukawa tree which sits on the
  very tip of Cape Reinga, at the top of the North
  Island - as far anybody may go in New Zealand.
• The spirit then slides down a root of the
  pohutdukawa, after removing his or her clothes,
  to the sea below. This is called Rerenga-wairua
  (spirit's-leap).
• The spirit emerges onto Ohaua, which is the
  highest tip of the Three Kings Islands, for a
  final farewell before greeting the ancestors.
  The spirit waits for a break in the seaweed in
  the ocean and then jumps in.
• The spirit is called and welcomed by his/her
  ancestors, and eats the food of the dead and can
  never return to the realm of the living.

63
Maori Beliefs About Death

• When a Maori is near his/her death, he/she may be
  heard to say ---is calling me, mentioning the
  name of an ancestor because the spirits of
  his/her forbears are calling to him/her to join
  them in the spirit world.
• When very near his/her end cries of farewell
  might be heard from the assembled folk, sending
  off the dying person to the spirit world.
• If possible a Maori prefers to die out of doors,
  that he/she may see the world one last time.

64
Funeral Rites

• When someone dies, the first task after the death
  of a person is to wrap the body and bind it to a
  stake to keep it in a sitting position.
• A special funerary cloak is secured around it and
  the face was painted with a preparation of red
  ochre and oil. The hair is oiled, dressed and
  adorned with feathers. Weapons of the deceased
  and any special articles he might have possessed
  are placed beside the body.
• The body was then placed in a sitting position in
  the porch of the principal house of the village
  with its face towards the sun as it rises from
  its cave. The house is intensely tapu so long as
  the body remained there.
• The lying in state continued for days.
  Eventually the body was taken away and buried,
  which was often performed at night. Cremation
  was not unheard, however, during times of war and
  a speedy disposal was needed.
• The clothes of the deceased are placed in a
  carved chest which is preserved by the family and
  descendants as a sacred relic.

65
Funeral Rites Continued

• If a man died, his canoe would be rendered tapu
  and would be cut in half. One of these halves
  would be decorated as described above and set up
  in a vertical position, the wide end embedded in
  the earth. These memorials, were erected within
  the limits of the fortified villages.
• The urupa (graveyard) is generally within the
  Marae complex, and this area is particularly
  tapu. When leaving the urupa, the tapu may be
  removed by washing the hands in water. For this
  purpose, a water container may often be found
  just outside the gate of the urupa.
• The carved figures along the inside walls of the
  whare represent ancestors of the local marae
  people, as well as those of other tribes.
• In earlier times, the head of a loved chief or
  warrior leader would be removed and preserved, in
  order to always be with the bereaving family and
  tribe.

66
Mourning

• When a person dies, the village comes to lament,
  the women in front and the men behind them. Their
  clothes typically wrapped about their waists.
  Close relatives also cut their hair.
• The potae taua, or mourning cap, was also worn.
  It was crownless, composed of a fillet or band to
  encircle the head from which were suspended
  strings of seaweed, some fibrous plant or the
  tail feathers of a bird.

67
Mourning Continued

• The close relatives of a dead person are said to
  be in the house of mourning during the period
  of mourning. It is not a physical house, but a
  metaphorical one.
• During the first days of mourning relatives are
  not supposed to eat food during the day. Not
  until the abolition of the tapu of the house of
  mourning will they eat. That function was
  formerly marked by a rite performed over the
  mourners at a stream, in which their grief and
  mournful longing for the dead were horoia atu, or
  effaced.

68
After Burial

• Persons who handled bodies of the dead were
  extremely tapu, and that tapu had to be lifted
  from that burial party on its return to the
  village home.
• This rite was performed in water, in which the
  tapu persons had to immerse their naked
  bodies.The officiating priest intoned the
  necessary ritual to remove all restrictions.
• A funeral feast followed this performance, and
  some special and tapu food, termed popoa, was
  consumed by the ariki and tohunga of the
  community.
• Food was sometimes offered to a dead person prior
  to the burial. A priest would put it to the mouth
  of the corpse and withdraw it, or simply wave it
  towards his mouth. The ahua, or semblance, of the
  food was supposed to be consumed by the deceased.
  
• A part of the tapu lifting ceremony described
  above was the ceremonial cutting of the hair of
  the chief mourner.