Maori History
How the land was settled
 Maori are the tangata whenua (indigenous people of the land) of New Zealand and their culture is an integral part of New Zealand life. The resultant
New Zealand identity is unique, fresh, invigorating and adventurous. About 15 percent of the country’s population of 4 million are
of Maori descent. Maori are a tribal people and their tribes are known as iwi. Today most live in urban areas, away from their marae (tribal
ground). However, many Maori gather at their marae for important occasions. Maori, who are Polynesians, were the first inhabitants of New Zealand,
and are thought to have arrived in New Zealand more than 1000 years ago in double-hulled waka (canoe), from islands in Eastern Polynesia (Hawaiki).
Maori settled on both main islands of New Zealand and named the country Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud). Dutch Navigator Abel Tasman,
the first European discoverer, arrived in 1642 and named the islands New Zealand. He didn’t stay, and it wasn’t until Captain James
Cook arrived over a century later that the area was colonised. Late in the 18th century, Aotearoa New Zealand was settled by European missionaries
and whalers. In 1840, Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British Crown, which gave the British Government sovereignty over Aotearoa
New Zealand. The Treaty of Waitangi is now regarded as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document. The site of the Treaty signing, Waitangi
in the Bay of Islands, is a national reserve of historic significance.
Environment important
Maori culture places high value on the natural environment (forests, sea, rivers, lakes and mountains). Maori culture is a living treasure,
indigenous and unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. Maori have retained their identity through three centuries of European contact, and Maori customs
still thrive. Like many indigenous people, Maori lost much of their land through European colonisation. The New Zealand Government has made reparation
to many Maori iwi, and processes are being followed with others to have land and other resources returned.
Jade treasured
Pounamu (greenstone or jade) is extremely significant to Maori and one of the country’s great taonga (treasures). It is an extremely tough
stone, but one that Maori have carved over the years with skill and love, creating some of New Zealand’s finest artworks.
Maori Art
Traditional Maori art forms
Maori culture has been passed on from generation to generation through music, carvings, art, story-telling and reciting whakapapa (genealogies).
The strength and beauty of Maori art is evident in architectural carving and interior designs of marae, and in ornate whakairo (carvings)
in wood, bone, or pounamu (greenstone or jade) for pendants and other taonga (treasures). Carving and weaving skills arose from the practical
requirements of traditional Maori lifestyle. Fibre for clothing, ropes and other uses was created by weaving flax and other natural fibres. Hard
New Zealand pounamu (jade) was originally made into weapons and carving implements. Native wood was carved into spiritual objects that adorned wharenui
(Maori meeting houses) and waka (canoes). The modern outlet for the creation of such traditional objects comes through artworks, many of which
are highly sought in the art world.
Useful arty terms
Toi is a traditional word that refers to knowledge, origins and sources, and to art in general, while the term ‘Toi Maori’ is used
to cover the wide range of creative activities in which Maori artists engage. Toi Maori refers to all the traditional arts such as whakairo
(carving); kowhaiwhai (rafter patterns); raranga (weaving); tukutuku (lattice work); ta moko (tattooing); waiata (songs and chants); haka (dance);
taonga puoro (traditional musical instruments); karanga (traditional call of welcome); whaikorero (oratory); and mau rakau (the art of weaponry).
Toi Maori also refers to all the art forms contemporary Maori artists are exploring such as writing, stage production, contemporary dance,
film, visual arts, clay work and sculpture.
Traditional Maori art forms
 The Toi Maori Aotearoa (Maori Arts Network) was established to preserve, develop, promote and encourage participation in Maori arts.
The network was established with the support of Creative New Zealand through Te Waka Toi. The charitable trust represents eight national art
form committees. These are: Te Atinga (contemporary visual arts); Te Ope o Rehua (contemporary performing arts); He Awhi Tikanga (protocol within
the arts); Te Hä (contemporary Maori writers); Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa (weavers); Puatatangi (Maori music); Nga Waka
Federation (traditional canoe skills); Te Hunga Taunaki Kaituhi Mäori (writers in Te Reo).
Arts for all
The Maori Arts and Crafts Institute was established in 1963 by an Act of Parliament and remains owned by the Government. The institute was created
against a backdrop of fear that the Maori culture and its unique arts and crafts were being lost. The institute not only displays Maori
arts and crafts, it trains Maori in their customary arts and crafts. The institute is in Rotorua.
Further information:
Maori Arts And Crafts Institute (Rotorua)
Phone +64 7 348 9047
Fax +64 7 348 3418
Maori Language
The Maori culture is integrated into the Kiwi way of life. Currently the culture is going through a renaissance period to restore and revitalise
certain aspects, which once faced danger of being lost. Until recent years, Maori as a living language was under threat. In 1996, only 27 percent
of urban Maori could converse in te reo (Maori language), with Maori aged 20-24 the least likely to be able to have conversations in Maori (21
percent). Only 33 percent of rural Maori could converse in te reo, with Maori aged sixty and over the most likely to be able to speak te reo
(63 percent). However, older Maori (kaumatua) are dying out at a rate of around 1300 a year, making the matter of revitalisation of language
extremely important. Since 1996, many initiatives have been put in place to save and strengthen the Maori language. In 1998 just over 40 percent
of all Maori children were enrolled in kohanga reo (Maori-speaking pre-school). The National Maori Language Survey in 1995 was an important step
in revitalising the Maori language. The nationwide survey combined the responses of 2441 Maori adults and the findings were used to help develop
a Maori language plan and to monitor the health of the language.
Maori Cultural Tours
Rotorua - heart of Maori culture
Visitors to New Zealand are presented with many opportunities to experience Maori culture first-hand in numerous regions of the country. Best
known of these is the thermal region of Rotorua in the North Island, where tourists can experience Maori kai (food) cooked on hot stones underground
as part of a traditional hangi (earth oven). They can also enjoy a Maori powhiri (welcome ceremony), visit local marae (tribal grounds), listen
to kapa haka (traditional performances of song and dance) and relax in the popular thermal pools. To book a hotel in Rotorua click here.
Marae visits
A visit to a marae allows a first-hand experience of Maori culture including powhiri (welcome ceremony), hangi (traditional meal), and performance.
An invitation is required to visit a marae and protocol is of the utmost importance. There are many Maori cultural tour operators, all over the
country. Start by contacting Tourism New Zealand.
Other places to visit
Auckland War Memorial Museum: For an interpretation of New Zealand's beginnings as part of Gondwanaland, Auckland War Memorial
Museum is worth a visit. The museum also features live Maori cultural performances three times a day and tours of the Pacific Island histories,
legends and journeys. The Museum was established in 1852, and contains extensive collections of natural history, ethnology and archaeology, New
Zealand history, applied arts and photography.
Further Information
Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone + 64 9 309 0443
Email marketing@akmuseum.org.nz
Haka The Legend, National Maritime Museum, Hobson Wharf, Auckland: Maori and Polynesian cultural performances.
Cape Reinga, Northland: A region of cultural and spiritual significance. It is the northern-most tip of
New Zealand, where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Oceans meet. In Maori mythology, this is the place from where spirits depart for the after-life.
Arataki Visitors Centre, Waitakere Ranges, Titirangi, Auckland: A place to learn about the history of the land and its indigenous
people. Carvings are a dominant feature.
Te Taumata Art Gallery, Finance Plaza, Victoria Street, Auckland. Contemporary Maori art made by Maori artists.
Golden Bay's Golden Moment
Many tourists visit the Nelson area to experience some of the magnificent walks in the region. But behind the scenes is a strong Maori community.
The opening in January 2001 of Onetahua Marae in Pohara, in the Tasman Bay area at the top of the South Island, was significant for more reasons
than bringing three local Golden Bay iwi (tribes) together on the one marae. It was a symbol of Kiwi DIY (Do It Yourself) attitude and dedication. This
saw a former two-classroom school (Tarakohe, which closed in 1985) transformed into a whare whakairo (carved meeting house) with ornate murals
and carvings. Much of the work was done by locals on the weekends. The three iwi (tribes) - Ngati Tama, Ngati Rarua and Te Atiawa - now share
the marae, which was the inspiration of Maori from outside the bay, such as marae committee chairman Tui Martin. Maori in the area had not
been able to have a true marae-based culture until the development of Onetahua. Pa (fortified village) sites and burial grounds (urupa) and other
signs of a centuries-old Maori occupation are scattered throughout the bay, including Pohara, but Martin says the new marae gives the mana (dignity,
standing) back to the tangata whenua iwi (local tribes of the land), and brings their culture back to them.
Further information:
Tui Martin
Phone +64 3 525 9484
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