Understanding the psychology of generalizations
Click through and find out more about Māori history and custom.
The Māori people have a new monarch. Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki was crowned Queen on September 5 in an emotional ceremony attended by thousands in the town of Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato region of North Island in New Zealand. She was chosen by a group of 12 elders from various tribes, in accordance with custom.
Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki, the only daughter and youngest child of the former Māori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, ascended the throne on the final morning of the six-day tangihanga (funeral) of her father.
His remains were carried down to the Waikato River and then taken by Māori warriors in a waka (canoe) towards Mount Taupiri, a sacred Māori burial ground.
The entire country mourned the passing of the King, who died peacefully at the age of 69 just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation.
At 27 years old, Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki is the second-youngest Māori monarch and only the second woman to ascend the throne. Māori leaders hailed her as the "new dawn."
The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. It's believed their ancestors came from an island or group of islands in Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean, arriving by waka hourua (voyaging canoe) before 1300 CE.
More waka hourua arrived over the next few hundred years, landing in various parts of New Zealand. Isolated from the rest of the world, these settlers lived off the land in small tribal groups and developed their own distinctive culture.
The first recorded encounter between Māori and Europeans took place in 1642 after two Dutch vessels led by seafarer and explorer Abel Tasman sighted land on the north-west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Tasman's fleet had already reached Tasmania before continuing east to become the first Europeans to sight New Zealand.
Initial contact with the Māori people proved disastrous. Four of Tasman's crew were killed by Māori warriors after they'd paddled out by canoe and attacked some sailors who were rowing between the two ships.
Following Tasman in 1796 was Captain James Cook (pictured) and, previously, French privateer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, in 1772. Both had violent and deadly run-ins with Māori warriors, though Cook later forged good relations with the Māori people.
By the late 18th century, Māori increasingly encountered European and American sealers, whalers, and Christian missionaries. While relations were for the most part peaceful, the early 19th century was marred by several further violent clashes. The worst of these was the Boyd incident.
In December 1809, the British ship Boyd was anchored in Whangaroa Harbor when it was attacked by a group of Māori who killed most of the crew and passengers. The raid was in retaliation for the captain's mistreatment of a young local chief, Te Ara.
The early 19th century saw European settlement in New Zealand expand exponentially. Many Māori valued Europeans as a means to acquire Western knowledge and technology. This extensive sharing of culture and ideas encouraged Māori to learn to read and write. Some even became Christians. This 1826 illustration depicts Māori, one of whom is wearing European dress.
The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document. It was drawn up in 1840 as an agreement between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs). The Treaty gave Māori the rights of British subjects and guaranteed Māori property rights and tribal autonomy, in return for accepting British sovereignty and the annexation of New Zealand as a colony of the British Empire.
Despite this agreement, sporadic violence still broke out between Māori and Pākehā (European New Zealanders), culminating in the so-called New Zealand Wars. Essentially a dispute over large-scale land confiscations, these took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other.
During this time, the Māori King movement was created. Founded in 1858, the movement established a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British colonists, as a way of halting the alienation of Māori land. In other words, uniting Māori under a single sovereign. The first Māori King was Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, who reigned until 1860.
Māori culture encapsulates the customs, cultural practices, and beliefs of the Māori people. The traditional formal dress of the Māori people dates back to the Classic period, around 1500 CE.
One of the most recognized representations of Māori culture is the hongi. This is a traditional Māori greeting performed by two people pressing their noses together, often including the touching of the foreheads, and usually followed by a handshake.
The ceremonial dances known as haka are performed to welcome distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements and occasions. They are traditionally performed by both men and women.
In Māori culture, a tohunga is a skilled person, chosen expert, priest, or healer. In years past if ever handling the dead, a tohunga would become a tapu, someone who could never again touch food. Consequently, a tapu would always need to be fed by another.
Māori experienced significant cultural change in the early 20th century. New Zealand society effectively induced Māori to conform to Pākehā norms. Increasingly marginalized, the Māori population, along with its culture, began to decline.
One man credited with reviving Māori influence is Āpirana Ngata. One of the most celebrated of Māori figures, Ngata served as a member of the New Zealand parliament and is widely known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language. He is commemorated by his depiction on the 50 dollar note.
By the mid-20th century, Māori culture was enjoying a revival. Māori fought in both world wars in specialized battalions, regularly performing the haka as a dramatic and intimidating war dance.
Today, millions of people around the world are familiar with the haka as a prelude to rugby matches performed by the New Zealand All Blacks.
Similarly, the hongi remains a greeting performed by all Māori when meeting guests, even royalty.
Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand, marks the moment the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, on February 6, 1840.
It's during Waitangi Day and other special occasions that the kapa haka is performed. It's a term used to describe a group or groups of Māori standing in rows to perform traditional dances, accompanied by sung or chanted words.
Māori tattooing, known as tāmoko, is an expression of identity. It symbolizes a person's social status and standing within the community, history, and family connections.
Māori women are adorned with moko kauae, tattoos on their lips and chin. These represent a woman's connection to her whānau (family) and her leadership role within her community.
A wharenui is a traditional Māori meeting house. Featuring an interior decor of beautifully crafted wood, these communal properties have been a feature of Māori culture for centuries.
In 2009, the Māori people adopted the Tino Rangatiratanga as their national flag. The design features a koru (Māori for fern frond), a common design in Māori tattoo and sculpture, which symbolizes renewal and hope for the future.
Sources: (The Guardian) (Te Ara) (NewZealand.com) (RNZ) (NZ History) (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa)
See also: Fascinating facts about indigenous cultures around the world
Who exactly are the Māori?
The Māori people have a new monarch
LIFESTYLE Society
The recent crowning of a new Māori monarch has refocused world attention on the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand, not least because it's only the second time in Māori history that a woman has ascended the throne. As Queen, Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki reigns over a people and culture nearly 1,000 years old. Māori tradition is expressed through harmonious song, dramatic dance, and a very unusual greeting. But how did this unique heritage evolve, and what else are the Māori known for?
Click through and find out more about Māori history and custom.