Maori Culture and Traditions

3.1 Brief History

Maori ancestors hailed from the Pacific Islands and arrived in New Zealand on waka hourua (voyaging canoes) before 1300AD. Having an extraordinary talent for adapting to their new environments, the Maoris hunted mainly seals and moas before they began to grow their own crops. During this time, they lived in small tribal groups that possessed a rich culture in spoken stories, strong traditions of warfare and regarded their ancestors and gods very highly (Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 2011) However, when the 1800s came along with many European settlers, it negatively affected the Maori people because they had lost many of their lands and local authority rights to these British settlers. Even though the Treaty of Waitangi had been signed in 1840, it still did not prevent the outbreak of war between the Eurpoeans and the Maoris. 

3.2 Culture & Tradition

The Maori culture is known to be very rich and diverse. Since their settlement in 1300AD, their culture has evolved throughout the years to encompass both traditional and contemporary arts. The gods were the divine direction for the people and in the past, earthly priests would convey these divine edicts to the people for them to follow. Friendliness in relationships is emphasized heavily in the Maori culture which explains why they are hospitable to visitors when they first arrive at The Marae (Meeting house). Also, proper behaviour and respect to others is part of the foundation of their culture and is shown through Hongi. This is a form of greeting, by pressing each others’ noses together, passed down from the past until the present. It is believed that by doing so, the spirits would mingle together. 

Another unique aspect of the Maori culture is that premarital sex is considered normal for Maori adolescents. In fact, these young men and women were expected to go through a series of sexual relationships before getting married. However, when a Maori female become sexually active, she has to publicly acknowledge this and be tattooed. The tattooing signifies the ritual and public passage of adulthood (everyculture.com, n.d.) and is considered extremely attractive. 

The Maori people are also known for their facial tattoos which can be seen on many faces of the Maori males. It is called Ta Moko and uses uhi (chisels) to leave grooves on the skin instead of puncturing the skin like modern tattoo techniques. In the Maori society, Ta Moko represents the status and rank of a man. A Maori male that does not wear the Ta Moko is considered to be someone of a lower social status. Besides that, these facial tattoos also signal the transition of childhood to adulthood for Maori males and is often accompanied with rites and rituals. With this transition into adulthood, a Maori male with Ta Moko is also considered more attractive to the opposite gender. 

In the traditional arts of the Maori culture, the main highlight would be the Haka and is a true unique symbol of New Zealand’s identity. Although the true meaning of haka is a dance, however, the description does not do justice to the amount of energy, rhythm and actions that the dance exudes. The haka can vary to express different moods: joy, grievance, warlike cries, as a welcome to high-ranking guests and as a prayer addressing one of their gods. The war haka has 2 variations, one called haka taparahi to express public or private feelings and the other peruperu. The second war haka is usually performed before going into battle and involves fierce facial expressions (poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons (New Zealand in history, 2011). By performing the peruperu, the Maoris believe that it would invoke Tumatauenga (god of war) which would guide them to the success of the war and warn the enemy of the fate that awaits them. In today’s modern world, New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team performs this dance with pride before every match and sends out a message of a challenge to the opposing team, just like how it is used in the traditional context. 

Just like any other society, the Maoris too have their fair share of the contemporary culture and that includes the arts, film, poetry and hiphop (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2010). One of the popular highlights is the production of a film called “Whale Rider” which tells the story of Paikea, one of their stories from the past. The success of the film propelled the main star, Keisha Castle-Hughes, to fame in 2002 and is one of the most prominent figure in the Maori society. Even with the emergence of a contemporary culture, the Maoris will always draw a relationship back to their roots.