paul-alexis Gauthier
Introduction.
Before the Polynesians arrived, there were no mammals ashore until they released rats and dogs they had brought with them. They could have brought with them pigs and fowls, but these did not survive in the climate. The lack of food was made up by the large supply of seafood; fish, crab, seaweed, dolphins, seals, among others. There were near to 200 species of birds, most of them edible. They also cultivated the crops they had brought with them; sweet potato, yam, gourds, mulberry and others. There was no worry about a shortage of food.
1. How did maoris arrive to New-Zealand
New Zealand or Aotearoa (ay-oh-tay-ah-row-ah) is home to the Tangata Whenua (people of the land), the Maori. It is widely believed that the Maoris originated from the tropical islands of Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The Polynesians were master navigators, using the stars, the direction of sea birds in flight, cloud patterns and the color of the water as guides, they crossed the Pacific Ocean with canoes that had been built to withstand heavy seas and were able to carry many people and their possessions over great distances.
There are many stories concerning how the Maoris first came to New Zealand.
Some believed that there might be a dispute over land or a growing shortage of food as the population rose that forced some families to voyage off to the unknown. They then leave in their canoes for the east, knowing that there was land there because relatives have already headed in that direction and one canoe returned a few years later to describe it. After a few days at sea, a storm scatters the boats and in the morning, the leader finds his boat battered and alone. His first thought was to return home, so he heads towards the west. Unknown to him, the storm has carried his vessel so far off course that, in fact, he is sailing into an area with no islands for hundreds of miles.
As days turns into into weeks, the helmsman becomes increasingly concerned. Already, they have used up most of their provisions, still, there is no sign of land. The sea remains dark blue, neither is there any patches of seaweed nor flights of birds to suggest landfall. The weather is also distinctly colder than they have ever known.
The following morning come the first hints: the sea is greener and colder-a sign of an offshore current. A few days later, they see long, low clouds in the horizon, and a flock of shear waters fly by. They recognized them as birds which nest on sandy headlands. Finally they see the land itself: New Zealand or Aotearoa , the land of the long white cloud .
2.
Maori Art
The
Maori Art is a classic traditional Pacific tribal art. The creative styles and
skilled craftsmanship yield objects of great beauty. Of the various arts --
carving, music, dance, rock-drawing and tattooing -- wood-carving or as the
Maori says, whakairo rakau is the most important form of art. Canoes,
storehouses, dwellings, village fortifications, weapons, domestic bowls, and
working equipment were basically made of wood. Hence, the Maori culture was also
a wood culture.
Periods of Maori art merge, yet there are four distinctive eras with
characteristic features:
Archaic, Classic, Historic and Modem.
The Archaic Maori or the moa hunters were the earliest settlers and survived on
hunting, fishing. Their artwork include carvings and bone and stone work. These
works, though plain and not as elaborate, surpasses the works of the later
centuries.
People, hand-made things and natural objects were thought to have an inner psychic force. Hence religious objects and items for worship were often hand-made. Wooden stickgods, stone crop gods were among some hand-carved objects the Maoris used. Wooden burial chests, intricately and beautifully carved were used to contain bones of the deceased. Structures of various forms were erected in memory of the dead. Some were carved wooden posts while others took the form of canoes buried deep in the earth to stand vertical. Posts were Elaborate carving can be seen in important meeting houses. The meeting house is conceived as a living being. The head is represented by a central mask below a standing figure. The arms are the ornamental boards covering the edge of the roof, often completed with fingers at the lower ends. The ridgepole is its spine, the rafters its rib cage, and the interior, its belly. The carvings are elaborate and painfully and skilfully done. Carving human figurines is another popular form of art. A distorted human figure, male or female is the most common subject in Maori carving. The head is magnified as it is the container of life's spirit. Slanted eyes and three-fingered hands are included. Common figurines include the beaked manaia, a half-bird, half-human deity.
3. Gods and religion of the Maoris
· Ruamoko
· Hine Hukatere are the 4 gods of the maoris
Both Protestant and Catholics began to work in New Zealand early in the 1800s. By 1840, almost all Maori had become Christians. Today, some Maori belong to the churches with Anglicans having the highest percentage of members from both races. Equal proportions of the Maori and Pakeha are Catholics, while more Maori than Europeans are Mormons.
4.
Maoris today
Pakeha and Maori are two different kinds of New Zealanders. Pakeha are white people whose ancestors lived in Europe. Maori are brown people whose ancestors have lived in New Zealand for many generations. New Zealand does not have separate class for people of mixed Maori and Pakeha blood. Nor does it insist that all people of Maori descent be classified as Maori. According to recent population estimates, there are about 400,000 Maori in New Zealand's population of 3.5 million-about one Maori for every 12 Pakeha. Most Maori still live in the North Island. They have concentrated in North Auckland, the Waikato-king County. They all have large Maori population. Maori culture continues to exist, but its form has changes greatly since mid 1800s. The Maori way of life has become more like the general New Zealand way of life. regain some of its features of the old Maori culture as it is for them to match the Pakeha in terms of earning money and owning material goods. Such values as aroha (love and generosity), mana Maori (prestige and respect within Maori society) and Maori tanga (Maori culture) are, in this view as important as financial success and status.
5. MAORI TRIBES TODAY
The Maori still retain membership in their particular tribes, even though the members of each tribe may be widely scattered throughout the country. They know what is their tribal committee and probably still own shares in some of the land there. They may be members of the tribal committee. They will return to their own marae (A piece of land owned in common by a subdivision of the tribe. Used as a meeting place) to some ceremonial gathering.
6. MAORI POLITICS
4 Maori members elected by the electorates represent the Maori in Parliaments. Since 1975, The Maori, including the descendents have the right to choose whether to vote in a Maori or a general electorate rather than before, where they were required to vote for one of the four. People of the tribe hold Maori seats in the Parliament themselves. Most of the time, they will be in the Labour party. Sometimes they stood for general election and were elected. There are many outstanding talented Maori politicians who helped people through their difficulties associated with changing from the old Maori way of live to the new ways of the modern world.
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