Maori principles

Ngāi Tahu and Local Context

• Ngāi Tūāhuriri – Local hapū (sub-tribe) in the area.

• Ngāi Tahu – The larger iwi (tribe) in the South Island region.

Pre-Contact Māori Society

Settlement of Aotearoa

• Early migration from Hawaiki (Polynesian homeland).

  • Led by legendary figures such as Kupe and Kuramārōtini.

• Māori society established as communal, based on collective survival, whānau support, and environmental harmony.

Social Structure

• Whānau – The basic unit; responsible for everyday survival and resource gathering.

• Hapū – A grouping of whānau; organised for larger tasks like defence, agriculture, and construction.

• Iwi – A federation of hapū; provides identity, cultural traditions, and economic security.

Concepts of Authority in Māori Society

• Mana – Spiritual authority; can be inherited, earned through achievement, or lost due to misconduct.

• Manaakitanga – Hospitality and generosity; reflects the mana of a person or group.

• Rāhui – Customary temporary bans on resource use to allow environmental regeneration or mark a tapu area.

Environmental Influences on Society

• The environment shaped economic and cultural life:

  • Forests provided birds, vines, ferns.

  • Coastlines yielded abundant seafood (kai moana).

• Introduction of:

  • Kiore (Polynesian rat) – food source.

  • Kurī (Polynesian dog) – used for food, fur, and companionship.

Tribal Dynamics and Political Structures

• Mana whenua – Authority based on ancestral connection and ability to utilise land productively.

• Political cohesion strengthened through:

  • Inter-tribal marriage alliances

  • Slave exchanges

  • Negotiated land-use agreements

European Contact and Early Trade

• Abel Tasman (1642) – First recorded European to sight NZ.

• James Cook (1769) – Mapped Aotearoa and initiated more sustained contact.

• By the 1810s, Māori were trading with missionaries and whalers, exchanging timber, flax, and food.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi)

Context and Signing

• Signed: 6 February 1840, Bay of Islands; followed by multiple regional signings.

• Exists in two versions:

  • English and Māori – Not identical in meaning, leading to confusion and dispute.

Key Principles

• Partnership – Working together in governance.

  • In good faith

• Protection – Safeguarding Māori culture (tikanga), language, and resources (taonga).

• exchange – Māori would retain full tribal authority and control over lands and possessions while allowing Crown governance.

Modern Social Issues

Māori and the Justice System

• Māori make up:

  • 16% of NZ's population,

  • but 52% of the prison population.

• Causes include:

  • Systemic bias

  • Historical dispossession

  • Socioeconomic inequality