1.  Who Are the Maori?

Maori = "native inhabitants of New Zealand. The Maori, a people of Polynesian origin numbering over 500,000 (according to a 1996 census), constitute over 14 percent of New Zealand’s population. More than 95 percent of Maori live on New Zealand’s North Island. Many Maori live in the East Cape area, where they form the majority of the population. Others live in the large cities of New Zealand such as Auckland and Wellington. Most Maori speak the Maori language, a branch of the Austronesian languages, as well as English." Source: "Maori."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.
"According to the 1991 census, approximately 73 percent of the population of New Zealand is of European (mainly British) descent [Pakeha]. About 12 percent (some 430,000) are Maori, a Polynesian group, whose ancestors migrated to New Zealand about AD [C.E.] 1200. About 4 percent of the population is of other Polynesian descent, and various other Asian ethnicities make up the rest of the population." Source: "New Zealand."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

"The Austronesian languages are divided into two branches: Formosan, the languages spoken by about 200,000 people in Taiwan; and Malayo-Polynesian, comprising the rest of the languages in the Austronesian family. The Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages consist of the languages of Micronesia, some languages of Melanesia, and the closely related languages of Polynesia, such as Tahitian, Hawaiian, and Maori, which is spoken in New Zealand. The Western Malayo-Polynesian languages include Malay; Javanese; Balinese, spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia; Malagasy, spoken in Madagascar; the Chamic languages, spoken in Vietnam and Cambodia; and Tagalog, on which Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, is based."
Source: "Austronesian Languages."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

Polynesia (>Greek for "many islands") = one of three major divisions (the other two are Melanesia and Micronesia) of the Pacific Islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean, a region exhibiting considerable cultural and physical diversity.  The Pacific Ocean is the largest single feature of the globe, covering a third of the earth's surface. It contains some 25,000 islands totaling 1.6 million square kilometers scattered across about 88 million square kilometers of water.  Polynesia consists of American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Easter Island, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Niue, the Pitcairn Islands, Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Wallis and Futuna Islands. The region contains several distinct types of island formations. Many of the Polynesian islands are volcanic, with corrugated mountain ranges divided by deep valleys.

Polynesian Cultures:
"Cultural diversity characterized the traditional Pacific, though most Polynesian islands exhibit linguistic and cultural similarities that are due, in part, to frequent trading and social contacts. . . . Polynesian societies . . . were larger in scale and more hierarchically organized [than Melanesian societies].  Lineage defined and structured the social system. The lineage that could trace its roots back through several generations to a common founding ancestor, real or fictitious, claimed, and was accorded, a higher social standing and seniority. Its head was often the leading or paramount chief of the entire clan. Chiefs, variously known throughout Polynesia as ariki or ali'i, were thought to possess mana—moral power and authority—and had well-defined rights and obligations in relation to their people. They commanded respect and deference, exercised control over the production and distribution of the primary resources, and often received the first fruits of the land as symbolic tribute."
Source: The Pacific Islands in Pre-European Times. The Encyclopedia of World History.  6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.  Ed. Peter N. Stearns and others. Rpt. Bartleby.com. 2003.  5 Jan. 2004 <http://www.bartleby.com/67/864.html#c4p02714>.

"The Maori held many beliefs in common with other Polynesians, including concepts such as tapu (taboo), mana (prestige or honor of a social group or individual), mauri (life force), utu (revenge), and makutu (sorcery). The Maori believed in a number of gods, including Tane-mahuta, lord of the forest, and Tangaroa, a Polynesian ocean god. Tribal dignitaries, such as the higher priests and the chief, also believed in a supreme god, Io, whose existence was not revealed to the community. All Maori believed in a great number of atua, or spirits, who responded to magical spells and punished people for breaking taboos."
Source: "Maori."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

From INDIA? . . . to INDONESIA to eastern POLYNESIA, and, after some time sojourning in Tahiti [known as Hawaiki], . . . moving on to AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND . . .
      "The Hidden Homeland: . . . . Maori tradition tells us that their ancestors, in times long passed away, migrated from a hot country named Irihia (cf. Vrihia, an ancient name for India), and crossed the ocean in an easterly direction. They sojourned in two lands, named Tawhiti-roa and Tawhiti-nui, after which they again voyaged eastward until they reached the isles of Polynesia, which were gradually discovered and settled by them. As to the length of time occupied in these voyages we know little, and they may have extended over centuries, owing to long sojourns in various islands. A glance at the map shows how numerous are the island stepping-stones that occur on an eastward voyage across the Pacific Ocean. . . . Regarding the islands named Ahu, Maui, and Hawaiki, we also find all these names applied to isles in eastern Polynesia. Tahiti Island was formerly known as Hawaiki . . . . The name "Tahiti" has also been preserved by the Maori of New Zealand in the form of Tawhiti, also Tawhiti-nui. Again, Hawaiki is also used in a general sense by our Maori folk, and may be applied to any or all the isles of Polynesia, or to the original homeland, . . . .
"Mr. Percy Smith, who has written much on the origin of the Maori, tells us that ancestors of these Polynesians probably entered Indonesia about the commencement of the Christian era, and reached central Polynesia about the fifth century A.D. He traces them back to India. Mr. R. S. Thompson, in his paper on the " Origin of the Maori," comes to the conclusion that the migrants reached Samoa not later than 1000 B.C."
SOURCE: Best, Eldon.  DMM 5. Polynesian Voyagers. The Maori as a Deep-sea Navigator, Explorer, and Colonizer - By Elsdon Best.  Wellington, New Zealand: Dominion Museum, 1923. Taonga. The Knowledge Basket: New Zealand's Research Archive. [Last accessed:] 5 Jan. 2004
<http://www.knowledge-basket.co.nz:80/search97cgi/s97_cgi?ACTION=View&VdkVgwKey=iDocs/7O80.vdb&ServerKey=Primary>.

From CHINA? . . . to INDONESIA, through Melanesia to POLYNESIA [Fiji - Samoa - Marquesas], then back to TAHITI [known as Hawaiki] . . . and finally moving on to AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND . . .
     "Modern scholars tell us that more than 15,000 years ago we lived on the land now called China, and that from there we travelled via Taiwan and the Philippines to Indonesia. About 6,000 to 9,000 years ago we moved on through Melanesia and reached Fiji about 3,500 years ago. From there to Samoa and on to the Marquesas 2,500 years ago. Perhaps that was the limit of our eastern migration for it seems that 1,700 years ago we turned South West to Tahiti, thence to the Cook Islands and to Aotearoa/New Zealand. Where then is the legendary homeland of Hawaiki?
Source:  The Journey of the Maori to Aotearoa.  The Maori People of Aotearoa New Zealand. [No date.] [Last accessed:] 5 Jan. 2004 <http://maaori.com/people/maoriara.htm>.
 

The Polynesian navigator Kupe has been credited with the discovery of New Zealand around 800 AD. Legend has it his wife, Hine-te-aparangi, named it Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud. The legend continues that centuries later, around 1350 AD, a great migration of people from Kupe's homeland of Hawaiki followed his navigational instructions and sailed to New Zealand, eventually supplanting or mixing with previous residents. Their culture, developed over centuries without any discernible outside influence, was hierarchical and often sanguinary.
Source: New Zealand: History.  Lonely Planet World Guide. 2003. [Last accessed:] 5 Jan. 2004 <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/new_zealand/history.htm>.

"Archaeological evidence shows that the Maori originally immigrated to New Zealand probably around 1200 AD [C.E.] from the Cook Islands, Society Islands, and Marquesas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, although oral accounts often place the settlement at an earlier date. It is not known whether the settlers planned their immigration or landed accidentally in New Zealand. According to legends of the Maori, however, their ancestors set out together from a place in Polynesia in a fleet of large canoes. The first inhabitants fished along the coastlines and hunted marine mammals such as fur seals, dolphins, and pilot whales. They also cleared forests for timber, opening up new land to farming in the process."
Source: "Maori."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

"Before the arrival of European colonists in the late 18th century, the Maori settled throughout New Zealand and developed a distinctive culture. The Maori economy varied from region to region. In the North Island area where the soil was fertile, cultivation of the sweet potato, or kumara, provided the staple food supply. In other parts of the interior, roots, birds, rats, and freshwater fish made up their diet. On the seacoast, fish was the principal food.

   "Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first European to encounter the Maori [in New Zealand]. Four members of his crew were killed in a bloody encounter with Maori on the South Island [of New Zealand] in 1642. In 1769 British explorer James Cook established friendly relations with some Maori. By 1800 visits by European ships were relatively frequent. Maori quickly learned to read and write, and they highly valued books and printing presses. They also prized muskets, which they used to devastating effect in tribal wars. In 1840 representatives of Britain and Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which established British rule, granted the Maori British citizenship, and recognized Maori land rights. Although many of the treaty’s provisions are still disputed, it became the basis of official relationships between Maori and British settlers.
Source: "Maori."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

British Colonization & "New Zealand Wars": C.E. 1841 - 1907

   "In 1841 New Zealand officially became a colony of Britain. Many European settlements were soon established. Between 1843 and 1872 violent conflicts between the Maori and European colonizers, known as the New Zealand Wars, arose over conflicting claims to land. In 1856 Maori elected their first intertribal leader, King Potatau I, also called Te Wherowhero. The movement to unite Maori under a single ruler, known as the Maori King Movement (Kingitanga), enjoyed mixed success. Although its authority was never universally acknowledged, the King Movement was influential in encouraging Maori unity. The descendents of Potatau I, formed the Te Wherowhero dynasty, and continue to lead the Maori King Movement today.
   "After the New Zealand Wars, many Maori lands were confiscated. Remaining Maori lands were generally very poorly suited to farming. Unlike European settlers, Maori were not given government assistance to finance agriculture. Generally they lived in small rural communities separated from the European settlements. The Maori population declined rapidly as a result of the wars and European diseases, such as influenza, measles, and whooping cough, to which they had little resistance. The Maori population fell from about 120,000 in 1769 to 42,000 in 1896. In the late 19th century, European settlers spoke of the Maori as a "dying race."
Source: "Maori."  Microsoft Encarta 2000 ed. CD-ROM.

Independent New Zealand & the Maori in the 20th Century

   "New Zealand was given dominion status in the British Empire in 1907 and granted autonomy by Britain in 1931; independence, however, was not formally proclaimed until 1947. The economy continued to prosper until the worldwide recession in the 1980s, when unemployment rose dramatically. Today the economy has stabilised, thanks largely to an export-driven recovery. Internationally, New Zealand was hailed during the mid-1980s for its anti-nuclear stance - even though it meant a falling-out with the USA - and its opposition to French nuclear testing in the Pacific (which France countered, to much opprobrium but little penalty, by blowing up the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior as it sat in Auckland Harbour)."
Source: New Zealand: History.  Lonely Planet World Guide. 2003. [Last accessed:] 5 Jan. 2004 <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/new_zealand/history.htm>.

    "In the 20th century the Maori population recovered. A cultural and political revival accompanied the increase in population. Some leaders, educated in both European and Maori traditions, formed the Young Maori Party at the beginning of the 20th century. The Young Maori Party quickly became adept at working within Western institutions, including the New Zealand Parliament, to achieve Maori aims. However, these leaders also supported many European attitudes and activities, including the purchase of Maori land by settlers. Ultimately, this led to their rejection by many Maori.
    "Other leaders soon emerged who owed little to European traditions. Most of these leaders worked exclusively in their own tribes. Maori unity, which had been exemplified by the King Movement, became an almost obsolete concept. The new generation of tribe-based leaders increased pride (mana) in their tribes through social and cultural work and achieved practical advances in sanitation, education, and economic activities. In the late 1920s, carving, oratory, and other Maori arts flourished. Maori who felt ill at ease with the increasing tribalism often joined the Ratana Movement, a religious organization that gradually became more political. The Ratana Movement formed an alliance with New Zealand’s left-leaning Labour Party. This alliance contributed to Labour’s parliamentary success in elections held in 1935 and encouraged government policies aimed at improving Maori living conditions.
    "Although the New Zealand government exempted Maori from conscription during World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), Maori volunteers served with distinction in both wars. This participation revived something of the warrior spirit that had been dormant since the 1870s and led to increased Maori pride in their identity and heritage. Many of those who did not join the military moved from their villages to cities to work in "essential industries" to help the war effort, beginning a trend toward urbanization that has continued ever since. Only 11 percent of Maori were city dwellers in 1936, but by the 1980s more than 90 percent of the Maori population lived in urban areas."
Source: "New Zealand."  The Encyclopedia of World History.  6th ed. Ed. Peter N. Stearns and others. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.  Rpt. New York: BARTLEBY.COM, 2002.  Bartleby.com. 2003.  5 Jan. 2004 <http://www.bartleby.com/67/1500.html>.

   "The proximity of Maori to New Zealanders of European descent [Pakehas] has increased racial tensions. Maori leaders have struggled to replace or complement tribal political structures with new entities representing all Maori. At the same time, there has been a strong revival of cultural activity. Maori claims to lands unjustly taken from them in the 19th century are still being debated. Since 1980 the Waitangi Tribunal, a government body established to settle legal claims based on the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, has examined Maori grievances. In 1995 the Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, offered a formal apology and a promise of compensation to Maori tribes for 'the loss of lives [and] the devastation of property and social life.'
   "Today, most Maori in rural areas still adhere to their cultural traditions. In urban areas, more assimilated Maori have taken up professional occupations. Many Maori are now doctors, lawyers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and government leaders. Nonetheless the Maori community continues to struggle with high rates of unemployment, imprisonment, alcoholism, drug dependency, and violence. These problems are being addressed in many different ways. Maori activists have issued calls for greater acknowledgment of cultural differences in the justice and education systems. Each tribe (iwi) has social service programs, including educational grants, for its members. There are also community centers for urban Maori who do not belong to a tribe."
Source: "New Zealand."  The Encyclopedia of World History.  6th ed. Ed. Peter N. Stearns and others. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.  Rpt. New York: BARTLEBY.COM, 2002.  Bartleby.com. 2003.  5 Jan. 2004 <http://www.bartleby.com/67/1500.html>.