Dress

The traditional Maori culture dresses very distinctively. While the women wear finely woven tops called "piupiu" that are red, white and black. The skirt is made from the flax bush. The women will scrape the patten into the leaves before they dry out, after curling it into a long thin straw shape. After they attach these to a women waistband. Women and sometimes men typically wear headbands that come with a feather. The men also wear piupiu, while greenstone (New Zealand jade) tiki hang around their necks.

Major holidays

The Maori culture celebrates the may Christian holidays as do other New Zealanders. The holidays did not exist in the Maori society before contact with other cultures. Many of the traditional rituals were performed according to the religious calendar and the harvest collection of foodstuffs. Maori was very controversial about New Zealand's national holiday called "Waitangi Day" which is February 6th. This holiday was for the commemorates signing in 1840 of the treaty that was supposed to guarantee their rights and privileges. Maori had taken away the Waitangi Day celebration, making the government cancel the festivities.

Heritage

Maori is best known for their cultural tradition known as the haka. Which is one of the best known dances of Polynesia. This dance is performed by all the blacks (national Rugby team) before each game. This dance is a mixture with a song and is created by clapping hands, stomping feet, and slapping thighs. There is a leader and a chorus that responds to the leader's lead vocal line. The dance is filled with energetic postures that represent aggressiveness. Chanting follows this dance and it often represents the family lines or the exploits of ancestors.

All the blacks (national Rugby team)

Intro/ Index

Welcome to my blog all about the Maori cultural! In this blog there will be information ranging from the history to their cultural survival. Take a journey through a culture that you've never got to learn about. Enjoy!

Maori Culture in Western clothing

History
Homeland
World/Landscape
Cosmos
Birds
Neighbors
Cultural Survival
References
Heritage
Major Holidays
Dress

Neighbors

In the 17th century the Europeans had discovered their way over to New Zealand making an enormous change to the Maori way of life. The culture had adopted many aspects of Western society and a different culture. The relationship between the two was friendlessness and very little disagreement. Even though the conflict in the 1860's making tension over a disputed land sales became a problem. European New Zealanders had become the largest ethnic group in New Zealand, while the Maori follows. The Maori today continue to suffer the social problems though. A lot of the urban are considered "urban dwellers". They face the difficulty with alcoholism, domestic violence, and under-employment or unemployment.

Maori and European settlers

Cosmos

The Maori look at the world in a different view people would never imagine. It's known as "the cycle of the sun". As the rise of the sun makes across the sky, and its setting in the west is described as a cosmic mystery. Because of this cycle is repeated every day, the traditional maori is considered it the basic principle of the world. The sun represents the birth and growth of mana, which means power in the world. The birth, rise and death of the sun came to be the primary model for all existence. All life should be given expression with this certain kind of cycle. Maori culture  has a speaker called the "orator". The orator gives a speech which the words mean that the world is constantly emerging from darkness into light. This speech is considered to be a re-enactment of Tane (the father oh humankind) separating earth and sky, in other words how light came into the world. His two parents, Papatuanuku (the earth mother) and Ranginui (the sky father) when Tane separated these two the sun was able to shine into the world. If the orator's words became to give Maoris guidance and wisdom he has given them the exit out of the "night" and right into the "day", giving them at peace. This only happens when mana (a spiritual force) enters a person. In other words, as the sun brings another day to the culture.

Homeland

Hawaiki is known for the homeland of the Maori culture, before they travelled across the sea to New Zealand. These indigenous people traveled from their mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki more than 1000 years ago. The population of Maori make up to 14% and still to this day they like to keep their culture alive. The best way to experience and observe the Maori culture is on a marae which is known as their tribal meeting grounds. Their homeland is filled with speeches, and singing. You'll experience carved meeting houses, and even meet the local people. When meeting the Maori, they exchange hellos with the traditional pressing of noses.

Traditional pressing of noses

Hawaiki