The Maori of New Zealand
Mon, Jun 2nd 2008, 00:00
According to Maori legend, the ancestors of the Maori sailed over in whaka (wooden canoes) from the mythical lands of Hawaiki, in Polynesia, approximately 1000 years ago.
The Maori were the first settlers on Aotearoa (or New Zealand, the Land of the Long White Cloud). Today, the Maori make up over 14 percent of the population.
Maori culture is rich with tradition and legend. The land is full of landmarks associated with Maori stories. The tribes living in the Hawkes Bay area are descendants of Kahungunu.The hook shape of Hawkes Bay is said to be to be the fish hook of the legendary seafarer Maui. It is said that he used the hook to pull in a record haul of fish from the Pacific Ocean. Hawkes Bay is known to the Maori as Matua a Maui – a gift from the sea.
While on a visit to New Zealand, a fascinating experience is to attend a Maori welcoming ceremony, known as a Powhiri. This ceremony is designed to ward off evil spirits and create a friendly environment to unify the locals and the visitors. The Powhiri usually takes place in the Marae, the meeting grounds. A ceremony is performed and speeches made. Each tribe has their own traditions and protocol.
Since the 1960s the Maori culture has undergone a cultural revival. Traditional arts are celebrated once more; carving, weaving, kapa haka (group performance), whaikorero (oratory) and moko (tattoo) are practiced as their tipuna (ancestors) did hundreds of years ago
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