Social Structure
The iwi (tribe) was the largest political unit within Classic Maori society, although an affinity with other tribes which shared descent from the same canoe frequently gave rise to military allegiances. However, the main unit was not the iwi but the hapu (sub-tribe), a highly localised group of perhaps 500 people ofcommon descent made up of several inter-related whanau (extended family groups) bound together by a common ancestor who might have lived perhaps 10 generations earlier.
The hapu was a fully autonomous and independent grouping, a self-sufficient economic unit which cultivated its own land and caught fish and snared birds from within its own boundaries. A village settlement might have comprised a single or perhaps several hapu. An ariki (chief) was the leader of a hapu and attained his rank from the common belief that vested in him was the mana (prestige) of his predecessors. If he were not an effective political leader he might retain his religious role while vesting political leadership in a more suitable relative. Whenever an important decision affecting the hapu was to be made, a public meeting would be held on the marae (square) in front of the whare runanga (meeting house). The various kaumatua (family leaders) might all speak, but the ariki spoke first and last, and his decision, which would reflect the opinions expressed, was final.
The word hapu literally means 'pregnancy', emphasizing the concept of kinship, and iwi, 'bones', the preoccupation with relationships and lines of descent. But while the hapu would combine to battle with external enemies as a tribal unit, fighting between hapu within the same iwi was by no means exceptional.
(Maori social structure . (n.d.). Maori people of New Zealand . Retrieved
June 10, 2013, from http://www.maori.info/maori_society.htm)
Tā moko
Called Tā moko by the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand, this civilization's facial tattoos have a deeper meaning than simple aesthetics. The permanent body and face markings of these native peoples are unique in the way that to produce them, the skin is not punctured, but chiseled with an uhi made from albatross bone, to produce grooves rather than the smoother surface seen with regular tattoos. Typical designs include carefully drawn spirals by the Tohunga tā moko, the tattoo artists that are considered extremely sacred. In the time before the Europeans, the Māori natives who underwent this procedure were typically of high status, whereas those who did not have the telltale facial tattoos were considered of lower social status. Every tattoo, or moko, showcases the significance of each individual's tribe, family, story, and place in their social structure. Women typically wear their moko on the chin, and occasionally on their nostrils, upper lip, between the eyebrows, and the neck.
(Tā moko . (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 12,
2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%81_moko )
(Tā moko . (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 12,
2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%81_moko )
The Māori haka
The haka is a traditional war cry, or dance, used by the Māori people of New Zealand. The dance includes sharp movements, stamping of the feet, and rhythmical shouting, done in groups. The war haka was used to intimidate opponents before battle.
The haka is not, however, only limited to men and war. The Māori All Blacks, a rugby team that typically plays touring New Zealand, is a union that requires Māori whakapapa, meaning genealogy. This New Zealand team brought one type of haka to the field - and were widely recognized for it. The dance was later adopted by the national New Zealand team, and later performed at games before the commencement of the match. Other haka are used for welcoming ceremonies as well as great occasions or funerals; they can also sometimes be performed by women and children.
(New Zealand Haka . (n.d.). New Zealand Tourism Guide. Retrieved June
12, 2013, from http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/haka.html )
(New Zealand Haka . (n.d.). New Zealand Tourism Guide. Retrieved June
12, 2013, from http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/haka.html )
Māori Music
Traditional Maori songs were described by some early European voyagers as 'dreary monotones'. They included a
variety of chants and a large number of waiata (songs) both of lament (waiata tangi) and of love (waiata aroha). Waiata melodies moved within a very limited range, perhaps as little as a fourth, and the singer slid from one note to the next, an interval often less than a semi-tone. The ability to sing in this complex manner has almost disappeared.
Classic Maori instruments were of the flute and trumpet variety, fashioned from stone, whalebone, wood and even human bone. Drums were unknown, rhythm being supplied by foot stamping, the slapping of both chest and thighs with the hands and occasionally the tapping of a resonant piece of wood with a stick.
(Maori social structure . (n.d.). Maori people of New Zealand . Retrieved June 10, 2013, from http://www.maori.info/maori_society.htm)