Who are the Māori people?

Who are the Māori people?

Sourced from Te Ara

The Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) are descendants of Polynesian peoples who settled in New Zealand over 700 years ago. 

Historians and tribal elders often debate the exact date and the number of waka that travelled here, and again there is much discussion and debate about precisely where these ancestors came from. Some argue that they made their way from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands group; others say they left from Raiatea, in the Society Islands. There are some similarities in language that suggest a link between the people of these islands and New Zealand.

According to oral tradition (sharing and retelling history through storytelling), some canoes landed on the East Coast of the North Island. Whangaparāoa, at the very eastern tip of the Bay of Plenty, is often called the ‘landing place of numerous canoes’, including the famous Tainui and Te Arawa. Another canoe, Mataatua, made its landing at the mouth of the Whakatāne River.

Early settlements were often at harbours or the mouths of rivers – close to the sea, with good access to fishing and shellfish grounds. There was extensive hunting of seals and the large flightless bird, the moa.

Pre-European Māori culture was oral, and tribal histories were passed down generation and generation, these were based on whanau, tribes, ancestors, and the land. 

Art, Tattoos and carvings became another very important way to tell these stories. Often a carving could represent important tribal histories, or symbols of great stories and legends. Tattoo (or Tā moko) was another way for people to carry these stories with them, and honour them.