The Maory History of New Zealand
The Maory History of New Zealand
The original inhabitants of New Zealand were Polynesians who arrived by canoe in a series of migrations. Among these were the Moriori, or moa hunters, early ancestors of the Maory, who arrived in a later migration. Historians estimate the first Polynesians arrived over 1000 years ago, possibly as early as 800 AD. Whether the islands were discovered by accident or design is uncertain, but the original peoples found a plentiful food supply and larger, more varied islands than anywhere else in the Pacific. They named the islands Aotearoa, or the land of the long white cloud. The Maory people inhabited New Zealand for nearly 1000 years before the first European explorer to the island nation, the Dutchman Abel Tasman, sailed up the west coast and named it Niuew Zeeland, after the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. Maory culture has always been an integral part of New Zealand, and an understanding of the Maory’s vividly chronicled history is critical to an understanding of New Zealand today.
In the early “Archaic” period of Polynesian settlement, inhabitants depended on the plentiful sea life and the large and spectacular moa, a flightless bird, now extinct, for their food supply. Later, in the “Classic Maory” period, agriculture became increasingly important, with kumara (sweet potato), taro, and yams the most important crops. Maory civilization was centered on the warmer North Island, with expeditions mounted to the South Island to search for jade
Maory societies were hierarchical, and revolved around the iwi (tribe) or hapu (sub-tribe). The hapu were further divided into whanau (extended family groups) that joined with each other to form communal villages. Positions of leadership were largely hereditary, and local chiefs of the whanau were under the authority of the ariki, the supreme chief of the entire tribe.
Maory religion was complex. Ancestor worship was important, and a variety of gods representing the sky, sea,
The original inhabitants of New Zealand were Polynesians who arrived by canoe in a series of migrations. Among these were the Moriori, or moa hunters, early ancestors of the Maory, who arrived in a later migration. Historians estimate the first Polynesians arrived over 1000 years ago, possibly as early as 800 AD. Whether the islands were discovered by accident or design is uncertain, but the original peoples found a plentiful food supply and larger, more varied islands than anywhere else in the Pacific. They named the islands Aotearoa, or the land of the long white cloud. The Maory people inhabited New Zealand for nearly 1000 years before the first European explorer to the island nation, the Dutchman Abel Tasman, sailed up the west coast and named it Niuew Zeeland, after the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. Maory culture has always been an integral part of New Zealand, and an understanding of the Maory’s vividly chronicled history is critical to an understanding of New Zealand today.
In the early “Archaic” period of Polynesian settlement, inhabitants depended on the plentiful sea life and the large and spectacular moa, a flightless bird, now extinct, for their food supply. Later, in the “Classic Maory” period, agriculture became increasingly important, with kumara (sweet potato), taro, and yams the most important crops. Maory civilization was centered on the warmer North Island, with expeditions mounted to the South Island to search for jade
Maory societies were hierarchical, and revolved around the iwi (tribe) or hapu (sub-tribe). The hapu were further divided into whanau (extended family groups) that joined with each other to form communal villages. Positions of leadership were largely hereditary, and local chiefs of the whanau were under the authority of the ariki, the supreme chief of the entire tribe.
Maory religion was complex. Ancestor worship was important, and a variety of gods representing the sky, sea,