Comments | little_details: Contemporary Maori Culture

cattrip in little_details

Contemporary Maori Culture

Aug 12, 2009 23:19

I'm trying to get some details on Maori culture as it stands today. I've searched under Maori culture, urban Maori, Maori tribes (or iwi) as well as specific iwis. I've found lots of good information but failed to capture some topics. so here's hoping that some one can help me ( Read more... )

new zealand (misc)

Comments 5

jo_mako August 12 2009, 21:43:46 UTC

The icon should hopefully be a clue as to where I'm from...

1) Heads of the various groupings are always respected as are elders...much more so than in other parts of the world. For kinda sorta related instance, you can have an elder sponsor you on your passport application, regardless whether they have a passport themself or not. I don't see that happening in the States.

2) My god parents, who are Maori elders would answer that with one word. Taboo.

3) Poi are part of traditional dance...much like hula. There are male specific and female specific dances in Maori culture. Some blokes I know, do know how to use poi, but traditionally they are used by women in performances.

cattrip August 12 2009, 22:33:24 UTC

Thank you, (I'm an Aussie ( ... )

jo_mako August 12 2009, 22:56:49 UTC

Oh good-o G'day ( ... )

deepbluemermaid August 12 2009, 22:54:21 UTC

I'm also from New Zealand; although I'm not Maori, I studied the language at high school. Although I'm not an expert, I'm excited to have a question I can attempt to answer!

Is your story influenced by Witi Ihimaera's book Whale Rider / the movie based on it? The MC's scenario reminds me of Paikea's situation.

Firstly, I would question your basic premise about hereditary leadership. Leadership may well be by direct descent within a whanau grouping, but I'm not sure that's necessarily true for a hapu. I think seniority, life experience, mana (personal presence / gravitas) could be more important than direct line of descent from the current leader.

Being a kaumatua / kuia (literally elderly man / grandmother, but with a broader meaning of respected male / female elder) is a role you grow into. So you might grow up knowing of your powerful and important ancestors, and being groomed for a possible leadership role later in life, but that doesn't mean it's strictly hereditary ( ... )

moon_angelica August 13 2009, 06:52:27 UTC

1. The person/elder that most would go to for advice etc would be the kaumatua, or one of the elders. A young person would also tend to go to someone more closely related though, especially if you're talking an iwi, so a grandparent or an elder of their more immediate whanau is also pretty likely.

2. I agree that succession tends to be regarded as tapu. I remember the when the Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, died there was a large hui for the funeral and the successor was announced at the end. No details of ceremonies etc were ever released. As a distant member of my iwi I wouldn't ever expect to know the details personally.

3. Poi is definitely something that mainly women practice, the only men I've ever seen use poi were teachers and they were teaching girls. I would expect a guy to use taiaha though. Most of the Maori men I know have had at least some basic training in taiaha (it helps that taiaha are a weapon and they can look suitably fierce when using it lol)