The Maori

Environment
The Maori are a group of indigenous people believed to have come from a mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki over one thousand years ago, and now reside in New Zealand. New Zealand is a country located South East of Australia. Because of New Zealand's location, it receives mild temperatures which decrease as a person goes south. The Maori also receive moderate rainfall and plenty of sun. There are many variations on the climate that exist in New Zealand.They experience summer starting in December which goes on until February. The days are long and sunny and the sunshine can even last until 9:00 pm. The winter months which start in June and ends in August, brings more rain and colder temperatures with snow appearing on the mountain ranges. The Maori must adapt to these changing weather patterns by making shelter for themselves. During the summer they wear less clothing, and during the winter they wear more clothing that are made from plants and animal skins.

The Maori used to live in rural areas but recently have shown to move to more urban areas. Although they do have a high level of competition, the reward is usually bragging rights or social status. While other cultures compete for resources for survival, the Maori used to have violent competition to show tribal strength. New Zealand has giant snails, flightless birds, few reptiles, and plants that can not be found anywhere else in the world. The only poisonous native animal is the katipo spider which lives on the sandy beaches. The environmental stresses that the Maori have to endure are the changing climates. Temperatures can be as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. One important note is that this is a subtropical location meaning that it can be very humid in these areas.

Adaptations
The Maori have very physically strong bodies with relatively big builds which help conserve heat during low temperatures. They also have dark skin which would protect them from the heat of the sun. New Zealand has plenty of sunshine as previously mentioned and subtropical weather. One cultural adaptation the Maori have developed are the clothing that not only protects against the elements, but also show signs of social status. They use animal skins and plants to make clothing of different textures and designs. Another cultural adaptation is the importance of building relationships. Relationships helps build cooperation among the Maori and this cooperation builds shelters, and people working together to feed the population. One of the other important cultural adaptations of the Maori was agriculture. They used agriculture to feed the population and their livestock which eases the stress of hunting for the next meal.

Language of the Maori
The Maori use a Malayo-Polynesian language which is a family of languages that are divided into four sub-families. These language families include Indonesian, Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian. The Maori language of New Zealand is an Eastern Polynesian language and is known as Re Reo Maori. The Maori did not always have written language but they did have symbols that were commonly understood. This changed however in 1820 when settlers arrived and realized that they needed a form of written language for the Maori in order to communicate and trade. The Maori then were excited on the subject of learning written language and that lead to problems in later years when the some of the Maori people decided that learning the settler's English language was more important than their own. However, the language lives on today and is a central part of the Maori culture.

Gender Roles

The Maori have two genders which are men and women. The men are the warriors of the tribe and women can not participate in warfare. The women are also not allowed to tattoo their faces like the men are. Women were still considered important however because of their ability to bear children. Women are also the people who perform the welcoming dance for visitors and guests of the tribe. However this is slowly changing because of the increase in gender equality issues. Men now participate with women in welcoming dances for tourists in New Zealand. Women can now participate in the warrior's dance as well. Although the social status of people who who do not follow the roles will be affected, it is generally becoming more accepted. The Maori culture is passed down from generation to generation through song and dance. They are taught the value of making friendly relationships with each other and  importance of physical strength. The biological bodies of males allow bigger muscle mass and body size. Women's bodies are more catered to bearing children and these biological differences are reflected in the Maori culture. The males are expected to be physically strong, and women have the important role of contributing to the Maori population. The protagonist in the story would have a really difficult time being accepted in the Maori culture. The gender roles in the Maori culture are rather specific and there are rarely if any similarities. However, the Maori do value relationships with other people and I believe there would eventually be some sort of acceptance. 

Subsistence

For the Maori culture has provided rich agriculture that has grown foods such as sweet potato, taro, yams, gourd and pacific cabbage trees. There would be a surplus of plants which they would cultivate in order to make ornaments or clothing. They traditionally eat a mix of cultivated, hunted and gathered foods. The traditional foods also include seaweed karengo, huhu grubs, pikopiko (fern shoots), and a fresh dish of mussels. This has changed slightly however by the way this food is prepared and presented for modern times. This different foods are available during different times during the year. In agriculture there are certain seasons for certain plants and foods. There is no "main" food but rather a variety of them. The rich land of New Zealand provides the ideal location for agriculture because of the subtropical weather. They are not dependent on any one food item in particular. The men are expected to do the heavy lifting and provide the means for crops and plants to grow. The women gather the plants and crops when they are ready to be harvested. Then the cycle starts again with the men digging and planting food and plants. 

Economic Systems
One of the surplus of food items are potatoes which are then used to fatten up the livestock. They grow a surplus of potatoes because they are easy to grow and was also a staple meal. The Maori do exhibit specialization of labor by splitting the work between genders. The men plant and grow the food while the women harvest, then the men take the harvested food and would store them in storehouses. The currency the Maori would use were the lands resources and agricultural foods for trade. These items could include fish, plants and other agricultural goods. They used a barter system which means that they exchanged services and other goods for other services and goods in return. The benefits of this system is that each group receives items that they need and provides a good relationships between the two groups. The negative effect this type of trade would have is the ability for one group to consistently have an item of value for the other group. This may force one of the groups to find another group to trade with.

Marriage

The Maori practice a monogamous marriage. Extended families would meet and discuss and debate the merits of a relationship. In only a few cases would some type of good be exchanged to one of the marrying families. Great feasts would be held to celebrate the marriage. During the marriage the Maori groom and bride touch fireheads and noses together allong them to share the same breath which is called Hongi. I believe this means that for the Maori, peace between tribes would be the reward for marriage. Men in Maori are free to be sexually active and have multiple partners before getting married and settling down. Women of rank however are expected to stay virgins until they marriage. The value of virgin women is much greater than those of virgin men. This was because there was more men than women and choosing a wife or husband depended on who was available. One of the most important rules is to not touch another person's hair or head especially a chief's head. They believe that the top of a person's head is sacred and to touch it would be an insult. However, sexual diversity is accepted within the Maori even homosexuality. 

Kinship

The Maori do not practice any descent patterns. They instead practice tribe culture and have deep ties to them. To the Maori, maintaining the lands of their tribes serves as an important defense to preserving their culture. They do not necessarily ignore them but they are less emphasized. They do celebrate ancestry but the tribe remains the most important aspect of their identity. They would fall under the kindred category because community and close ties are important to the Maori. Goods and property are passed down through marriage couples. Families feel that whatever they decide to pass down to their new family will be well taken care of. This shows respect and acceptance even if it is from one tribe to another. Some of the Maori name their young after ancestors to show signs of respect for them. The names the Maori choose usually have some type of meaning behind them. 

Social Organization

The Maori are organized into about thirty different tribes called iwis. Each tribe has their own traditional territory in New Zealand. I believe the Maori are stratified because of the many different traditions each tribe may have. Women have the important role of bearing children, but are limited in what they can do for their tribe like participate in wars. They do however contribute in other ways previously mentioned. Men have more freedom in the Maori because although they have responsibilities, as long as those responsibilities are met they are free to do whatever they wish. Gender has an influence on social status among the Maori. They also believe in what is known as mana which is a form of energy that is inherited or acquired. 

Political Structure

Each tribe of the Maori practice different traditions that hold the identity of each tribe. The chiefs of the tribes have great authority in the political and economic decisions of the tribe. They can decide which tribe they want to trade with and which they do not. It is important for the chiefs to have good relations with each other to avoid bitter feelings between tribes. Political power is transferred from the chiefs to the people they trust the most within the tribe. They are given positions of power and respect in the tribe which allows the Maori in that position with greater mana. The Maori also practiced a form of cannibalism because they believed that if they ate the flesh of a person with high mana, they could tap into that mana and transfer it to their own bodies. There were no standard punishments for breaking the rules but the Maori believes that a person who breaks a taboo they would be curse and spiritually punished. Even prisoners would not be executed, but rather kept alive so that they may experience the shame and spiritual punishment of being captured. 

The Role of Violence

The Maori are a competitive and physically strong group of warriors. Violence was used to show strength of a tribe and thus would give that tribe more power in the community. The Maori warrior dance known as Haka was a means of intimidation for their enemies. During the dance they would widen their eyes and stick out their tongues as a form of showing ruthlessness and no mercy. They believe that the uglier they look, the more intimidating they become. They also make as much noise as they can by screaming and yelling during Haka. Their also perform choreographed body positions which makes them appear larger as another form of intimidation.This dance is believe to bring out the mana in the warriors to use against their enemies and has even found its way into professional sports like Rugby. The effects that come from the violence is social status for the tribe. Other tribes would offer goods and services to keep the peace with a violent tribe. 

Religion

The Maori do practice religion, but one of the interesting parts is that there is no word for it. The word "whakapono" was introduced by missionaries which means faith and trust. The Maori believe that our world and the spirit world are one. This means that they believe spirits are all around us and in everything including rocks, trees, birds, insects, wind and many other things. There are serveral deities that the Maori worship and represent in their ritual ceremonies. Their religion does have an origin story of how people and all living things came to be. The story varies in little details between tribes when they retell it but there are common names and events that happen. The story begins with Ranginui (sky father) and Papatuanuku (earth mother) locked in an eternal embrace. Their children who were Tawhirimatea, Tane, Tangora, Rongo, and Haumia were also gods decided to try and separate them but were unsuccessful. Then Tane used his legs to push the sky apart from the earth and that is how the Ranginui was seperated from Papatuanuku. After this process Tawhirimatea became the god of wind, Tane god of the forest, Tangaroa god of the sea, Rongo god of cultivated foods and Haumia god of uncultivated foods. One of the religious rituals that the Maori practice is the pure rite. This done when a child was born and it purified and made a child's spiritual powers or mana permanent. This rite was also practiced when a Maori broke a taboo to protect their spirit from punishment. I believe these rituals are very important to the Maori and they would not function without it. The belief that there are spirits in everything and all around them give them the impression that they are always being watched keeping peace and social order. They would also tattoo their faces to show an undeniable declaration of who they are and their social status. 

Art

The art within the Maori culture are the tattooing of their faces which gives them both a physical and spiritual identity. They also tattoo their bodies and these tattoos show their tribe's culture and heritage. The Haka remains to be one of the most important warrior dances for the Maori. Earlier I described how the Maori use Haka to intimidate their enemies along with summoning their mana. This dance is also related to the god of war Tumatauenga. They also use songs to celebrate the different types of gods and use very loud drums that increases mana. Their traditional instruments consist of Tumutumu which are peices of stone, wood or bone that are tapped with strikers, and trumpets made from shells and wood which are called putatara. 

                                      

Conclusion

The Maori has had changes over the years due to English settlers in the 1800's. These settler's tried to instill their beliefs on to the Maori and for a time the culture seemed as though it would be lost. But the Maori have since embraced their culture and see it as a form of cultural identity for them in New Zealand. The Maori culture has attracted tourists in New Zealand and is a good opportunity for them to share their culture with people from different countries around the world. I would consider the culture to be healthy and thriving because of the popularity it has in New Zealand. When people think of the culture of New Zealand, they think of the Maori. In the modern world the Maori do not have much influence, but that is slowly changing because they are now receiving the attention they deserve in New Zealand by receive some of their traditional lands back. The Maori remain strong in New Zealand and I think that will remain a big part of New Zealand's identity in the future. 

Bibliography

Enviorment: http://www.newzealand.com/int/maori-culture/

                  http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/weather-and-climate.html

                                http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/urban-maori/page-1

Language: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/maori-language

                                http://www.maorilanguage.info/mao_lang_faq.html

Food of the Maori: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/maori-foods-kai-maori

Taboo: http://www.traveltaboo.com/new-zealand-travel-tips-dos-and-donts/

Kinship: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/maori-manners-and-social-behaviour-nga-mahi-tika/page-1

Religion: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/traditional-maori-religion-nga-karakia-a-te-maori/page-1

Art: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/maori-musical-instruments-taonga-puoro