Maori Community – Adhering to strong cultural beliefs and traditions

The Mori community is believed to have formed by people who are native to New Zealand

. Their ancient history states them to have arrived from an island called Hawaiki in Polynesia in the 14th century. Mori history has a lot of tragic bends as it depicts years of bloody battles against the British government and European colonists, who hungered after their land.

Historical background of the Maori Tribes

Mori ancestry is described using the term "Whakapapa", which means to place one's ancestors layer-wise, starting from the first one upon another in proper order of family tree. Maori lineage marks out their ancestors back to the first Mori who arrived in canoes from Polynesia in fourteenth century. "Arawa", "Tainui" and "Mataatua" were the most famous wakas. The term waka also means 'tribe', as the Mori people were tribal people who belonged to a common ancestry within a tribe, and exhibited loyalty to their chiefs. A sub tribe "hapuu" was like an extended family that communally owned the land and encouraged their community brood to choose people from their own community as their life partners.

Maori Spirituality made them have strong ties with nature

The Mori's believed that all things, living or non living, were bonded by a common origin, from gods who resided in nature. Maori's had strong ties particularly with land and believed that everything around them possessed a life force mauri and a spirit wairua. "Mana" and "tapu" again derived from the gods were the two terms that described the spiritual essence existing in everything living or non living and appropriate behaviour with regard to maintaining sanctity. The degree of spirituality Tapu and Mana in things varied in people and things depending upon the spiritual powers, and social ranks that made its possessor Disregarding the rules/restrictions of tapu implied disobedience to the gods, which could invite punishment. The degree of mana and tapu in things or in people varied, depending on social rank, spiritual powers etc. and consequently made its possessor holy and acceptable to the ethical norms and guidelines of a Maori culture.

Maori Customs handed down from one generation to the next

"Tikanga", (tika) meaning true and not false (teka) is the term that describes the Mori customs passed on from one Maori generation to the next over time. Maori community strongly believes that their customs though from the past guide them and future is behind as nobody can see it and future eventually becomes your past. In social Maori gatherings, the guests are greeted in a traditional Maori way called "hongi" which involves presentation of an action song and then toughing noses with each other. The food at the traditional Maori occasions is cooked over earthen pots heated heavy stones.

Maori Community Adhering to strong cultural beliefs and traditions

By: Tony (OM Visions)

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