The Beginning

      According to the Maori people, everything descended from Rangi, Sky Father, and Papa, Earth Mother. There was only darkness in the beginning and at last a glow appeared, it was the moon and sun from the heavens. Rangi and Papa had children who lived in darkness so they could not see.  As the children argued on how to utilize night and day, they were contemplating to either kill their parents or separate them.  Finally Rangi and Papa they were separated from one another.  Now night was different from day.  Rangi was brokenhearted and his tears formed the oceans.  One of their children Tawhiri, god of wind and storm, was afraid that Papa would become more beautiful and followed his father above.  And now we have the storms from above. Each child represents an aspect of nature that still argues with one another.

 

Maori History

      Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and their story is interesting.  From mostly oral records, archaeological finds, and genetic analyses, there are traces of the arrival of the Maori in New Zealand in the 13th century A.D.  Handed down orally around 900 AD, the Maori legend says that the chief traveled from the mythical island of Hawaiki, possibly somewhere in Polynesia, in a canoe called the Maataa-hourua.  The origin of the Maori has been linked to the islands of Eastern Polynesia and their journey to New Zealand occurred in many waka (canoe) voyages over a long period of time. These journeys showcase the Maori heritage as a daring and resourceful adventurous culture. 

 

      The first settlers arrived mainly around the Eastern coast of New Zealand, where it was more cooperative and temperate in climate.  New Zealand has no native mammals, but the Maori people introduced dogs and rats to the island.  The Maori  survived by fishing and hunting the native birds. 

 

      Since New Zealand was an isolated island, the Maori people were able to spread through out the North and South islands.  This resulted in each tribe evolving in different ways.  Each had skills in woodcarving, tattooing, storytelling and dance forms.  These art forms were utilized using bones, stone, wood and even teeth.  Wars between these separated tribes were common and typically over territory.    

 

      In the 1600’s the first European settler documented New Zealand.  Many years after in 1769 James Cook landed on the North Island.  Soon after by 1779, several Europeans began to migrate to New Zealand and used the island as a base for whaler, sealer and exploration ships.  The Maori were trying to protect themselves from all the traffic that was coming to their island.  In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by Maori chiefs and the British, and they fell under British rule in order for the Maori to keep their land.  They believed this was a great move receiving protection under the British, yet they would go on practicing their traditions on their own terms. 

 

      Like other indigenous cultures, many years later the promises to the Maori people were broken.  A majority of their land was stolen from them and sold to other men. Not only were the Maori facing these issues but also disease brought by settlers, war, and dominance by the Europeans.  Their populations slowly began to diminish.