Sunday, 3 July 2016

Maori Diet 300 Years Ago

Maori Diet 300 years ago?


Māori food or kai was always based around the land. Māori were great hunters and gatherers and lived on birds and fish cooked with wild herbs and roots. The hunters of the tribe would get shellfish and fish from the sea, such as paua and kahawai. They would kill moa, birds, pigs and dogs to name a few. The moa is today extinct, but many scientists and archeologists have found and assembled the bones which the moa had. This is what they believe the moa looked like:

The Haka

The haka is a common term for the Maori dance. There are many types of haka, which vary between occasions. It can be as celebrating sucsess, welcoming guests onto marae, or as a pre-battle challenge.

The different types of Haka include:
  • Whakatu Waewae- This type of Haka invloves the Maori Warriors standing and stamping their feet. No weapons are used in this dance. This type of  Haka was espicially performed by the Tuhoe people who lived on the eastern end of the North Island in NZ.
  • Tutu Ngarahu- This Haka involved a side to side jumping movement and was a precusor to battle. the Haka involved weapons.
  • Ngeri- The goal of this Haka was to motivate or get warriors in the mood to fight; to "summon up the blood". This particular dance was very expressive an dhad no specific moves . The warriors often would express their emotions and feelings when doing this Haka.
  • Manawa wera-This Haka was mainly associated with death and funerals. It involved no weapons. The dancers had freedom of expression in the moves which were not choreographed so there was no defined moves when doing this Haka
  • Short free-form haka where the performers interpret as they feel fit.
A good example of the different types of haka is when the All Blacks go out after the anthems and peform a haka. The haka that they do can often vary, and the different types of haka that they have include the ka mate, ka mate, which is very popular, as well as Kapa o panga.

Traditional Maori Games

The Maori children of the village would often entertain themselves with games after they had completed their daily tasks. They created a vast amount of games. The games that they played included kite, poi rakau, tuakiri, korari, poi toa, tereina, mengamenga and ruru, to name a few.

One of the most popular games that they played was ki o rahi, or te mahi a te rahi. It is known these days worldwide, and involves quick passing, alertness, game cunning, intelligence and team work.The history of the game evolved around Rahi, a legendary figure, feeding his tipuna in the form of a large rock. The rules are that there are 2 teams of 7-10 players on the field and the two teams are called kioma and taniwha. These modes of play have different objectives. The game is player with a small handball, traditionally made out of flax, wood or light stone. The team that is kioma needs to score. The game seems rather confusing if we are honest, but it looks pretty cool.

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Saying someone is doing something in maori

Saying someone is doing something

Kei te aha koe? - What are you doing?
Tamaiti - Child
Tamariki - Children
Tama - Boy/s
Kotiro - Girl/s
Wahine - Woman/Women
Tane Man/Men
Hoa Takaro - Team mate/s
Haere - Go
Noho - Sit/Stay
Tu - Stand
Whakarongo - listen
Kei te ...... au. - I am .....
Korero - Speak
Titiro - Look
Tuhi - Write
Hikoi - Walk
Oma - Run
Kai - Eat
Inu - Drink
Takaro - Play
Waiata - Sing
Katakata - Laugh
Tangi - Cry
Moe - Sleep

Tuesday, 21 June 2016

Weather

How to talk about the weather in Maori

Paki - Be fine, fine weather
Wera - Be hot
Maku - Be wet
Makariri - Be cold
Koruki - Be cloudy
Ua - Rain
Hau - Wind
Huka - Snow
Kohu - Mist
Hukapapa - Frost
Marangi - Bad weather, rain storm
Rangi  - Sky/day
Ra - Sun/day
Heke - To descend
Whiti - To shine (of sun)
Tau - To settle
Pupuhi - To blow 
Rere - To fall/descend

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Matariki

Matariki

Matariki are seven stars, called the seven sisters. The names are:
Waipuna-a-rangi - Atlas
Uru-a-rangi - Pleione
Tupu-a-rangi - Maia
Tupu-a-nuku - Taygeta
Matariki - Alcyone
Waiti - Merope
Waita - Electra

Matariki marks the beginning of the Maori New Year. Matariki means "Eyes of God".



Legend of Matariki

Some say that when Ranginui(the sky father) and Papatuanuku (the earth mother) were separated by their children. Tawhirimatea(the god of the winds) became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens.
Another legend says that Matariki is the mother surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-a-nuku, Tupu-a-rangi, Waiti, Waita, Waipuna-a-rangi and Uru-a-rangi. One legend explains that Matariki and her daughters appear to assist the sun, Te Ra, whose winter journey from the north has left him weakened. 

Information about celebrating Matariki

The rise of the star cluster Matariki in the pre-dawn sky marks the beginning of the Maori New Year. Most Matariki celebrations start on the New Moon (Mutuwhenua) after the appearance of the Matariki. Some iwi believe it is the rise of the Puanga star that marks Matariki.











Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Maori Culture

Greeting, pressing of noses and forehead together - hongi
Welcome ceremony on a marae - pohiri
Gathering - emi
Marae protocols - kawa
Sacred - tapu
Hosts, local people - tangatawhenua
Guest, visitor - manuhiri
Tribe - iwi
Procedure, custom - tikanga
ceremonial dance - haka

Places of New Zealand

Christchurch - Otautahi
Dunedin - Otepoti
Gisborne - Turanga-nui-a-kiwa 
Stewart Island - Rakiura
Nelson - Whakatu
Wellington - Whanganui-a-tara
Auckland - Tamaki-makau-rau
North Island - Te Ika-a-Maui