Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome to Ao-tea-roa, Land of the Long White Cloud, also known as New Zealand – homeland of the Maori people and their rich cultural traditions.

New Zealand is the homeland of an ancient Polynesian people, the Maori, who made epic journeys in waka hourua (voyaging canoes) from their Pacific Island origins to reach these shores over 1,000 years ago. The Maori people have a rich cultural heritage, forming a unique and important contribution to the character of the country.

Europeans first set foot on New Zealand shores in the eighteenth century, and they set up trade relationships with resident Maori. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, setting up a formal relationship between the British Crown and many iwi (Maori tribes). Today the Treaty remains a cornerstone of New Zealand’s foundation, although settlements in compensation for colonial loss of land are still being negotiated.

Maori people today make up over fourteen percent of the population. Visitors to New Zealand will find many opportunities to experience Maori culture. Those interested in exploring the nation’s history should include a visit to Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, where the Treaty was originally signed. At the Waitangi National Trust Estate visitors can see a carved Maori meeting house and one of the world’s largest Maori war canoes.

Over the centuries before European colonisation, Maori developed a unique and complex social structure. As the Maori people had no written language, they preserved their past through spoken stories and this spellbinding art may still be witnessed around the country. Rotorua, in the central North Island, is particularly well known for the cultural experiences it offers. Visitors can enjoy a Maori powhiri (welcome), visit local marae (meeting grounds) and listen to kapa haka (performances of song and dance). They can also taste a hangi of kai (food) cooked on hot stones in an underground oven.

In addition to these cultural experiences, visitors can taste modern Maori culture by taking a tour led by Maori guides. Paddle a traditional Maori waka or explore regions with historical or mythical significance for a unique insight into the spirit of New Zealand. Walking ancient trails through magnificent rainforests, over rivers and streams, and along shoreline and coastal cliffs, is another wonderful way to experience the history of New Zealand and the Maori people.

Recommended Reading

The Penguin History of  New Zealand by Michael King (Penguin Books, Auckland, 2003).  A History of the New Zealanders:  From Polynesian Settlement to the End of the Nineteenth Century by James Belich (Allen Lane/The Penguin Press,  Auckland, 2001). The Story of a Treaty by Claudia Orange (Allen & Unwin, Wellington, 1989).

Maori Culture Today

As a nation, New Zealand embraces the Maori element of its culture and in recent times there has been a major resurgence of Maori language and culture. Maori culture has thrived because in many ways Maori have succeeded in uniting traditional culture with contemporary interpretation. Today Maori culture is expressed through music, both in the Maori language and in English, the arts, which may draw on contemporary mediums or themes, in sports (such as the haka performed by the All Blacks rugby team!) and in the media. The Maori television channel, for instance, supports the culture by telling stories by and about Maori people www.maoritelevision.com.

Experiencing Maori Culture

Since European colonisation, Maori have always played an integral role in New Zealand tourism – in the nineteenth century they were hospitable and entertaining hosts in popular tourism destinations like Rotorua. Today tourism is embraced as a way to preserve and enhance the Maori culture and there are many ways for your clients to experience the culture for themselves.

Marae Visits

The marae, or meeting place, is a central part of Maori culture. Incorporating traditional arts such as carving and woven panels, the buildings at a marae reflect the story of its people. They are found throughout the country, but visits should be arranged through a specialist operator. Encourage your clients to pay a visit, or even stay overnight, in a marae to gain a deeper understanding of Maori culture.

Powhiri

Marae visits traditionally begin with a powhiri, or formal welcome. The powhiri begins with a wero – a warrior confronts the visitors, twirling a club and flicking his tongue. He lays down a token, such as a small branch. Picking up the token demonstrates that the visitors come in peace. The powhiri also includes the karanga, a haunting call of welcome performed by the women of the marae.

Cultural Concerts

Throughout New Zealand there are many places in which your clients can be entertained by a cultural performance of live singing, dancing and story-telling. Based on traditional arts, but incorporating contemporary elements, kapa haka is a popular performance art combining theatre and song in a spellbinding display – every two years groups from around New Zealand compete in a national competition.

Hangi

Encourage your clients to take the opportunity to sample food cooked in the traditional Maori way. To prepare a hangi, a hole is dug and the food (anything from potatoes to pork) is placed in woven baskets and buried along with hot rocks so that the food is slowly steamed. A hangi is usually a great social occasion for all involved! Increasingly, the hangi is being given a contemporary twist: New Zealand’s 2009 celebration of Matariki, the Maori New Year, was launched with a gourmet hangi prepared by internationally renowned chef Peter Gordon and including such delicacies as marinated pork loin with Kawakawa (a traditional Maori herb).

Guided Walks

Maori have traditionally had a very close relationship with the natural environment and participating in a guided walk is a wonderful way for your clients to gain a deeper appreciation of the land’s significance. They will, for instance, learn the Maori history of the landscape, and the medicinal, culinary or spiritual properties of native flora and fauna.

Traditional Crafts

Central to New Zealand’s Maori culture are traditional crafts that have been practiced and perfected across centuries. Meeting houses such as Te Whare Runanga at Waitangi showcase remarkable artistic talent with their intricate wood carvings and woven panels. Visitors can gain a deeper appreciation of the great skill involved in these creations by trying their own hand in traditional Maori crafts, whether flax-weaving at a marae or carving bone or greenstone at a working studio.