View this page in: Maori is a term used to describe the
indigenous tribes or nations of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Their
Polynesian ancestors migrated on huge ocean-going canoes
hundreds of years ago, from the mystical island of Hawaiiki.
Maori possess a rich and dynamic culture, one in which their
daily lives were in constant communion with the spiritual world.
Karakia (prayer), poetry, oratory And music was, and still is a
vital part of the Maori society. Stories were recorded in the
songs, carvings, weavings, paintings and crafts abundant in the
community. Maori sovereignty was challenged by the arrival of
the first white man, Captain James Cook in 1769. Missionaries
began a campaign to erode traditional notions of Maori
spirituality. Wars over land and power were fought between Maori
and the British troops. In 1840, a Treaty was signed. The
fighting continued on the battlefield, in the courts, the media,
even at the United Nations today. The issue of sovereignty has
yet to be fully resolved. Maori continue t