Lecture 5 - Whakapaparanga - Social Structure, Leadership and Whangai Flashcards
The concept of being Māori
- Concept of being grouped under the ethnic label of Māori only resulted when European explorers arrived
- Māori actually means normal i.e. Māori originally introduced themselves to distinguish themselves from European settlers who were different.
- Pakeha (still used today) means mythical being of pale skin
-An integral part of being Māori is connection to land
Pepeha
-A form of introduction
-Māori carry with them complex layers of whakapapa and so will choose to share differing amounts of their Pepeha in different settings.
-Pepeha illustrates the Importance of communicating where you from rather than who you are –> i.e. holistic versus individualist identity
- Māori use landmarks to ground and connect themselves with the world e.g. introducing their mountain and river.
Order of Pepeha
- Mountain —> boat (waka) —-> river —-> people/ tribe (iwi) —-> hapu —–> whanau
This order is very important and deliberate.
Mountain
“my mountain does not move it remains steadfast, my authority comes from my ancestors beyond”
Awa (river)
“Waiapu mother of many” = unity, diversity, nourishment
Waka (boat)
- First level of societal membership and identification
- Would have multiple landing sites
Waka leadership
- Tohunga = guide early voyages to NZ and act as a vessel between spiritual and physical world. Ensure correct processes were followed (Tikanga)
- Rangatira = waka captains
Iwi
- Literally Iwi means bones –> where our bones lie
-Iwi only became a political force when there needed to be i.e. war with colonizers (logistic reasons before colonization prevented iwi having such action i.e. no roads)
- Today Iwi influence is huge —> has been corporatization of Iwi for adaptation to the modern world (look different to how they used to)
- Iwi can serve as Markers of identity e.g. language differences related to Iwi groupings.
-Iwi are commonly named after a common ancestor
-Note: Generalizing across Iwi is never the right thing to do
Leaders of Iwi
Ariki (paramount chief)
Hapu
- Medium sized kinship group made of several whanau
- Hapu = to be pregnant
- Primary political and social unit
What happened to Hapu after Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840)
- Tribal boundary lines became fixed
- Hapu creation ended
- Still a powerful social group although more acting on a grass roots level (i.e. intra hapu issues rather than acting widescale i.e. between hapu issues)
What are the leaders of hapu
- Rangatira
Whanau
- Whanau more expansive than the contemporary concept of family. Whanau encapsulated everyone and is non-nuclear.
- Multi-generational, extending across direct descent lines
- Kaumatua play an essential role = elders of whanau groups that play a role in leading a family
Leaders of Whanau
Kaumatua
Other forms of leaders
- Younger family members if prove themselves worthy can become leaders
-Women as leaders = Māori society is not a patriarchal society
- Leadership for Māori is complex and different from colonialized leadership
