Maori Warfare

Warfare was a common thing for the early Maori. Tribes would fight one another for food, land, and natural resources. Wars also took place to enforce mana among other tribes. Warfare quite often took place at Pa sites where one tribe was protected. Before a battle the Maori warriors would do a haka to intimidate the opposition. The haka was also a traditional thing to do. The Maori would use many weapons in warfare such as the Patu, Mere, Tewhatewha, wahaika, kotiate and the Taiaha. (PICTURES OF THESE CAN BE SEEN IN AN EARLIER POST.) The Maori also had different gods for different things. The war god was Tumatauenga.

Here is a drawing of a Maori tribe doing a traditional Haka before battle:


Here is a photo of the Maori warrior ready for war. Maori warriors were well respected as they were defending their tribe:

Members of the family- Te whanau

Te Reo Maori
Tipuna/tupuna  = grandparent
Tipuna/tupuna = grandparents
Koroua/tipuna papa = grand father
Kuia/tipuna mama = grandmother
Matua = parents
Matua/papa = father/ dad
Mama/koka/whaea = mother/mum
Koka/whaea/whaea keke =Aunty
Tuahine = sister (of a male)
Tuahine = sisters (of a male)
Tungane = brothers (of a female)
Tuakana = older sibling (same gender)
Tuakana = Older siblings (same gender)
Teina = younger sibling (same gender)
Teina = younger siblings ( same gender)
Hoa = (friend)
Wahine = wife
Tane = husband
Tama = sons
Tamati tane = son
Tamahine = daughters
Tamaiti = child
Tamariki =children

Pa Sites

Pa sites were defensive villages Maori tribes would live in temporarily, sometimes permanently. Pa sites were usually found in the north island of New Zealand. Over 5000 sites have be discovered. These Pa sites were place on the top of hills with palisades (tall sharp wooden sticks stuck together), defending each level. The Pa sites represented mana of an iwi. The tribes that lived on these Pa sites would usually use them to defend their water source, and wells. They would also store their food mainly kumara in pits on the pa sites. The Pa sites were used by the early Maori, but when the English colonies came, they would barricade themselves in.











Here is a clear diagram of a Pa site. The whare are up on the top with wooden fences also known as palisades were fenced around. They put fences on multiple levels in case the invaders got in.

This is a drawing of a Maori tribe defending themselves in a Pa site.

Maori Clothing

Most clothes made by the maori people were made from;
native plants (e.g harakeke bushes, also known as flax bushes)
bird feathers (e.g huia feathers)
animal skins (e.g the kuri, which is a now extinct native Maori dog)
bone (e.g shark or animal bone)


This is a drawing of a Maori warrior

Cloaks:

Cloaks were normally worn by Maori in authority, a.k.a  chiefs or great warriors. These cloaks showed a lot of mana and prestige. Some cloaks styles were:

Korowai













Kaitaka













Kahu huruhuru












Kahu kuri