Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. It is also the name of the people and language of the Cook Islands, referred to as Cook Islands Māori. The word maori means "normal" or "ordinary" in the Māori language and is widely applied; ("wai maori" is fresh water as distinct from seawater). "Maori" has similarities in some other Polynesian languages such as Hawaiian in which the cognate word maoli means native, indigenous, real or actual. The use of the term Maoris as the plural of Māori is now generally used only outside New Zealand.
1 Māori arrival in New Zealand
Māori are believed to have arrived in New Zealand somewhere in the later part of the 1st millennium AD, coming from Tahiti or some other part of eastern Polynesia. Archaeological evidence suggests that there were probably several waves of migration over the period between 800 and 1300. Māori myth and legend describe their arrival from the mythical Hawaiki by large ocean-going canoeA canoe is a relatively small human-powered boat. It is propelled by one or more people (depending on the size of canoe), using single-bladed paddles. The paddlers face in the direction of travel, either in a seated position or kneeling on the bottom of ts (waka). There are several different migration accounts and the members of the various Māori tribes or iwiIwi (pronounced ee-wee) are the largest everyday social units in Mori society. In pre-European times, iwi was synonymous with nationality; it described fully the people to whom a person belonged and owed allegiance. With the development of the country now can identify with the different waka in their genealogies or whakapapaWhakapapa or genealogy is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Maori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'. It is in fact a paradigm of cultural discourse and provides the basis for establishing, enhancing and even.
According to the NgapuhiNgapuhi form one of the major and (with over 100,000 members) most numerous of the Maori tribes or iwi in New Zealand, occupying much the area north of the city of Auckland and known as Tai Tokerau or Northland. Early in the 19th century, Ngapuhi became o, one of the northern tribes, they sailed from Hawaiki, and their journey was aided by the gods in that the sun did not set for three days. A possible reason for this claim is that their voyage coincided with the appearance in the sky of the Crab NebulaThe Crab Nebula (also known as Messier Object 1 M1 or NGC 1952 is the object which started Charles Messier logging non-cometary objects on his Messier Catalog. It is an expanding cloud of gas thrown off in the explosion associated with the July 4, 1054 su Supernova which for several days was bright enough to be seen in daylight. Chinese historians also recorded this event and dated it to July 1054Events July 4 A supernova is recorded by the Chinese and possibly Native Americans near the star ζ Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula. Pope Leo IX and Michael Cerularius, Pa.
The origin of the Polynesians has often been the source of much speculation. Recent maternal DNADeoxyribonucleic acid DNA is a nucleic acid which carries genetic instructions for the biological development of all cellular forms of life and many viruses. DNA is sometimes referred to as the molecule of heredity as it is inherited and used to propagate analysis indicates that the Polynesians, including Māori, are most closely related to the peoples of east AsiaThe continent of Asia is defined by subtracting Europe and Africa from the great land mass of Africa-Eurasia. The boundaries are vague, especially between Asia and Europe: Asia and Africa meet somewhere near the Suez Canal. The boundary between Asia and E. However, there is also evidence of cultural and perhaps genetic links to indigenous South Americans. It has become clear that Polynesian seafarers were capable of making very long voyages in some cases against the prevailing winds and tides, and their navigation skills were very well developed. Several long voyages have been made in recent times in traditionally constructed vessels to prove this point.
In his book The Penguin History Of New Zealand, historian Michael King said Maori were "the last major human community on earth untouched and unaffected by the wider world."
