The Aotearoa History Show S2 | Episode 2: Māori: The First 500 Years | RNZ

Summary

The video script traces the history of Māori in Aotearoa from the arrival of the first waka circa 1270 AD through phases of early exploration, adaptation to the new landscape and extinction of the moa, societal changes and migrations with the shift to agriculture, increasing conflict and fortifications in the 'transitional phase', further cultural evolution in the 'traditional phase' up to first contact with Europeans in 1769, examining key concepts like utu and developments in social structure, art, trade relationships between hapū over this 500-year period.

Takeaways

• 😀 Early Māori lived in small, temporary camps near coasts and rivers, hunting birds, fishing, and gathering shellfish
• 😮 Archaeologists uncovered evidence of New Zealand's 'first capital' at Wairoa Bay where early Māori made tools and shared knowledge
• 😯 The extinction of the moa bird around 1450 AD forced a reliance on kumara and migration into the 'kumara zone'
• 😠 Increasing competition and climate change led to more conflict and defensive fortifications in the 'transitional phase'
• 🎨 New art forms emerged as Māori worked with local materials like pounamu and bone
• 👪 The oral tradition became more detailed as hapū asserted land rights through whakapapa recitals
• 🌱 South Island Māori relied on seasonal food sources and an exchange system called kaihokai
• ⛺ In the 'traditional phase' Māori culture continued evolving with largers alliances between hapū and iwi
• ✊ The biggest battle may have involved up to 16,000 warriors in the late 1700s/early 1800s
• 🤝 The arrival of Europeans in 1769 marked the end of the 'traditional phase' of Māori history

Q & A

What was the name of the Tahitian navigator who first stepped ashore in New Zealand in 1769?

Tupaya

Why did the early phase of Māori arrival, exploration and occupation seem relatively peaceful?

Experts think this early phase was peaceful because there were so few people and an abundance of food, so there was little need to fight and good reasons to cooperate.

How did Māori track rights to land and assert identity?

By reciting whakapapa, which asserts both rights to land and identity. Whakapapa serves as a family tree, legal record, and oral history.

What was the Little Ice Age and how did it impact Māori culture?

The Little Ice Age was a period of global cooling from around 1300-1850 AD. In New Zealand, it led to smaller harvests and increased competition for resources, likely contributing to more conflict and changes in culture.

What was the importance of pounamu (greenstone) to Māori?

Pounamu was highly prized and traded widely as a symbol of status and mana. Control of pounamu sources conferred power and the stone was fashioned into tools, weapons and ornaments.

How were early Māori settlements different from later, more permanent villages?

Early settlements were temporary camps that relied on plentiful wild foods and moved location when local resources were depleted. Later permanent villages focused on tending crops and defending productive land.

What is utu and how was it used?

Utu refers to the concept of balance, cost and reparation in Māori customary law. It demanded a response that was appropriately balanced. Tawamuru raids were a form of utu.

How did Māori adapt to colder conditions in New Zealand?

Adaptations included reliance on the tropical kumara plant in northern regions, seasonal migrations to gather wild foods in the south, and widespread trade of preserved foods between regions.

What were the main phases in pre-European Māori history?

Archaeologists divide early Māori history into the colonisation phase (~1280-1400 AD), transitional phase (~1300-1600) which saw major upheaval, and traditional phase (~1500-1800) when classic Māori structures developed.

What is an iwi and how were they increasingly important over time?

Iwi refers to a large tribal grouping descended from early Polynesian ancestors. They became important for trade, warfare, celebrations, building projects and exerting political influence.