Indigenous Peoples: Maori of Aotearoa

Modern New Zealand society is a blend of Maori and European cultures. Early European settlers had no love for the upper classes and aristocracy they had left behind in Europe. The combination of indigenous Maori and "outcast" Europeans has created an egalitarian society in which the Maori values of tradition and respect for nature still run strong.

New Zealand’s culture changed drastically in the mid-1800s with the arrival of European, particularly British, colonists. Today relatively few vestiges of the indigenous Maori culture can be seen in everyday life. Addressing Maori grievances is an ongoing issue for the wealthier, European-descended majority.

Cultural diversity is contentious in New Zealand. Most of the population is descended from European colonists, but there are minorities of Maoris, Pacific Islanders, and Asians. Although discrimination is illegal and violence against ethnic minorities is extremely rare, minority groups suffer from greater unemployment, lower incomes, and generally lower quality of life than the white majority. Maoris are particularly affected by social discrimination.

New Zealand’s culture changed drastically in the mid-1800s with the arrival of European, particularly British, colonists. Today relatively few vestiges of the indigenous Maori culture can be seen in everyday life. The country is economically independent of Britain but shows strong influences of its British heritage in its food, language, and social structure. Addressing Maori grievances is an ongoing issue for the wealthier, European-descended majority.

Religious diversity is a part of life in New Zealand. There is no clear majority religion. More than a quarter of the population is not religious at all, and a smaller minority is unaffiliated. The remainder of the population practice an assortment of Christian religions, with very small minorities of non-Christians. This includes practitioners of Maori traditional religion, who believe that everything on Earth contains a life force, called mauri, and that both living things and inanimate objects are descended from a common ancestor. For the most part, religious tolerance is high between all groups.

Superstition is a complex and varied part of traditional Maori culture. For example, involuntary body movements during sleep are called takiri. Some are lucky; moving a leg or foot forward means an enemy is being repulsed, and moving an arm towards the body is generally thought of as positive. On the other hand, whawhati—a sleep in which the legs, neck, and head are bent towards the belly—is considered very unlucky, and means evil will come to the sleeper.

Information from A-Z World Culture

World Trade Press. (2022, August). New Zealand: Cultural Overview. AtoZ World Culture. Retrieved August 01, 2022, from https://www.atozworldculture.com/new-zealand/cultural-overview.html