The Maoris of New Zealand -- Maori Today

Pakeha and Maori are two different kinds of New Zealanders. Pakeha are white people whose ancestors lived in Europe. Maori are brown people whose ancestors have lived in New Zealand for many generations. New Zealand does not have separate class for people of mixed Maori and Pakeha blood. Nor does it insist that all people of Maori descent be classified as Maori. According to recent population estimates, there are about 400,000 Maori in New Zealand's population of 3.5 million-about one Maori for every 12 Pakeha. Most Maori still live in the North Island. They have concentrated in North Auckland, the Waikato-king County. They all have large Maori population. Maori culture continues to exist, but its form has changes greatly since mid 1800s. The Maori way of life has become more like the general New Zealand way of life. regain some of its features of the old Maori culture as it is for them to match the Pakeha in terms of earning money and owning material goods. Such values as aroha (love and generosity), mana Maori (prestige and respect within Maori society) and Maori tanga (Maori culture) are, in this view as important as financial success and status.

MAORI TRIBES TODAY

The Maori still retain membership in their particular tribes, even though the members of each tribe may be widely scattered throughout the country. They know what is their tribal committee and probably still own shares in some of the land there. They may be members of the tribal committee. They will return to their own marae (A piece of land owned in common by a subdivision of the tribe. Used as a meeting place) to some ceremonial gathering.

MAORI POLITICS
4 Maori members elected by the electorates represent the Maori in Parliaments. Since 1975, The Maori, including the descendents have the right to choose whether to vote in a Maori or a general electorate rather than before, where they were required to vote for one of the four. People of the tribe hold Maori seats in the Parliament themselves. Most of the time, they will be in the Labour party. Sometimes they stood for general election and were elected. There are many outstanding talented Maori politicians who helped people through their difficulties associated with changing from the old Maori way of live to the new ways of the modern world.

MAORI RELIGION
Both Protestant and Catholics began to work in New Zealand early in the 1800s. By 1840, almost all Maori had become Christians. Today, some Maori belong to the churches with Anglicans having the highest percentage of members from both races. Equal proportions of the Maori and Pakeha are Catholics, while more Maori than Europeans are Mormons.

MAORI SPORTS AND RECREATION
Maori athletes excelled in ruby, basketball, tennis and most recently, golf. Most Maori community has a club that promotes Maori song and dance, which cater for their liking in music and singing. Maori musicians play string instruments like ukuleles and guitars at social gatherings.

ONE NEW ZEALAND CULTURE OR TWO?
When the Pakeha and Maori first met 200 years ago, they had very different lifestyles. Now, after living together in the same country for a long time, almost all the old Maori way of life has disappeared and the Maori today that is not really different from that of the Pakeha. They have the same kinds of houses, do the same kind of work and participate in the general way of life. But for some of the Maori, there are some aspects of living that differs from the general New Zealand pattern. Many speak Maori and English. They spent some of the time in activities linking them to the particular Maori tribe they are in. They maintain large ties and so attend more family gatherings. They take part in Maori action songs and haka teams and go to many meetings at the marae. Above all, they feel that they are Maori and not Pakeha. People believe that the Maori and Pakeha should be remember that they are two different people and became one - NEW ZEALANDERS. Most Maori believe it is good to have different ways of life existing together and they encourage a multicultural society in New Zealand. Maori favour this ideal because of the fear of integration (bring the races together) is likely to the completely loss of Maoritange (the Maori way of life) They point out that the New Zealand does almost everything about Pakeha. They encourage government to recongnise that there is more that one way of life in New Zealand. Some Maori feel that they should be recongnise as having their own National unity and should have the power to decide certain matters for themselves. Sporting bodies have recongnise Maori needs, therefore having a separate governing bodies, tournaments and overseas tours for Maori team. There is a separate Maori court to handle all matters concerning land owned by the Maori. There are other organisations in charge specially for the Maori needs. Many young Maori felt that they are losing knowledge of their cultural heritage. They want to regain the language, customs and traditions. They are conscious that most of their land had been passed to non-Maori. Attention was drawn to the parliament, which eventually helped some results shown. New Zealanders are now aware that a single, completely uniform culture is not only conceivable future for the country.

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