What are the 5 core Māori values?

While there isn't one definitive list, the 5 core Māori values often cited in business, community, and personal growth contexts are Manaakitanga (hospitality/care), Kaitiakitanga (guardianship/environment), Whanaungatanga (relationships/belonging), Rangatiratanga (leadership/self-determination), and sometimes Tikanga (custom/ethics) or Mana (prestige/integrity). These values emphasize collective well-being, respect for nature, strong social bonds, and ethical leadership.

What are the main values in Māori culture?

Māori culture has long held the belief in the interconnectedness of all things, including the relationship between people and the natural environment. This belief is embodied in two key cultural principles: Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Why do Māori not sit on pillows?

Noa is the opposite of Tapu and refers to ordinary, everyday things such as food or alcohol. Those two should be kept separated. That's why you should avoid sitting on pillows and touching or passing food over a person's head, since it's considered very sacred by Māori people.

What are the pillars of Maori culture?

These walls represent taha wairua/spiritual wellbeing, taha hinengaro/mental and emotional wellbeing, taha tinana/physical wellbeing and taha whānau/family and social wellbeing. Our connection with the whenua/land forms the foundation. When all these things are in balance, we thrive.

What are the Māori principles?

Tikanga includes principles of consensus building, respect, care, balance, intergenerational equity and relationship building. Following these procedures can enable equitable, fair and resilient outcomes. Plans and actions need to be understood and supported by the community to be successful.

Tikanga Māori 101 | News2Me

How to show respect to Māori?

However, different iwi (tribes), hapū (sub tribes) and marae (Māori community meeting places) might have their own variations.

1. Remove your shoes. ...
2. Don't touch another person's head. ...
3. Don't put hats on food tables. ...
4. Don't pass food over anybody's head. ...
5. Don't sit on tables. ...
6. Entering or crossing a room. ...
7. Don't step over people.

Can a Māori marry a non-Māori?

Intermarriage between Māori and Pākehā has been common from the early days of European settlement in New Zealand. The government encouraged intermarriage, which was seen as a means of 'civilising' Māori. However, some people disapprove of intermarriage.

Why do Māori not cut hair at night?

This is because it was believed that others could find these body parts and place makutu on you. Cutting your hair and fingernails at night time meant that it would be easy for others to get a hold of these body parts and do harm to you.

What spiritual beliefs do the Māori people have?

At the centre of Māori religion were the atua or gods. In Māori belief the natural and supernatural worlds were one – there was no Māori word for religion. The use of the term 'whakapono' for religion was introduced by missionaries. Whakapono also means faith and trust.

What are the 3 Ps of Māori health?

The “3 Ps” comprise the well-established Crown Treaty framework – the principles of partnership, participation and protection.

What is disrespectful to Māori?

From mocking moko to haka hatred — microaggressions, mockery, and ignorance continue to disrespect Māori culture today. Since the settlers arrived, Māori culture has long been ridiculed, othered, and even beaten out of us. Early Europeans were often mystified by the many customs, traditions, and rules of Māori.

Why do Māori widen their eyes?

A pūkana helps to emphasise a point in a song or haka and demonstrate the performer's ferocity, intensity or passion. For women, pūkana involves opening their eyes wide and jutting out their chin. For men, it means widening their eyes and stretching out their tongue or baring their teeth.

Which body part is sacred to a Māori client?

The head is the most tapu (sacred) part of the body, and healthcare professionals should always ask a client for specific permission before touching their head. This can also be applied to all parts of the body in order to maintain the mana and dignity of clients.

What are some cultural taboos in New Zealand?

7 Cultural Taboos You Should Avoid In New Zealand

• Do Not Criticize The Maori Culture.
• Do Not Eat Food Until It Has Been Blessed In Maori.
• Do Not Tip In New Zealand.
• Do Not Brag Or Boast.
• Do Not Insult The Rugby Sport.
• Do Not Wear Your Shoes When Entering A Maori Meeting House.
• Do Not Come Empty-handed To A Gathering Or Party.

What are the 6 key symbols in Maori culture?

There are six extremely popular symbols used time and time again in pounamu carving, they are the Koru, Pikorua, Manaia, Hei Tiki, Hei Matau, and Toki.

Is it tapu to sit on a table?

Not sitting on tables is also linked to Māori beliefs about the tapu nature of bodily wastes and the need to keep them separate from food.

Do Māori believe in Jesus?

The Māori people have a Polynesian religion that, prior to the introduction of Christianity to New Zealand was the main religious belief for Māori. By 1845, more than half of the Māori population attended church and Christianity remains the largest religion for Māori.

Why do Māori remove shoes?

The tekoteko (carved figure on the gable of the house) is the head, the maihi (barge boards) are the arms, the tāhuhu (ridgepole) is the backbone and the heke (rafters) are the ribs. Respect is shown for the tipuna (ancestor) by removing shoes.

How do you show respect in Māori culture?

How To Show Respect. You will likely come across marae (Māori meeting grounds) on your travels in New Zealand. You are generally welcome to stop and look from the outside, but do not enter without being invited. If you are lucky enough to be invited, your hosts will help you with the kawa (protocol).

Why do Māori not whistle at night?

It's a Polynesian belief it supposed to call the evil spirits. Some old timers still follow that belief but mostly forgotten.

What is the 7 day haircut rule?

The "7-day haircut rule" suggests that a haircut often looks best about a week after getting it because it allows time for the cut to soften, settle in, and look more natural, moving from stiff or "puffy" to a lived-in style, with some stylists suggesting the sweet spot is 7-10 days later. It also provides a buffer for fixing mistakes before an important event, with Tuesday or Wednesday being ideal timing for a Friday event.
 

Where do Māori sleep?

Traditionally, Māori lived communally and slept in wharepuni – rectangular sleeping houses. Later, Māori slowly adopted European-style houses, but many had difficulty getting good housing. In the early 2000s Māori had a much lower home-ownership rate than the rest of the population.

Is marrying your first cousin inbreeding?

Yes, marrying your first cousin is a form of inbreeding (consanguinity) because first cousins share a significant portion of their DNA, increasing the risk for offspring to inherit harmful recessive genetic conditions, though the actual health outcome depends on the specific genes the parents carry. While often culturally acceptable or even encouraged in some societies, geneticists view first-cousin unions as increasing the chance for rare recessive diseases compared to unrelated parents, with risks rising significantly with repeated inbreeding over generations. 

What do Māori call non-Māori?

Pakeha, which is a Maori term for the white inhabitants of New Zealand, was in vogue even prior to 1815. Its original meaning and origin are obscure, but the following are possible origins, the first being the most probable: From pakepakeha: imaginary beings resembling men.

Can I get a Maori tattoo if I'm not Māori?

Yes, you can wear Maori tattoo. This form would come under ' kirituhi ' rather than ' ta moko '. Kirituhi is a form created for foreigners who appreciate the style of Maori designs. It doesn't incorporate some factors of ta moko, but is still important in its own right.