NZ studies

​Welcome to the Next Part of New Zealand Studies

The Maori are an indigenous people of New Zealand.
Indigenous- the people living in a land before the colonists

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​The Maori

The Maori traveled to New Zealand by boats called "Waka". They followed the Sun and the stars to navigate the waka and followed sea currents to come to New Zealand.

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The Maori Travelers

The Maori spoke a language known as Te Reo Maori and the name they called this land was Aotearoa. This means "land of the long white cloud".

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​Aotearoa

The Maori believe have their own religion and belief system.

​Their gods represent the Sky, Earth and Nature.

​The Maori Culture

The meaning of the word "Maori" means ordinary people. This set the people apart from the gods.

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​The Meaning of the Name Maori

One of the Maori gods was known as Ranginui. The sky father represents creativity, curiosity, charm, friendliness, cheer, and social life.

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​Ranginui- The Sky Father

The Earth Mother represents the land and the birth place of all things.

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​Papatūānuku
The Earth Mother

After this lesson your task will be to find the names of the other gods

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​There are 7 gods in total

The haka is a big part of Maori culture. It was originally a Maori war dance to prepare the warriors for battle.

​The Haka

The use of the Haka in modern times is used to welcome visitors or before competitive games such as Rugby and other sports.

​The Modern Day Haka

Now to test your knowledge

Multiple Choice

Who are the Maori people?

• Indigenous people of New Zealand

• People in America

• People who have traveled to the moon

• People of the Netherlands

Multiple Choice

True or False

The Haka is part of Maori culture?

Multiple Choice

What does the Name Aotearoa mean?

• Land of happiness

• Land of the giants

• Land of the long white cloud

Multiple Choice

Which of these was transportation for the Maori when they first came to NZ?

• Waka

• Steam Train

• Airplane

Multiple Choice

What did the gods represent for the Maori?

• Sky, Earth and Nature

• Trains, Boats and Cars

• Houses

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the Maori ceremonial dance?

• Waka

• Haka

• Tamaki