The Maori Tribe
Maori Wars
- The Maori Wars against the British were a result of imperialism, or more specifically, of the British trying to colonize them.
- The two more prominent causes of the wars were racial instigation and sociology-economic competitions.
- Maori people didn't want to sell their land to the governor of New Zealand, who was British, so he launched an attack on the Maoris.
- The British sent their regular army into Maori land, but they were suffering too many casualties due to the Maoris guerrilla warfare tactics. So they reinforced their garrisons and tried new strategies such as attacking Maori food sources.
- It was an ongoing series of wars with no clear winner, so the British proposed peace by allowing the Maoris to govern themselves at the terms of industrializing Maori land. The Maoris did not accept.
- Sheer exhaustion brought the fighting to an end, but formal peace wasn't declared until 1881.
Maori Culture Today
- In an attempt to keep the Maori culture and language alive, the New Zealand government funded a television show to revitalize Maori culture and broadcasting. It turned into a huge success.
- Tourism has played a major role in the countries income and the education on Maori culture. The tours through the volcanic plateaus, led by Maoris, are a popular tourist attraction.
- Only 9.5% of the population of New Zealand are Maori people and not many of them are of pure Maori descent.
- Modern day Maori families live by themselves as opposed to living in tribes like they used to before European colonization.
- The New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team still does the Maori traditional war dance before their games.
NZ Haka vs South Africa - 15 September 2012