MAORI. The Maori come of sea-faring stock. A section of the great Polynesian race which inhabits the far-scattered island groups of the Eastern Pacific, they are the result of an inter-mixture of several distinct waves of canoe-voyagers. The last of these is now established as having come from Tahiti, with Rarotonga as the port of call, about the middle of the fourteenth century. Evidence of this is provided by comparison of the tra ditions and genealogies most scrupulously preserved by the learn ed men in each tribe. Prior to this time the country was inhabited by the tangata whenua, "the people of the land," some of whom were descended from Toi-kai-rakau, a Polynesian immigrant of about ii5o, and others probably from drift-voyagers. With these folk the later arrivals inter-married and fought, ultimately gain ing the ascendancy. The visit of Toi was in the nature of a search party for his lost grandson ; the later migration, however, was a premeditated colonization, hence the kumara (sweet potato), taro, yam and other cultivated plants were introduced, as also the native dog.
For general culture the most important element in the Maori population is provided by the fleet of 1350, and on this the present social organization largely depends.
Social Grouping.—The Maori people are divided into a score or more tribes, iwi, each with its own well defined lands, and tracing kinship to a common ancestor. Thus all members of Ngati Maru, a tribe around Hauraki, claim descent from Maru tuahu, the famous 14th century chief whose name they bear. The principal canoes associated with the fleet are Tainui, Arawa.
Matatua, Takitimu, Tokomaru and Aotea, and, generally speak ing, the particular group of tribes descended from the captain and crew of each vessel occupy contiguous territory and form a separate unit of a loose political nature, known as a waka (canoe). Thus Ngati Maru, together with Waikato and the tribes of the King Country make up the Tainui waka, a human "canoe" which extends from Hauraki to Mokau. The tribe is made up of several principal hapu or clans, each of which might in olden days number about a thousand fighting men. The hapu was not a unilateral group, i.e., a person could belong to it through either his father or his mother, nor was it exogamous, marriage within the group being favoured provided that the parties were not first cousins. Within these major social units were lesser hapu, tracing descent to more immediate ancestors, and these in turn were com posed of whanau, family groups of near relatives who together often occupied a dwelling hut. The individual family of parents and children existed, but, not forming a separate household, did not play a large part in public life. Through all Maori social
structure ran this principle of kinship tie by common descent, a bond which linked men together and welded whanau to form hapu, and hapu to form tribe. One hapu might fight another but on the approach of a tribal enemy their quarrel was laid aside and their arms were turned against the common foe.
The system of primogeniture played a great part in the social organization. The highest chief of all was the ariki, eldest son in a line of first-born men of rank. His maw (power) was very great; his word was law. The people of his tribe were his relatives, their rank being broadly represented by the closeness of their kin ship to him. Next to him came the chiefs of his own family, then the rangatira, "gentlemen," and finally the commonalty (ware). But every ordinary man, however undistinguished, could claim some sort of distant connection with his chief and with a noble family. Slaves (taurekareka) were mainly prisoners of war, and performed much of the menial labour.