08 Social Organisation
The whanau was the basic social unit in Pre-European Maori society. It was an extended family spanning three generations. The head of the household was the kaumatua who lived with his wife, children, and mokopuna (grandchildren). The whanau occupied a wharepuni (sleepinghouse) within a kainga (village or dwelling place).
The primary functions of the whanau were procreation, rearing and educating children in the basic domestic tasks, and economic pursuits. Tasks which were allocated on a sexual division of labour included gardening, hunting, fishing and gathering food from natural resources.
Large whanau of up to 30 or so members might occupy several houses in a defined area of the village. According to Firth, the whanau worked, ate and dwelt together as a distinct social group under the leadership of its kaumatua or rangatira.
The hapu (subtribe) was a group defined by common descent from a founding ancestor after whom the hapu was named. Each hapu was an autonomous political unit controlling a defined stretch of tribal territory. Children of inter-hapu marriage could claim affiliation to a hapu through either their mother or father. But in practise, an individual affiliated to a hapu through the most important ancestor. Membership was however conditioned by residence.
A hapu usually numbered several hundred members and was capable of occupying a whole village and controling its piece of territory. It operated and maintained large communal assets such as canoes and meeting houses.
Women who married into a hapu, although not members by descent, were given rights to use hapu resources so long as they resided with it.
Small sections of large hapu sometimes split iff to form new hapu under junior leaders to found their own hapu.
The iwi (tribe) was the largest political grouping acknowledging descent froma common ancestor. The iwi consisted of a number of related hapu which combined when needed to defend tribal territory. The tribal hapu came together on occaisions for hakari (feasting) tangihana (funerals) and war-making. Inter-hapu relations were characterised by hapu rivalry so that the social cohesion of the iwi was not as strong as that of the hapu.
The waka (canoe) consist of a loose confederation of tribes which claim descent from ancestors who were crew on named canoes circa 1350 AD, The political concept of a waka provided only a weak bond between iwi. Sometimes the iwi of a common waka fought each other e.g the Tuhoe, Ngati Awa and Whakatohea tribes of the Mataatua confederation fought tribal wars in pre-European times.
Maori society was stratified into three social classes, the rangatira (aristocrats), tutua (commoners) and taurekareka (slaves). The rangatira had the senior descent lines from the founding ancestor while the tutua were of the junior lines. The slave class were people taken or born into captivity.
Rank was theoretically based on the principle of primogeniture. The first born in the senior male line had the highest rank. In large tribes the ariki (paramount chief) had the highest rank and his junior brothers were the rangatira.
Within families social ranking was based on order of birth. The mataamua (first born) was senior to all in his family. The tuakana was senior to all his teina (juniors)
The rangatira class had greater mana (prestige, power) and personal tapu (sanctity) than those of lower rank.
Taurekareka (slaves) were also known as mokai. They had little or no personal dignity and did menial tasks such as preparing food, carrying firewood and paddling canoes. Some acted as arms bearers for their masters.
The tohunga (expert) class trained in different disciplines such as the tohunga ahurewa (high priest), tohunga matuku (black magic), tohunga whakairo (carver) and tohunga ta moko (tattooist) was considered to have great mana in the community. All were highly respected except perhaps the tohunga matuku who was feared because of his powers of sorcery.
The first born female in the main descent line was respected as a female ariki. Buck states that among the Waikato people a woman of rank was known as an ariki tapairu.
Reading:
Buck Sir P.H The Coming of the Maori (additional)
Firth R Economics of the New Zealand Maori (additional)
Metge J The Maoris of New Zealand (recommended)