Lecture 8: Marae Flashcards
(38 cards)
Where did the ancestors of Māori originate from, according to archaeological evidence?
And other peoples in the Pacific region
From Proto-Austronesians who left Southeast Asia and intentionally explored the remote Pacific.
What culture supports the idea of early Pacific exploration and settlement?
The Lapita culture
What does linguistic evidence show about the word “marae”?
That many words similar to “marae” appear across Polynesia
There are linguistic similarities as seen by the way Marae is referred to
What are the three similar words to Marae that appear across polynesia?
“Me’ae” – Marquesas
“Mala’e” – Tonga
“Malae” - Samoa
When did marae structures begin to appear and for what purpose?
During further eastward exploration, marae began to appear as formal structures used for celestial navigation.
Why were marae often built near the shore?
So they could be seen from the sea and used as markers to fix latitude
Places that within which sea navigation was communicated and shared
How did the role of marae change around 30 generations ago?
They became highly ritualised spaces, beyond navigation.
Where is the marae ‘Taputapuātea’ found?
on the island of Ra’iātea
What was the significance of Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea?
It was a metropolitan centre where expert navigators shared oral knowledge on winds, currents, and exploration.
A community of explorers and expert navigators
What were marae like upon arrival to Aotearoa?
Complex social spaces, marae as the central, most important space that a community would surround
What were the traditional communities within which kin lived?
Pā: A fortified village, often on elevated ground.
Pā kāinga: A settled home village
Papa kāinga: Communal living areas or homesteads
What happened in marae spaces during community interactions?
Rituals of encounter with other communities, often led by rangatira - a space of chiefly authority
What is the marae ātea (ātea) and its role?
A central, public space within the pā where wānanga occurred, and knowledge like whakapapa and tikanga was communicated.
The place that is most public
What is the tūāhu (ahu)?
A sacred, hidden place governed by tohunga, separate from public areas
Highly privliged and restricted
What is a key difference in Aotearoa
from older Polynesian marae?
Separation of the marae ātea (ātea) and the Tūāhu (ahu)
What effect has the separation of ātea and ahu had in recent centuries?
It helped protect Māori ancient knowledge from the impacts of colonisation
How did marae locations change with European arrival?
Many communities moved near ports for strategic and economic reasons (e.g. Bay of Islands, whaling/sealing stations)
What are the 5 main purposes of Marae?
- Political Hub
- Practice Tikanga
- Ceremonies + Rituals
- Sites of Tapu
What political function does a marae serve?
It acts as a parliament where hapū meet, make decisions, and conduct encounters with outsiders
Have rituals of encounter with other Hapu, iwi and Pakeha
How does the marae support tikanga Māori?
It remains one of the last spaces where tikanga Māori is consistently practiced
There are 3
What kinds of ceremonies are held on the marae?
- Pōwhiri
- Tangihanga (funerals)
- Wānanga/hui (ritual debate and discussion)
What do ceremonies and rituals performed in Maraes provide an opportunity for?
Tikanga to stay alive
How are marae sites of Tapu?
There are specific rules observed once crossing the threshold onto the marae
‘you walk through a barrier into an entirely different world’
How is tapu managed on the marae?
It is governed by kaumātua
