Traditional Māori Music & Haka – Auckland, New Zealand (December 2022)

Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa (modern day New Zealand). Arriving here from the Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki over 1,000 years ago, the great explorer Kupe, was the first Māori to reach these lands. To experience Māori traditional music and dance is something special. Especially the Haka, which is the extremely energetic and passionate traditional dance of the Māori.

Not so long ago, the Māori language (te reo) was suppressed in schools, either formally or informally. Some older Māori still recall being punished for speaking their language. Until the Second World War most Māori spoke te reo as their first language. They worshipped in Māori, and Māori was the language of the marae (holy place). It was the language of the home, where parents passed it on to their children, political meetings were conducted in Māori, there were Māori newspapers and literature. However, despite the emphasis on speaking English, the Māori language survived and is today protected by the law (Wai 262).
(https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/WT/reports/reportSummary.html?reportId=wt_DOC_68356606).

#māori #haka #newzealand #auckland #traditional #culture