HOW DID EARLY MAORI HAVE FUN

By Harnoor and Naomi

KA MATE – HAKA O F THE ALL BL ACKS

The New Zealand national rugby team-the All Blacks - has been performing the Ka Mate haka before its international games

SONG AND DANCE

Traditional Māori music, or Te Pūoro Māori is composed or performed by Māori, the native people of New Zealand, and includes a wide variety of folk music styles, often integrated with poetry and dance.

In addition to these traditions and musical heritage, since the 19th century European colonisation of New Zealand Māori musicians and performers have adopted and interpreted many of the imported Western musical styles. Contemporary rock and roll, soul, reggae and hip hop all feature a variety of notable Māori performers.

Koruru Knucklebones – Five

pebbles are used in set moves for

picking them up. In a competition

the winner is the one who goes

furtherest in the set moves.

TRADITIONAL MAORI GAMES AND SPORTS

• Karetao Jumping Jack – This is a human figure carved from wood, with

legs sitting on a round base used to hold it. The two arms are joined to the body with a knotted cord and the cord is pulled to make the hands

dance. It is about 35 cms long.

Ti rakau stick game – Use sticks 1 m long. Players kneel in a

circle with two sticks each. Beat sticks together, throw one

then the other to the person on the right. Catch incoming

sticks with empty hand. In a c ompetition if you drop a

stick, you call out and the winner is the last one left in the circle.

TR ADIT ION AL MAOR I GAMES AN D SPORTS

Teka Dart throwing – Use a try fern stalk. Tie the thick end

with a piece of green flax to make a knob. In a competition

the winner is the first to score 10 longest throws.

In 1964, The Polynesian Festival ( which became the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival and is now known as Te Matatini), was founded, though the board did not actually schedule its first concert until 1972, with the express purpose of encouraging the development of Māori music.

FESTIVALS.

Songs (waiata) were sung solo, in unison or at the octave. Types of song included lullabies (oriori), love songs (waitata aroha) and laments (waiata tangi). Traditionally all speeches usually follow with a song and the group of supporters would usually join in. Some of the smaller wind instruments were also sung into, and the sound of the poi (raupo ball swung on the end of a flax cord) provided a rhythmic accompaniment to waiata poi

SONGS

• Spear throwing – Spears of bracken fern with flax

bound ends or wooden ones with blunt ends,

about 2 m long. One person throws the spear, the

other avoids it by dodging, turning it aside or

catching it.

TRADITIONAL MAORI GAMES AND SPORTS

• Moari - Tall pole is put up near a

river bank and ropes are

attached to the top. You swing

out on a rope and then trop off

into the water. A Moari can be

set up in a clearing where there is no water.

TRADITIONAL MAORI GAMES AND SPORTS

NAOMI AND HARNOOR

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