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The Māori people have a Polynesian
religion that, prior to the introduction of Christianity to New Zealand, was the
main religious belief for Māori people.
The traditional Māori religion, that is, the pre-European belief-system of the
Māori, differed little from that of their perceived homeland, Hawaiki Nui, aka
Raʻiātea or Raiatea, conceiving of everything – including natural elements and
all living things – as connected by common descent through whakapapa or
genealogy. Accordingly, Māori regarded all things as possessing a life force or
mauri. Illustrating this concept of connectedness through genealogy are the
major personifications dating from before the period of European contact.
By 1845, more than half of the Māori
population attended church and today, Christianity remains the largest religion
for Māori. Very few Māori still follow traditional Māori religion, although many
elements of it are still observed. Several Māori religious movements have been
born out of Christianity, such as the Ratana movement.
My Icon: A bone fishing hook from the Maori people of present day New Zealand |
