TheMāori people have aPolynesian religion that, prior to the introduction ofChristianity to New Zealand was the main religious belief for Māori. By 1845, more than half of the Māori population attended church and 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 theRātana movement.
Traditional Māori religion, the pre-European belief-system of theMāori, differed little from that of their perceived homeland,Hawaiki Nui, akaRaʻiātea or Raiatea, conceiving of everything – including natural elements and all living things – as connected by common descent throughwhakapapa or genealogy. Accordingly, Māori regarded all things as possessing alife force ormauri. Illustrating this concept of connectedness throughgenealogy are the major personifications dating from before the period of European contact:
(Some sources reference a supremepersonification:Io; however this idea remains controversial.)
Māori followed certain practices that relate to traditional concepts like tapu. Certain people and objects containmana – meaning prestige or authority, often as a spiritual essence. In earlier times,tribal members of a higher rank would not touch objects which belonged to members of a lower rank – to do so would constitute "pollution"; and persons of a lower rank could not touch the belongings of a highborn person without putting themselves at risk of death. "According to Best, Māori politics was 'almost... theocratic', since 'fear of the gods was the strongest preserver of order. [...]'"[1]
The wordtapu can be interpreted as "sacred", as "spiritual restriction" or as "implied prohibition"; it involvesrules andprohibitions. Two kinds of tapu operate: private tapu (relating to individuals) and public tapu (relating to communities). A person, an object or a place which is tapu may not be touched by human contact, or in some cases, not even approached. A person, object or a place could be made sacred by tapu for a certain time.
In Māori society prior to European contact, tapu was one of the strongest forces in Māori life. A violation of tapu could have dire consequences, including the death of the offender through sickness or at the hands of someone affected by the offence. In earlier times food cooked for a person of high rank was tapu, and could not be eaten by an inferior. A chief's house was tapu, and even the chief could not eat food in the interior of his house. Not only were the houses of people of high rank perceived to be tapu, but also their possessions – including their clothing. Burial grounds (Māori:urupā) and places of death were always tapu, and protective fencing often surrounded such areas.
In the 21st century, Māori still observe tapu in matters relating to sickness, death, and burial:
On Christmas Day in 1814, at Oihi Bay, a small cove inRangihoua Bay in theBay of Islands, at the invitation of chiefsTe Pahi andRuatara,[2] the ReverendSamuel Marsden of theAnglicanChurch Missionary Society (CMS) conducted the first Christian service on New Zealand land. The 1837 'Māori New Testament' published by the CMS missionary and printerWilliam Colenso was the first of theBible translations into Oceanic languages. Demand for it and for the Prayer Book that followed grew exponentially, as did Christian Māori led and public Christian services, with 33,000 Māori attending regularly. Understanding of the Bible is thought[by whom?] to have increasedmana and social and economic benefits, decreased intertribal violence, and increased peace and respect for all people in Māori society, including women, and decreasing slavery.[3]
In 1845, 64,000 Māori were attending church services, over half of the estimated population of 110,000.[4] By then, there was probably a higher proportion of Māori attending Church in New Zealand than British people in the United Kingdom.[5] Large numbers of converts joined theChurch of England and theRoman Catholic Church, both of which are still highly influential in Māori society. TheNew Zealand Anglican Church,te Hāhi Mihinare (the missionary church), was the largest Māori denomination. Māori are said[by whom?] to have made Christianity their own and spread it throughout the country often before European missionaries arrived[5][6]
The Māori aspect of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand has long been recognised by the ordination of Māori priests asBishop of Aotearoa; a well-known and sometimes controversial holder of that title was the late Most Rev. SirWhakahuihui Vercoe, who is remembered for a speech he delivered in the presence of QueenElizabeth II during aWaitangi Day ceremony. The Roman Catholic Church also ordains Māori to high positions. Other churches, including thePresbyterian Church andthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also gained Māori converts from the 1880s on, and by 1901 there were nearly 4,000 Māori members in 79 branches ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[7][8]
Today, Māori Christians incorporate Christian prayer into Māorikarakia.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several new Māori Christian sects arose, combining various aspects of Christianity with Māori philosophies. These include:
In the 2006 New Zealand Census,[11] 16,419 people stated their religion as Ringatū, and 50,565 Rātana. The Rātana Church has also had considerable political strength.[12]
Hinduism
The proportion of Māori followers of Hinduism and otherDharmic/Indic religions are low. Although the number ofMāori Indians grew rapidly at the end of the 20th century upto 2,610 at the 2006 census,[11] the total number of New Zealanders identifying as Māori was 565,329.[13] Most of the new converts are followers of theHare Krishna Movement.[citation needed] There is also a minority who follow other Dharmic faiths includingSikhism andBuddhism.[citation needed]
Islam
The proportion of Māori followers of Islam is low. Although the number ofMāori Muslims grew rapidly at the end of the 20th century to 1,074 at the 2006 census,[11] the total number of New Zealanders identifying as Māori was 565,329.[14] Thus, the total number of identified Māori Muslims was 0.19 percent of the Māori population in 2006. This dropped to 0.1 percent in the 2018 census.[15]
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