Rotorua is a cultural center for the Maori people complete with cultural park and many evening performances and Hani which is Maori for “pit cooking” of meat and starch. Also of interest is the fact that Rotorua is a volcanic area with steaming vents right in the middle of town. The native tribes had fought over this area literally for centuries to control access to the boiling waters, which were used for cooking and ceremonies. Today, spas dot the locations of key natural hot sulfur pools and mud pots. (Free spa passes usually accompany a multi-event booking.)
I spent the day at Te Puia, an extremely informative Maori cultural center. The village is run by Maori peoples and is also a trade school for weaving and woodcarving.
The primary source of weaving material is flax grass, which when stripped of its green vegative matter leaves a corded material which can be rolled up and down the leg to form a strong two ply rope. If one stips just the end of the flax leaf and allows the rest to dry, the rolled tubes can be tied together by the stripped rope ends to form skirts and outer garments.
The cultural dance show was outstanding. The natural voice strength of the singers was both moving and impressive.
Other highlights included the light controlled Kiwi exhibit, artificially switching night and day illumination so that tourists can view this nocturnal species, and the geyser that erupted in almost constant spurts. (Kiwi Fun Fact: Before releasing an egg, up to 70% of the Kiwi's body size/mass consists of the carried egg.)
In the evening I went to the Mi Tai hani and cultural show. This was great from the standpoint that the Maori really took the time to explain the culture and we had to walk through the woods to get to their ancient/historic village site. We went through the traditional greeting process that a visiting tribe may have experienced hundreds of years ago, complete with the agitated gesturing, grunting, and tongue waggling of the warriors, to the peace offering, and nose to nose touching of the tribe’s chief to our elected chief of the “Tribe of 22 Nations”.
The hani food was good, but not exactly “great”. The wood used did not leave a sweet smoke flavor but a bitter lingering taste. The “hani palette” may need to be acquired, especially when it comes to potatoes, which absorb the greatest flavor density of sour smoke. However, the lamb was quite good.
Misc. Maori Knowledge
• The Maori are not the native people of New Zealand but migrated nearly 1200 years ago. The true natives were either killed off in battle, inter-married, or were eaten.
• There was no personal property, as everything belonged to the tribe, which was ruled by the chief who literally had life or death power. If one was weak or out of favor with the chief your fate could easily culminate in a trade with another tribe. This would not improve your lot in life because human trade resulted in either slavery or dinner, as in “you are the dinner”.
• What is the deal with the protruding eyes, facial tattoos, chest beating, chanting, and protruding tongues? Simply, intimidation. If you could scare your enemy away, then no battle is necessary. The tongue waggling is a sign that “I am going to kill you and eat you.”
• New Zealand had only two mammals prior to the arrival of the Maori, in the form of small bats. The Maori brought rats as a foot source and dogs. When both were freed it had a dramatic impact on the local wildlife, especially the rats. New Zealand had the largest flightless biodiversity on the planet, with 8 ft. tall birds and many small ground feeders. These species had never faced a ground predator so were completely unprepared and evolutionarily helpless.
• The tattooing on both males and females is done in a three step, hand drilling process. First the pattern is imprinted in the skin using a fine needle. Larger gauge needling follows this primary step to open and permanently indent the skin. Finally the ink is applied in the third of the dermally invasive processes. The Maori tradition of tattoo is somewhat unique because not only is ink applied, but the skin in grooved in the process. Traditional full body patterns can take between 6 & 8 years to complete.
The tattooing of a woman’s lips and chin represents the form of a bat, which is thought to be a nurturing creature and symbolizes their role in the tribe. Interestingly enough, the chin as a location for this female tattoo is a relatively recent occurrence. Since the European arrival and the introduction of “all season” clothing this tattoo has moved from its traditional “giver and nurturer of life” location to the more visible chin.
For males, the facial tattooing is meant to intimidate their foes. The higher ones station in the tribe the more fully the face and body is covered. A complete tattoo mask would consist of three birds: the bat (which was thought to be a bird), the owl, and the native raptor.
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