Māori Innovation

Whāinga ako: Lesson Goals

Describe the importance of Māori Pā innovations and explain what they were used for.

Mahi - Work

Maori Innovation and Storytelling

In year 9 we looked at some of the difficulties Māori faced when arriving in Aotearoa. They had to bring the knowledge they had from Polynesia, but adapt it to the new environment.

A common question from students is “How did people know and remember?” The answer is through storytelling. Knowledge was shared in stories, and science now shows this was a clever way to learn. People remember facts more easily when they are part of a story. This idea is called the Narrative Transportation Theory- it means that facts travel better when they are told through a story.

An example of this is the story you will have heard in primary school Māui and the theft of fire (Māui me te Ahi a Mahuika)

Māui and the theft of fire

An example of how Māori used a story to carry important information.

Māori Innovation and Invention

After Māori settled in Aotearoa in the 15th century, there was a period called the Little Ice Age. During this time, the weather became colder, wetter, and windier. Māori (who had now been in Aotearoa for around 150 years) had to adapt to survive- the population and lifespan of Māori dropped during this time. The weather made it harder for Māori to grow crops and increased competition for good farming land. Because of these challenges, more Māori began living in permanent villages instead of being nomadic. Many of these villages were well-defended pā, known as fortified pā, a way of protecting themselves and their land from anyone wanting to take it.

Even though it was colder, some Māori moved to the South Island, where there was less competition between iwi and more available resources (including moa). There were hardly any villages or fortified pā in the south.

All of this was around 400 years before European settlers arrived.

Adapted from Te Ao Tawhito The Old World 3000BC - AD 1830, Atholl Anderson

Apologies for the awful AI pronunciation of Te Reo words.

Fortified Pā

There are at least 5000 pā in Aotearoa and many iwi had several. Most of these pā are found in the North Island. While pā could be built in different ways, they often shared similar design features. For example, most were built on hills to provide a strong defensive position. They were used to protect valuable resources such as food stores, or as a safe place to retreat to during attacks.

Many pā sites can still be seen today because of the large trenches that were built to slow down and trap enemies.

In the image below of Turuturumōkai Pā, you can see the defensive ditches surrounding the site, the flat platforms on top, and the remains of kūmara pits safely located at the summit.

https://www.ruapekapeka.co.nz/maori-warfare/pre-musket-maori-pa/ , Digging Up the Past: Archeology for the young and curious, David Veart, Auckland Press, 2011

Fortified Pā

The diagram on this worksheet is not wholly accurate as there would be many more buildings in most pā, and more layers of fencing but for this task it will give you an understanding of the key features of the structure.

Use the clues to label the different parts of the pā illustration

Pā Defences

Pā were designed to defend against war parties armed with hand weapons such as clubs and spears.

By the late 1700s, many northern communities kept at least one pā ready for defense. Some were large villages with many houses and food stores, while others were smaller refuges used only during attacks. Food, especially kūmara, was stored inside the pā for safety and survival during sieges.

Attackers often found pā difficult to capture because of their strong defenses and multiple barriers. Some tried to set them on fire or trick their way inside by disguising themselves as friendly visitors or workers returning home.

Later in history, Māori adapted these fortresses to defend themselves against gunfire.

For a fly through of Ruapekapeka Pā - play from 17:25

South Island Pā Site

The pā, on the Kaikōura Peninsula were built by the Ngāti Kurī people of Ngāi Tahu to be incredibly tough to attack and easy to live in. The defenses were called "stepped" because the builders dug huge trenches and piled the earth high to make ramparts (maioro) in multiple layers up the hill. This meant an enemy had to climb over several walls and fences just to get close. The pā's location was critical due to the extraordinary abundance of marine life, including seals, fish, and shellfish, which guaranteed a sustainable food supply- giving them plenty of supplies to store and trade, which was the main reason the pā was so important to control.

Click image to bring up Google Earth

https://www.donsmaps.com/maoripa.html

Why Build Here? Exploring Kaiapoi and Ōnawe Pā

The Kaiapoi Pā was the most important fortified village for the Ngāi Tahu tribe in the South Island, founded around 1700 AD. It was much more than just a fort; it was a major hub for culture and trade, with people swapping valuable goods like greenstone (pounamu) and muttonbird (tūtū). The Pā's defensive genius was its "stepped" design: it was built on a peninsula surrounded by natural swamps and lagoons that acted like a giant moat. The only access point on solid ground was protected by huge banks and massive wooden fences (palisades), making it almost impossible to attack. Despite being nearly impenetrable, the pā was captured in the 1830s by the Ngāti Toa, led by Te Rauparaha, when a fire spread and allowed the attackers to finally break through the walls. Today, the site remains a highly significant memorial reserve near Christchurch, where the outlines of those famous defensive earthworks can still be seen.

Click the images below to explore our closest pā sites. Complete the worksheet.

Why Build Here?

Class discussion:

The Kaiapoi Pā used swamps as a natural defense, while the pā in the worksheet diagram relies on steep hillsides. Which of these natural defenses do you think would be harder for an attacker to overcome?