''Koha'' is a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
custom which can be translated as gift, present, offering, donation or contribution.
Traditional usage
Koha is an example of the
reciprocity
Reciprocity may refer to:
Law and trade
* Reciprocity (Canadian politics), free trade with the United States of America
** Reciprocal trade agreement, entered into in order to reduce (or eliminate) tariffs, quotas and other trade restrictions on ...
which is a common feature of much Māori tradition, and often involves the giving of gifts by visitors (''manuhiri'') to a host
marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
. Traditionally this has often taken the form of food although
taonga
''Taonga'' or ''taoka'' (in South Island Māori) is a Maori-language word that refers to a treasured possession in Māori culture. It lacks a direct translation into English, making its use in the Treaty of Waitangi significant. The current d ...
(treasured possessions) are also sometimes offered as koha, and in modern times money.
[''"Marae Procedure (Kawa)"'']
, The University of Waikato
The koha reflects the
mana
According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a ...
of both the giver and the recipient, reflecting what the giver is able to give, and the esteem they hold of the person or group they are making the gift to – and hence plays an important part in cementing good relations, and is taken very seriously, with misunderstanding having the potential to give offence.
This traditional practice of koha remains active today in New Zealand in Māori contexts. At
hui
The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the n ...
, any money given helps with the actual costs associated with the meeting, and for the benefit of non-Māori unfamiliar with the custom some marae may suggest a particular amount to be given as koha, but it remains a freely given gift rather than a charge for services or facilities.
Wider usage
In wider current New Zealand society the term has a broader meaning more closely associated with the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
term
donation
A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blo ...
. Participants at an event may be asked for "koha", often in the form of a request for "a
gold coin donation" (i.e., $1 or $2).
In
New Zealand English
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
it is becoming more frequent to refer to the small gifts, or more commonly food such as biscuits, desserts or cakes, which are presented when visiting friends or family as koha. Such gifts are common custom among New Zealanders, especially in rural areas. This custom, if not rooted in Māori custom (
tikanga), has been reinforced by it.
The
Koha Open Source library system originated in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and takes its name from this custom.
Koha Shed
Koha Shed (noun), place of gifts, kindness, sharing and acceptance. Place of origin - Whanganui. Since 2012 a network of "Koha Sheds" have grown up to help alleviate the negative effects of poverty in local communities. The first was formed in Whanganui, New Zealand, by Sherron Sunnex and Megan Manuka. Koha Sheds make no charge for anything that is taken. Free kai (food) is always available for those in need.
See also
*
Potlatch
A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the United States,Harkin, Michael E., 2001, Potlatch in Anthropology, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Science ...
, a similar practice among some
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
peoples of west coast
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
*
Kula, a similar practice in Papua New Guinea
*
Moka
Moka () is a village in Mauritius located in the Moka District, the western part of the village also lies in the Plaines Wilhems District. Since 1967 it forms part of Constituency No. 8 Quartier Militaire and Moka. The village is administered by ...
, a similar practice in the Mt. Hagen area of Papua New Guinea
*
Sepik Coast exchange Sepik Coast exchange is the method of social networking and alliance in the Sepik Coast area of Papua New Guinea.
Families living along the Sepik Coast in northern Papua New Guinea form alliances with families in other communities. Depending on th ...
, a similar practice in the Sepic Coast of Papua New Guinea
*
Gift economy
A gift economy or gift culture is a system of exchange where valuables are not sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards. Social norms and customs govern giving a gift in a gift culture; although there ...
, a general term for societies built on practices of reciprocal giving
References
{{Wikivoyage, Maori phrasebook
Māori words and phrases
Society of New Zealand