A kāinga (
southern Māori: ''kaika'' or ''kaik'') is the traditional form of village habitation of pre-European
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 Co ...
in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It was unfortified or only lightly fortified, and over time became less important than the well-fortified
pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...
.
Description
Kāinga were generally unfortified or only lightly fortified, as opposed to the well-defended pā. They were generally coastal, and often found near to a river mouth. The settlement was generally occupied by members of one ''
hapū
In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...
'' (sub-tribe), which would identify itself with the nearest mountain and river (even in modern
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 Co ...
, when meeting someone new, "what is your mountain?" is not an unusual question, and naming a mountain and river is a standard part of a traditional introduction or ''
pepeha'').
Kāinga were often regarded as only semi-permanent settlements, and they were often abandoned. Reasons for abandonment included invasion by other
iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
or resource shortages. Traditionally, Māori were often semi-nomadic, with entire communities moving at harvest or to hunt, using the kāinga as a stable home base. An entire settlement could be declared ''
tapu'' on the death of a tribal elder, with its inhabitants moving to a new location nearby.
near present-day
Akaroa
Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Ngāi Tahu, Kāi Tahu Māori language, Māori for "Long Harbour", which woul ...
, for example, was subject to a massacre in 1830. Survivors mostly lived in nearby
Ōnuku and Takapūneke having been declared a sacred site, it was avoided by the local hapū for over 100 years.
When European whalers arrived in New Zealand and established bases, kāinga would often shift to near the newcomers so that trading would be easier.
Modern use of the word
In modern Māori, ''kāinga'' is the word for "home".
See also
*
Marae
A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...
References
{{reflist
Māori society
Māori culture
Māori words and phrases
Former populated places in New Zealand
Lands inhabited by indigenous peoples