Maori matriarchy Print

Inspired by the Maori people of New Zealand A common Maori saying, "He wahine, he whenua, e ngaro ai te tangata" is often interpreted as meaning "by women and land men are lost". According to Rose Pere (a New Zealand educationalist, spiritual leader, Māori language advocate, academic and conservationist) the saying also refers to the essential nourishing roles that women and land fulfil, without which humanity would be lost. The earth, Papatuanuku, is the ancestress of all Maori, and land is of paramount significance to Maori socially, culturally, spiritually, politically and economically. The roles of men and women in traditional Maori society is apparent in the Maori world view, which acknowledges the natural order of the universe, the interrelationship of all living things to one another and to the environment, and the overarching principle of balance. Both men and women are essential parts of the collective whole that link Maori people back to the beginning of the world, and women in particular play a key role in linking the past, present & future.