Hapū
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A hapū ("subtribe", or "clan"[1]) is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".[2] A named[3] division of a Māori iwi (tribe),[4] membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau (extended family) groups. Generally hapu range in size from 150-200 tough thee is no upper limit. A Maori person can belong or have links to many different hapu. Before the arrival of Europeans the normal operating group seems to have been the smaller whanau or extended family. By the 1820s Maori had learnt the benefit of working in larger groups especially when it came to trading with ships. The larger hapu could work more effectively to produce surplus flax, potatoes,smoked heads and pigs in exchange for blankets ,tobacco, axes and trade muskets.
The literal meaning of the word is "pregnant" which is a metaphor for the genealogical connection that unites the members of the hapū.
See also
References
- ^ "Tribal organisation", Te Ara
- ^ rt-1-traditional-maori-concepts "Traditional Maori Concepts", Ministry of Justice
- ^ "How iwi and hapū were named", Te Ara
- ^ "Tribal organisation", Te Ara
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