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Māori Environmental Adaptation History

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Māori Environmental Adaptation History

Read the historical account, then answer the questions. Māori communities have lived in Aotearoa for many centuries. Practices varied between iwi and rohe, and changed over time. Use evidence from the account in your explanations.

Aotearoa: living with the environment

Māori ancestors brought crops and knowledge from Polynesia. In Aotearoa, the cooler climate and different seasons meant people had to adapt. Kūmara grew best in warmer areas, especially in the north. People prepared suitable growing places and stored harvested kūmara in underground storage pits called rua, which helped protect the crop. Māori communities also drew on detailed knowledge of local places and seasons. The right time to gather food could depend on weather, plant growth, animal movements and the state of rivers or the sea. Fishing methods and resources differed from place to place. Harakeke (New Zealand flax) could be used to make strong fibre, called muka, for weaving useful items such as baskets. The plant was harvested with care, and practices differed among communities. The Māori idea of kaitiakitanga is connected with relationships between people and the environment, not simply taking resources. Māori knowledge and practices continue to develop today.

1.Write the correct meaning beside each te reo Māori word.

taiao
whenua
moana
muka

fibre prepared from harakeke
sea or ocean
the natural environment
land

2.Choose the best answer, using the historical account.

The climate and seasons differed from those in Polynesia, so people adjusted how and where they grew crops.
Kūmara grew only in the sea.
People stopped growing food when they arrived.
Every rohe had exactly the same growing conditions.

3.The historical account says kūmara grew best in warmer areas, especially in the north.

TrueFalse

4.Kūmara were kept in underground storage pits called , which helped protect the crop.

5.Name two things, mentioned in the account, that could help people decide when to gather food.

6.Using the account, explain how underground storage pits helped people manage a kūmara harvest.

7.What useful material could be prepared from harakeke, and name one kind of item people could make from it.

8.Choose the answer that best fits the account.

Careful, respectful relationships between people and the environment
Taking every resource as quickly as possible
A name for an underground food store
A rule that every community must use the same practices

9.Why is it important not to assume that every Māori community used exactly the same environmental practices? Give one reason from the account.

10.Choose one example from the account—growing kūmara, storing food, gathering seasonally, or using harakeke. Explain how it shows people adapting to their environment.