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Māori Time Concepts Introduction

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Māori Time Concepts Introduction

Use the source text and the evidence in each task. Te Maramataka varies between iwi and rohe; the examples here introduce broad ideas, not a single universal calendar. Give reasons for your interpretations.

Source text: time as a relationship

Te Maramataka is a Māori system for understanding and organising time through recurring natural patterns. The word marama can refer to the moon and to a month. In many maramataka, lunar phases are named and observed alongside environmental signs such as tides, weather, animal behaviour and the availability of food. These observations could help communities decide when activities such as fishing, planting or gathering might be productive. The system is not simply a list of dates: it connects people, place and the changing environment. Maramataka knowledge is not identical everywhere. Names, interpretations and practices may differ between iwi and rohe, and local observation matters. A phase does not guarantee a particular result; knowledge is used with experience and attention to conditions. Te Maramataka can be considered alongside the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in New Zealand for civil dates and is organised around the solar year. The two systems organise and interpret time in different ways.

A market planning scenario

At a farmers’ market, Tane and Kahu are discussing when to gather and sell local kai. Tane says, “If the calendar names a favourable day, the catch is guaranteed.” Kahu replies, “The maramataka can guide decisions, but we also need to observe local conditions and draw on local knowledge.” Their conversation raises questions about evidence, certainty and how knowledge is applied.

1.According to the source, what does Te Maramataka help people do? Choose the strongest answer.

Predict every event with certainty
Understand recurring natural patterns and make informed decisions
Replace all modern civil calendars
Measure only the length of a solar year

2.The source says marama can refer to both the moon and a month. In one or two sentences, explain how that connection supports the idea that time can be understood through natural cycles.

3.Identify two environmental signs, other than lunar phases, that the source says may be observed within a maramataka.

4.Match each kupu with its meaning in the source.

Te Maramataka
marama
rohe
iwi

Region or area
A Māori system for understanding and organising time through natural patterns
Tribal group
Moon; also month

5.Evaluate Tane’s claim that a named favourable day guarantees a catch. Use one idea from the source to support your response.

6.The source describes Te Maramataka and the Gregorian calendar as organising time differently. State one difference and one way the systems might be used alongside each other in Aotearoa New Zealand.

7.True or false? Every iwi and rohe uses exactly the same maramataka names and interpretations. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

8.Complete the statement using ideas from the source: Te Maramataka is more than a list of dates because it connects people, and .

9.Tane and Kahu want to make a responsible decision about gathering kai. Suggest two kinds of information they could consider in addition to a calendar date. Explain briefly why each would help.

10.A maramataka is described as a system of knowledge, not merely a calendar. Explain what this distinction means, using two details from the source.

11.Why would it be inaccurate to claim that one set of Māori lunar-phase names applies everywhere? Give one reason grounded in the source.

12.Write a brief, respectful reply Kahu could give at the market to explain why observing local conditions and seeking local knowledge matter when using Te Maramataka.