Mai Te kopu o Te wahine : considering Maori women and power

Accounts for some typical female roles that Maori women have - informs of the Maori facial tattoo, the chanting roles of women compared with the oratory performances of Maori men. Acknowledges the powerful role Maori women have when a 'reo karanga holds the door'. Discusses whether reo karanga can/should be done by non Maori women. Asserts that the phrases of karanga may be put into four categories (1) Popo, ara, oriori: lullabies; (2) Nga waiata tangi: laments; (3) Nga Patere, nga Kaioraora: abusive songs and songs of deviance; and (4) Nga Waiata Whaiaipo: love songs. Discusses also weaving and carving in wood, stone and bone as a source of honour and income in many Maori and Pasifika women. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.