Māori are a tribal people indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand and make up approximately 16% of the total population.
Māori societal structure is composed of basically three levels: the individual whānau or family, which is connected to the hapū or subtribe, which in turn is connected to the iwi or main tribe and then back to the ancestral waka or canoe.
Hapū and iwi connection is important to Māori as it:
- is a source of Māori identity
- confirms family relationships
- connects Māori with the land
- is the traditional base of decision-making
- is the heart of Māori culture
