Koha (custom)
Encyclopedia
Koha is a New Zealand
Māori custom which can be translated as gift, present, offering, donation or contribution.
which is a common feature of much Māori tradition, and often involves the giving of gifts by visitors to a host marae
. Traditionally this has often taken the form of food although taonga
(treasured possessions) are also sometimes offered as koha.
In modern times money is most commonly given to offset the costs of hosting a hui
. For the benefit of non-Māori unfamiliar with the custom some marae may suggest a particular amount to be given as koha although this amount may not meet the actual costs associated with the meeting.
Koha is a Maori word which predated money, but now has become New Zealand English as has Mana and Aroha, among others. Koha is not the Maori word for money (utu)
In isolation, Koha is a gift brought by the visitor (manuhiri) to the people of the land (tangata whenua), often food or treasures, and it is part of the process of Maanakitanga which defines the realm of hospitality or the sharing of information. The Koha reflects the Mana of both the giver and the recipient. This concept of mana is difficult to understand. In effect the gift reflects on the one hand what the giver is able to give, and on the other, the esteem they hold of the person or group they are making the gift to. Thus, for example, two people may give the same gift (let us say the same amount of money), but one of the two people making their gift is wealthier. Either they then diminish their own mana by not giving the appropriate amount, or they insult the receiver because they are suggesting they do not hold the host in high regard. When both parties understand what is going on, the koha plays an important part in cementing good relations (or intentionally not). When one of the parties is ignorant, koha can be fraught with unintended consequences.
From a very practical standpoint, if visitors came a calling, the host was expected to provide hospitality of food, beds in the communal sleeping hall and appropriate attention and honours – something that could be difficult in lean times when food was scarce, so a visiting party might offer food as Koha. Or perhaps the visitor came from South Island – called in Maori Te Wai Ponamu – the waters (Te Wai) of the treasured greenstone (ponamu), and their gift would be the ponamu greenstone, a taonga – a great treasure, such a gift would bring great honour to both giver and receiver. See this University web page for more information on the protocol associated with koha today.
While called traditional usage, the practice of koha remains active today in New Zealand, and Maori make it clear to Pakeha that if they intend to use Maori words, the spirit of them should not be debased. Thus when a Pakeha asks for or gives Koha, Maori say that it should be in accordance with the traditional usage. Otherwise, call it donation, payment or some similar English word that does not carry the same deep meanings. While Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) is a legal language in New Zealand, and may be used by anyone, the language is regarded as a treasure and Maori expect that it be used correctly and properly.
term donation
. When you are invited to a "free" event you may be asked for koha, usually in the form of a "gold coin donation" (i.e., $1 or $2 - this being the colour of these coins - rather than smaller silver coin denominations).
In New Zealand English
it is becoming more frequent to refer to the small gifts, or more commonly food such as biscuits, desserts or cakes, which are presented when visiting friends or family as koha. Such gifts are common custom among New Zealanders, especially in rural areas. This custom, if not rooted in Māori custom (tikanga
), has been reinforced by it.
The Koha Open Source library system
originated in New Zealand
, and takes its name from this custom.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Māori custom which can be translated as gift, present, offering, donation or contribution.
Traditional usage
Koha is an example of the reciprocityReciprocity (cultural anthropology)
In cultural anthropology and sociology, reciprocity is a way of defining people's informal exchange of goods and labour; that is, people's informal economic systems. It is the basis of most non-market economies. Since virtually all humans live in some kind of society and have at least a few...
which is a common feature of much Māori tradition, and often involves the giving of gifts by visitors to a host marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
. Traditionally this has often taken the form of food although taonga
Taonga
A taonga in Māori culture is a treasured thing, whether tangible or intangible. Tangible examples are all sorts of heirlooms and artefacts, land, fisheries, natural resources such as geothermal springs and access to natural resources, such as riparian water rights and access to the riparian zone of...
(treasured possessions) are also sometimes offered as koha.
In modern times money is most commonly given to offset the costs of hosting a hui
Hui (Maori assembly)
A hui is a New Zealand term for a social gathering or assembly.Originally a Māori language word, it was used by Europeans as early as 1846 when referring to Māori gatherings - but is now increasingly used in New Zealand English to describe events that are not exclusively Māori....
. For the benefit of non-Māori unfamiliar with the custom some marae may suggest a particular amount to be given as koha although this amount may not meet the actual costs associated with the meeting.
Koha is a Maori word which predated money, but now has become New Zealand English as has Mana and Aroha, among others. Koha is not the Maori word for money (utu)
In isolation, Koha is a gift brought by the visitor (manuhiri) to the people of the land (tangata whenua), often food or treasures, and it is part of the process of Maanakitanga which defines the realm of hospitality or the sharing of information. The Koha reflects the Mana of both the giver and the recipient. This concept of mana is difficult to understand. In effect the gift reflects on the one hand what the giver is able to give, and on the other, the esteem they hold of the person or group they are making the gift to. Thus, for example, two people may give the same gift (let us say the same amount of money), but one of the two people making their gift is wealthier. Either they then diminish their own mana by not giving the appropriate amount, or they insult the receiver because they are suggesting they do not hold the host in high regard. When both parties understand what is going on, the koha plays an important part in cementing good relations (or intentionally not). When one of the parties is ignorant, koha can be fraught with unintended consequences.
From a very practical standpoint, if visitors came a calling, the host was expected to provide hospitality of food, beds in the communal sleeping hall and appropriate attention and honours – something that could be difficult in lean times when food was scarce, so a visiting party might offer food as Koha. Or perhaps the visitor came from South Island – called in Maori Te Wai Ponamu – the waters (Te Wai) of the treasured greenstone (ponamu), and their gift would be the ponamu greenstone, a taonga – a great treasure, such a gift would bring great honour to both giver and receiver. See this University web page for more information on the protocol associated with koha today.
While called traditional usage, the practice of koha remains active today in New Zealand, and Maori make it clear to Pakeha that if they intend to use Maori words, the spirit of them should not be debased. Thus when a Pakeha asks for or gives Koha, Maori say that it should be in accordance with the traditional usage. Otherwise, call it donation, payment or some similar English word that does not carry the same deep meanings. While Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) is a legal language in New Zealand, and may be used by anyone, the language is regarded as a treasure and Maori expect that it be used correctly and properly.
Wider usage
In wider current New Zealand society the term has a broader meaning more closely associated with the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
term donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
. When you are invited to a "free" event you may be asked for koha, usually in the form of a "gold coin donation" (i.e., $1 or $2 - this being the colour of these coins - rather than smaller silver coin denominations).
In New Zealand English
New Zealand English
New Zealand English is the dialect of the English language used in New Zealand.The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. It is one of "the newest native-speaker variet[ies] of the English language in existence, a variety which has developed and...
it is becoming more frequent to refer to the small gifts, or more commonly food such as biscuits, desserts or cakes, which are presented when visiting friends or family as koha. Such gifts are common custom among New Zealanders, especially in rural areas. This custom, if not rooted in Māori custom (tikanga
Tikanga Maori
The Māori word tikanga has a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formality, lore, manner, meaning, mechanism, method, protocol, style....
), has been reinforced by it.
The Koha Open Source library system
Koha (software)
Koha is an open source Integrated Library System , used world-wide by public, school and special libraries. The name koha comes from a Māori term for a gift or donation .- Features :...
originated in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and takes its name from this custom.
See also
- PotlatchPotlatchA potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures...
, a similar practice among some First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
peoples of west coast North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... - KulaKula ringKula, also known as the kula exchange or kula ring, is a ceremonial exchange system conducted in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.The Kula ring spans 18 island communities of the Massim archipelago, including the Trobriand Islands...
, a similar practice in Papua New Guinea - MokaMoka exchangeThe Moka is a system of exchange in the Mt. Hagen area, Papua New Guinea.It is a complex system of exchange that relies heavily on pigs as currency for status in the community....
, a similar practice in the Mt. Hagen area of Papua New Guinea - Sepik Coast exchangeSepik Coast exchangeSepik Coast exchange is the method of social networking and alliance in the Sepik Coast area of Papua New Guinea.Families living along the Sepik Coast in northern Papua New Guinea form alliances with families in other communities. Depending on the importance and status of the family, it can have...
, a similar practice in the Sepic Coast of Papua New Guinea - Gift EconomyGift economyIn the social sciences, a gift economy is a society where valuable goods and services are regularly given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards . Ideally, simultaneous or recurring giving serves to circulate and redistribute valuables within the community...
, koha and similar practices of reciprocal giving are forms of gift economies.