In Māori culture

Maori culture

Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, an Eastern Polynesian people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori...

, a rāhui is a form of tapu

Tapu

Tapu, tabu or kapu is a Polynesian traditional concept denoting something holy or sacred, with "spiritual restriction" or "implied prohibition"; it involves rules and prohibitions...

 restricting access to, or use of, an area or resource by unauthorised persons. With the passing of the 1996 Fisheries Act

Fisheries Act 1996

The Fisheries Act 1996 is a New Zealand Act of Parliament. It is divided into 5 distinct areas: recreational, customary, environmental, commercial and international fishing.-External links:*...

, a rāhui can also be imposed by the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries. In the Cook Islands, Raui (rahui) have been put in place by the National Environment Service.

Causes

Rāhui may be imposed for many reasons, including a perceived need for conservation of food resources or because the area concerned is in a state of 'tapu', due, for example, to a recent death in the area, out of respect for the dead and to prevent the gathering of food there for a specified period. Rāhui may be placed on land, sea, rivers, forests, gardens, fishing grounds, and other food resources. A rāhui is given its authority by the mana

Mana

Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....

of the person or group that imposes it (Barlow 1994:104).

A particular area may be set aside for a special purpose or function. Certain trees may be set aside as a carving resource; or certain flax bushes for the weaving of a special cloak for a chief. Certain areas may be placed under rāhui requiring them to be left to lie fallow so that the resources may regenerate (Barlow 1994:105).

The custom of rāhui is still used today, and it has similarities to the bans imposed by the present day legal system on the gathering of food resources for conservation purposes; however Māori often perceive such bans on the gathering of traditional resources such as shellfish and native birds as 'another denial of their customary rights' (Barlow 1994:106).

Notification

A sign or physical symbol may be displayed to show that a rāhui has been imposed. Sometimes a carved or decorated wooden stick or post may be placed in the ground. Natural features of the landscape can indicate the boundaries of the area that is under restriction. Additionally, people will be informed about the placing of the rāhui (Barlow 1994:105-106).

Further reading

• C. Barlow (1994). Tikanga Whakaaro: Key Concepts in Māori Culture. Reprint with corrections. First published 1991. Auckland:Oxford.