When you hear the word Maori, what comes to your mind? Perhaps the Maori Haka dance? The video below is of the Maori All Blacks Haka before the rugby match between New Zealand and Canada in Vancouver, Canada, 2017. That’s something to behold!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvI6V-TtLs
The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. They arrived from eastern Polynesia in several waves of waka (canoe) voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350.
Then, over several centuries in isolation, they developed their own distinctive culture. Their language, mythology, crafts and performing arts evolved independently from those of other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori moved to the Chatham Islands, and came to be known Moriori.
Today, Maori account for about 15 per cent of New Zealand’s population.Their native language is maori, also known as te reo, which is one of New Zealand’s official languages since 1987.
True to Journeys of Life, here follows a list of notable people with Māori background, even if it is just a tiny bit of their DNA:
1889-0904 Mary Rhodes Moorhouse-Pekkala* civil rights activist/heiress to a wealthy New Zealand-British family/to Finland at age 39 – Oxon Hoath, England (1975/85)
1944-0207 Witi Ihimaera* writer – Gisborne, New Zealand
1960-1226 Temuera Morrison* actor – Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
1964-0407 Russell Crowe* actor – Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
1968-0507 Sean “Iota” Habe* singer/ songwriter/actor – Pinjarra, WA Australia
1968-0727 Cliff Curtis* actor – Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
1972-1006 Brooke Howard-Smith* entrepreneur/television personality/ artist – Auckland, New Zealand
1972-1218 Julian Arahanga* actor – Raetihi, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand
1975-0816 Taika Waititi* actor/director/ producer – Raukokore, New Zealand
1975-1105 Keala Settle* actress/ singer – Laie, Hawaii, USA
1976-1012 Simon Bridges* lawyer/politician – Auckland, New Zealand
1977-0625 Elliot Ikilei* politician – Auckland, New Zealand
1979-0523 Ryan Nicholas* Japanese-Australian rugby player/active in New Zealand – Broken Hill, NSW Australia
1981-0320 Mahara McKay* Swiss model/Tantra yoga teacher/to Switzerland at age 10 – Auckland, New Zealand
1981-0916 Jade “Jay’ed” Goto* New Zealand-Japanese singer-songwriter/to Japan at age 10 – Invercargill, New Zealand
1987-0606 Daniel Logan* New Zealand-American actor – Auckland, New Zealand
1988-0107 Harlan Alaalatoa* rugby player – Sydney, Australia
1988-0310 Josh Hoffman* rugby player – Mackey, QLD Australia
1988-0704 Michael Hoomanawanui* Am.football player – Bloomington, IL USA
1989-0203 Atawhai Tupaea* rugby player – Auckland, New Zealand
1990-0324 Keisha Castle-Hughes* New Zealand actress – Donnybrook, WA Australia
1990-1220 Robert Whittaker* mixed martial artist – Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, New Zealand
1991-0604 Ben Stokes* British cricket player – Christchurch, New Zealand
1992-0804 TeTori Dixon* volleyball player – Arizona, USA
1995-0929 Sasha Lane* actress – Houston, TX USA
1996-0216 Alex Aiono* singer/ producer/actor – Phoenix, AZ USA
1996-0220 Tanika-Jazz Noble-Bell* rugby player – Auckland, New Zealand
Updated 12.8.2021