The Poukai ceremony of the Maori King Movement: An ethnohistorical interpretation

Abstract

The poukai is a ceremonial gathering held on 28 days a year at different Marae [1] or ceremonial centres supporting the K ngitanga, or Maori King Movement, which is largely based within the Tainui confederation of tribes in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. The K ngitanga was established in the late 1850s in order to unite various Maori tribes under the leadership of a newly elected King in opposition to the imminent threat of colonial domination of New Zealand. An ethnohistorical account is provided of the poukai in order to examine the origin, meaning and function of the K ngitanga's annual cycle of ceremonial gatherings. [2 ] The argument is put that poukai are not simply or essentially loyalty gatherings, but that the development and growth of poukai ceremonies is intertwined with the history of the land confiscations of the strongest supporters of the K ngitanga.