August 03, 2015
Women on the ascendency across Maoridom
Women are on the ascendency across Maoridom not just in terms of numbers but in their ability to speak te reo Maori and knowledge of whakapapa and pepeha.
Research by Dr Tahu Kukutai and Moana Rarere from Waikato University has found that 25 years ago an equal number of men and women identified with an iwi however by 2013 there was just 89 men for every 100 women claiming tribal affiliation.
They found that the women under 50 were more likely to speak Maori today while back at the turn of the century men where the masters of Te Reo Maori.
Women today are also more likely to know all parts of their pepeha such as tribal names, rivers, mountains, ancestors and waka.
The researchers put the changes down to more men going to Australia, women doing better in education and being the main organisers of marae and whanau.
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