AY Honors/Māori Lore/Answer Key
A pā or pa (pronounced pah) is a Māori village or community which is fortified and built for defence. They were considered the tribal social center and socio-political center of all iwi. In Māori society, a great pa represented the mana of a chief or rangatira. Nearly all pa were built in safe and fertile locations. While built for defence, they were primarily residential.
Māori pa played a significant role in the New Zealand Land Wars.
They were constructed by people who were fighting with muskets and hand weapons (such as spear, taiaha and mere) against the British army and armed constabulary who were armed with swords, rifles, and heavy weapons such as howitzers and rocket artillery. They were often put in place in very limited timescale, often less than two days, and resisted attack for many hours and, sometimes, weeks.
A limiting factor of the Māori fortifications was the need for the people manning them to go home frequently to cultivate areas for food and to gather food from the wilderness. Consequently they would be abandoned for 4 to 6 months of each year.
See also
Māori Wars: Strategy and Tactics
