AY Honors/Māori Lore/Answer Key

A pā or pa (pronounced pah) was a type of Māori village or community fortified and built for defence. They were considered the socio-political centers of all iwi. In Māori society, a great pā represented the mana of a chief or rangatira.

Nearly all pā were built in safe and fertile locations, almost always on prominent, raised ground which was then terraced - as for example in the Auckland region, where the dormant volcanic cones were used. While built for defence, they were primarily residential, and often quite extensive.

Fortification

Māori pā played a significant role in the New Zealand Land Wars, though they are known from all periods of Maori history.

Their main defence was the use of earth ramparts (or terraced hillsides), topped with stakes or wicker barriers. The historically later versions 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. Military historians like John Keegan have noted the Māori recognition of the strong resistance of sloped earth fortifications against modern weapons predates the successful defensive use of trenches and earth ramparts in World War I. Some larger pā even had simple communication and connection trenches linking various parts.

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 often be abandoned for 4 to 6 months of each year.