Taua

A taua is a war party in the tradition of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Contemporary knowledge of taua is gleaned from observations during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century and the later New Zealand wars.

Composition

A taua was typically composed of males, although there were occasions when women fought as well. The party was led by a chief (rangatira), and would be made up of around 70 warriors. This number was the general capacity of a “waka taua” (a war canoe), however sometimes waka would be designed to carry up to 140 warriors, and such canoes were called "Te Hokwhitu a Tu".

trategy

Taua would typically restrict their activity to the fighting season, between late November and early April, when food and fishing was plentiful. The taua would usually attack at dawn in the form of an ambush or a surprise raid. Their intimate knowledge of New Zealand’s natural rainforests enabled them to appear and disappear swiftly and noiselessly and successfully complete their mission. As Maori at the time were strongly committed to the idea of "utu" (revenge), the aim would be to kill all members of the enemy war party and leave no survivors. There were, however, occasions when warring taua would come to a truce. This would be typically settled through the arrangement of an inter-tribal marriage.

Customs

The haka was a central feature to the life and culture of each taua. Other customs and rites included abstinence of certain foods and practices, dedication to Tumatauenga, the god of war, and rites that would place a "tapu" around the warrior, and lift the tapu when the warrior returned home.

Taua in Film

* "Taua - War Party", 2007, written and directed by Tearepa Kahi [http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/film_catalogue/short_films/latest_short_films/Taua_-_War_Party_574.aspx]

External links

* New Zealand in History: The Maori: History and Culture: [http://history-nz.org/maori2.html The Haka, The Taua]