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Maori Trading European Contact - Coggle Diagram
Maori Trading European Contact
New Trading Material
Metal
The discovery of metal materials like axes would lead to increased local efficency
Muskets
The trading of muskets had a negative effect, as it would lead to tons of war
musket wars
Textiles
Maori people would trade what they had to Europeans
Kumara
Flax
Timber
Whalers and Sealers
Coastal iwi (tribes) engaged in supplying whaling and sealing ships with provisions like potatoes, pigs, and fish.
Māori traded flax and food for muskets, which led to the Musket Wars (early 19th century), significantly altering tribal power dynamics.
Intensive sealing led to the near-extermination of seal populations, reducing a valuable resource.
Commerce at the time
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Māori business and commerce evolved significantly due to contact with European traders, whalers, and settlers. Māori were active participants in trade and adapted quickly to new economic opportunities.
Māori initially engaged in a barter system, trading goods like food, flax, timber, and freshwater with European visitors in exchange for tools, weapons, blankets, and clothing.
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Trade was based on manaakitanga (hospitality) and utu (reciprocity)—fair exchanges strengthened relationships and prestige (mana)
Maori Business
Some Māori actively engaged in European-style business, especially in agriculture and shipping.
Iwi cultivated large crops of potatoes, wheat, and other produce for sale to settlers and for export to Australia.
By the 1840s, some Māori owned and operated their own trading ships, exporting goods to Sydney and other markets.
As more European settlers arrived, Māori gradually lost control over trade due to land loss and European economic dominance.The New Zealand Wars (1845–1872) and land confiscations further weakened Māori economic power.
By the late 19th century, European settlers controlled most businesses, and Māori had fewer opportunities to participate in large-scale trade.
Values
Manaakitanga refers to caring for others, showing hospitality, and maintaining strong relationships. This was a key value in Māori society and influenced how Māori interacted with European traders, whalers, and settlers.
As more European settlers arrived in New Zealand, particularly from the 1840s onward, the Māori economy underwent significant changes. While Māori initially thrived in trade, the increasing settler population led to a shift in economic power that ultimately disadvantaged Māori communities.