It takes a village

Māori culture is built upon the premise that…“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini” (“my achievements are not of myself, but because of the many”.) Māori culture personifies the belief that “it takes a village to raise a child”. The marae provides a venue for families and extended families to interact in a uniquely Māori environment where children learn their culture.

The Maori Village at the Polynesian Cultural Center

A community committed to their children

Māori raise their children together, participate in activities together, build, work and play together as a village unit. Even their music is known for its beautiful harmonies. This interaction unifies villagers and allows them to pass on their culture from generation to generation by preparing them for the future while honoring the past.

Everything in Māori culture is built upon the premise of ‘my achievements are not of myself, but because of many.” Māori culture personifies the belief that “it takes a village”.

Much of traditional Māori upbringing revolved around games and military drills

Preparing for the future

Thru games and athletics, Māori’s prepare their children with physical coordination. Their songs and chants give them historical knowledge. The Māori culture believes that a village must work together in order to prepare their children for the challenges they will meet in the future.

Click on arrow to view a video on the art of Poi Ball Twirling

Visit the Māori community on Oʻahu

In the Māori Village at The Polynesian Cultural Center, our guests are invited to participate in some of the activities taught to all children. This includes Poi Twirling (ball-on-the-end-of-string), Tititorea, a game tossing sticks (shown in our lead image), which is popular in grade schools, and Mauī-Matau which uses larger poles. In this version, the players stand in a circle balancing 3 – 6 foot poles as they move right and left.

Watch the fun video below on how to play Tititorea!

Want to experience this first hand? We would love to welcome you to our Māori Village here at The Polynesian Cultural Center. We have many games and skills available for you to try. It’s a great way to exercise not only your body, but your brain as well.

Nina Jones, a mainland gal from way back, is now a transplanted Islander who helps to develop Polynesian focused blogs  through in-depth research, interviews and collaboration with the cultural advisors and village chiefs at the Polynesian Cultural Center. To her, Polynesia is not just a place to visit, it is a way to live, and she is very honored to be able to be a part of this amazing world.