Comparison with Maori and other indigenous around the world. I choose the Orang Asli from country Malaysia. Orang Asli which are known as original people whom are aboriginal people in Malay language.
Division of Comparison
-History
-Culture
-Economics
-Tribes
-Agriculture
-Building And Designs
The division above which I am going to derive each and every path and compare between the both Maori and Orang Asli. The valuation Can determine the impact of technology on maori society and enhance the changes could be done to improve the society of maori in all the path.
History
Maori- the culture of maori of new zealand are known as an Eastern Polynesian people .The culture of Maori development was started 15th century which is as classic period and extended to 18th century. Maori are also known for their own language known as maori language as still given a importance thus the European has entered New Zealand in18th century.
(according to Gomes, Alberto G. "The Orang Asli of Malaysia". International Institute for Asian Studies. Retrieved 2008-02-02.)
Culture
Maori-
The maori culture concepts which can be derived into 4 different concepts. The concepts are know as Mana , Tapu , Aki Kaa , and Whangai. Mana concepts are knowns as the power and authority or prestige of Maori.Where else Tapu known as sacred which means protection under spiritual or religious and untouchable. The Aki Kaa concept can be determined as cooking fire and finally Whangai means open to children adoption.
Orang Asli-
Orang Asli have too many tribes as well they don"t adopt to the city culture and life style. The particular tribes which are known as Senoi has special events and celebration days to be celebrated as well they are mostly muslim in religious. Orang Asli hasno particular concepts like Maori because they remain their life and living deep in forest and river side.
(retrieved from Ballara, Angela (2003). Taua "Musket Wars", "Land Wars", or Tikanga? Warfare in Maori Society in Early Nineteenth Century. Penguin. p. cited in King, p82. ISBN 0143018892.)
Economics
Maori economics of classics period which was the gift exchange. There was 3 basic principle which was followed by the Maori economics. Firstly the gift exchange will be free and spontaneous exchange. As goes the second principle which is strict system obligation was to forced. The third principle was to be system where demanding for the gift exchange and this principle has been established and to be continued till 18th century.
Orang Asli has only limited path of economic trades. They live in remote forest area as they engaged in some trading with the Malays. Deep forest production were to be exchanged for salt due to no salt can be produced in the forest. Orang Asli trades with blow pipes and bamboo blow pipes for hunting with the other asli tribes. According to the Malaysian History Orang Asli have traded with the Tamil King who first arrived to Malaysia 3000 years ago.
Agriculture of Maori and Orang Asli
Maori had staple diet of seafood, aruhe (fern root) and cultivated imported crops even before the Europeans arrived in New Zealand. the rapid increase of European settlers in New Zealand made many changes in Maori agriculture. Primitive Shifting Agriculture with the abandoned land due to reduced production after several crops was the traditional way of Maori agriculture apart from common pattern of the very few fertile alluvial river valleys.
Although Maori had concoct diverse techniques to elevate production such as the addition of pumice (igneous rocks which were formed when lava cooled quickly on ground) and other materials, fertilizers was still not used. Gardens was allowed to be reverted to shrubs whereas plantations was shifted to another place. Sub tropical plants like Kumara, Yam and Gourds had a better growth under the naturally warmer climate of the North, Northern and Central Coastal Regions.
On the other hand, Auckland and on Mayor Island rocks from the volcanic land was cleared to be used as low shelter walls and those rocks was also used to train the vines of gourds as they keeps warm at night. To ensure Kumara to grow essentially and to prevent it from being rotten, many remarkable techniques was handled. Kumara was handled individually in that any were cut or contuse were placed aside for prompt use. Tapu was used to prevent unauthorized use and to store the seeds of Kumara.
Native caterpillars was the major problem for Kumara growers. A garden is usually ringed with burning vegetation as an attempt in controlling caterpillars . In early 1800's when the introduction of domesticated weeds which thrived was a significant issue but was counteract with the widespread growth of potatoes. Later on North, Auckland and in the Te Awamutu area of Waikato the methods used by the Europeans has then become their cultural and economic magnet for Maori's. In late 1850's, Maori learnt to mass produce food especially potatoes for trading under the supervision of missionaries. In 1858, European settlers equaled the Maori numbers and were able to supply european farmers to towns such as, Auckland.
Meanwhile, the demand of food supply to the gold rush markets in Australia and California ended in the mid 19th century, resulting in continuous usage of traditional fern roots -aruhe- as a part of Maori's normal diet.(according to Peter. "Kūmara - Religious aspects". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 November 2013.)
Meanwhile the orang asli were surviving deep in forest which is way far from the sea therefore the orang asli were depending only on forest fruits and own haversting like mountain paddy field as well as other tropical fruits and hunting the animal in the forest such as birds , wild cats , wild boar. As time passed and the trading occurs made them to trade for goats , cow and chicken as well started to keep farms on their own tribes.
Building & Designs of Maori
The active relationship between traditional and contemporary practices has contributed to the Maori concepts and designs. The tribal history and beliefs were kept in the form of objects ranging from woven baskets to complex carvings in wood, bone, shell and greenstone as there were no written language in Pre-European Maori era. These objects or 'Taonga' were passed down through generations of tribal so that they may take on the spirits of the past owners. Therefore, there are strong bonds between objects and spirituality in Maori culture.
Tu Whare Ora- Building Capacity for Maori Driven design in Sustainable Settlement Development seeks the increase of Maori capacity and input into housing and New Zealand's settlement design. the design and construction of settlements is not a new phenomena for Maori. The traditional Maori settlements were highly organised and coordinated to meet the needs of the inhabitants as each tribal group and region will have their own unique settlement structures and designs despite some common principles and strategies employed by different tribal group. Early Maori settlement was predominantly coastal, making use both the land and marine resources. the settlement were characterised by two distinct forms, the pa (fortified settlement) and the kainga (unfortified settlement). Pa was a defensive fortification built on hills, spurs, craggy headlands, islands in lake, swamps or off the coast. Pa and Kainga accommodate anything from singke family units to several large extended family groups.
Maori occupied numbers of different settlement types during a year which are characterised by the length of time and frequency a tribe would occupy the site .Maori settlements can be classified as either a domestic or communal unit. Earliest settlements were
coastal villages consisting of a complex of huts with internal fires, and groupings of sunken sleeping pits, always with separate cooking, food storage, and waste-disposal structures and areas. These villages showed an absence of substantial structures, however, which reflected the largely nomadic and hunting-gathering nature of lifestyles at the time. These early village
forms then developed into a mixture of pa and kainga.
(retrieved from Ethnologue http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mri) and (according to Papa and Meredith, Rahui and Paul. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 31 October 2013. )
(retrieved from Ethnologue http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mri) and (according to Papa and Meredith, Rahui and Paul. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 31 October 2013. )
With European contact a more developed but flexible pattern of settlement was encountered that
centered on strategically positioned pā. Hamlets' or cluster housing settlements, where day-to-day living occurred. These hamlets
consisted of three types of above ground buildings, "a large and small version of substantially the same design. and a temporary house, with cooking and waste areas remaining separate in all cases. Many of the buildings were highly decorative with carved symbolic figures depicting tribal ancestors, history and traditions. According to many early observers, the storehouse (pātaka) was always the largest and most decorative building in the settlement.(according Lim, Chan-Ing. (2011). "An Anthropologist in the Rainforest: Notes from a Semaq Beri Village" Kuala Lumpur: Mentor publishing(ISBN 978-983-3941-88-9).
A unique feature of pre-European Maori buildings was that they were constructed almost entirely of native plant material. Paetara (wall plates), tāhuhu (ridgepoles), heke (rafters), poutahu and poutokomanawa (support posts), poupou (wall slabs), kaho (batterns), and tatau (doors) were constructed of dressed timber slabs, or full and half round logs, usually of tōtara.
A diversity of materials were used, sometimes in combination, for roofing, internal and external wall coverings, ceilings and insulation, including:
. Nīkau (New Zealand palm)
. Wīwī (rushes)
. Pūkio, Kuta, Paopao (sedges)
This images are clearly shows about the orang asli designs and building thus there are too simple and small in size in term of building and designs. The reason of this could be because they are not into spiritual and protection as well compare to Maori culture as an combination of statue and spiritual believe as can be determined this culture are followed from india where few thousand year ago there was a connection between Australia and India which known as Kumari Kandam.
Reference
1.Early History, p. 46. Edited by Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman
2.Orang Asli Now: The Orang Asli in the Malaysian Political World, Roy Jumper
3.The Meeting Place .V O'Malley.P32
4.Papa and Meredith, Rahui and Paul. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
5. Lim, Chan-Ing. (2010). "The Sociocultural Significance of Semaq Beri Food Classification." Unpublished Master Thesis. Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Malaya
