Māori Resources

This section contains links to electronic Māori Resources that are useful for research.

This website is dedicated to the men who served with New Zealand’s 28th (Māori) Battalion during the Second World War, and to their whānau and friends.

This site provides access to information on plant taxa that occur in New Zealand. The site combines data from the New Zealand Plant Names Database and the Allan Herbarium Specimen database – providing access to information on the scientific and vernacular names, distribution and collection data, keys, descriptions and images. It currently includes the data for the seed plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens and freshwater algae.

Auckland Art Gallery's Whakamīharo Lindauer Online, a website dedicated to Gottfried Lindauer's celebrated portraits of 19th century Māori leaders: men and women who continue to inspire today. This is a place for their stories.

He Muka is a publication in te reo Māori published by Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori–Māori Language Commission. He Muka was originally a print-based periodical featuring te reo Māori issues using language of a standard to provide an exemplar for advanced learners and fluent speakers. The first issue was published in June 1988. There was a two year hiatus period of non-publication. The final issue that was printed was Hotoke 2015. In 2017 He Muka was revitalised and in December 2017 a digital version of He Muka was launched on the Commission's website.

An online index from an unpublished manuscript compiled by the missionary Rev. Henry James Fletcher (1868-1933). The index includes the names of boundaries, Maori individuals, canoes, trees, landmarks and geographical locations. Indexed sources come from: Journal of the Polynesian Society; Transactions of the Royal Society of NZ; Transactions and Proceedings of the NZ Institute; Polynesian mythology and ancient traditional history of the New Zealanders by George Grey; Traditions and superstitions of the New Zealanders by Edward Shortland; Māori religion and mythology by Elsdon Best; and Ancient history of the Māori by John White.

Māori Maps helps to connect Māori descendants with their marae, and enable visitors to make appropriate contact with these centres of culture.Te Potiki National Trust, a charitable company founded in 2007 administers Māori Maps. Krzysztof Pfeiffer, an internationally renowned photographer, is responsible for photography of marae.

A full text database of historic newspapers published primarily for a Māori audience between 1842 and 1932. The newspapers can be searched (full text), browsed (by series) or accessed by date.

In a project initiated by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) in the late 1980s, historical records were searched for information on the economic and cultural uses of harakeke or New Zealand flax. This information was put into a database for easy access. During the 1990s, early publications and manuscripts were searched for details on the traditional uses of all New Zealand native plants. Information gathered was added to the existing database on harakeke. This valuable resource is now available on the Web to anyone with an interest in New Zealand native plants and wanting to know more about their cultural uses.

The Māori Land Court (Te Kooti Whenua Māori) is the New Zealand court that hears matters relating to Māori land. This database enables users to search for current Māori land ownership, title and land management information. Users can search by Owner, Trust, Reserve, Incorporation or Block.

Sir Donald McLean (1820-1877) was one of the most influential figures in 19th-century New Zealand history. In his various roles as Chief Land Purchase Officer, Native Secretary, the Superintendent of Hawkes Bay, official in charge of military operations on the East Coast and Native Minister, McLean played a pivotal role in relations between Māori and the government. Over 100,000 pages from McLean’s papers have been digitised, including correspondence, diaries, telegrams, letter books and maps. Many of the letters and diaries have been transcribed and are keyword searchable. Of particular significance are over 3000 letters in te reo Māori, many of which have transcriptions and translations attached.

Library and Information Services Team