hapu
Māori kinship group
Also known as: hapuu
Quick Summary
The hapū is a Māori clan or tribal subdivision. Traditionally, it was the primary landholding group and the unit within which marriage was preferred. The hapū is a key component of traditional Māori social organization, which is based on recognizing common ancestry and allegiance to chiefs. This structure was in place when Europeans first arrived in New Zealand.12
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
