Reterritorialising kinship: The Maori hapu

Abstract

In this article I develop the Deleuzian-inspired argument that Maori hapu can be understood as collective becomings, an emergent series of new kin assemblages territorialised or reterritorialised around different ritual centres. These ritual centres- "intense centres" in Deleuzian terms-took different forms, including small shrines, churches, settlement meeting houses and hapu meeting houses. I conclude that hapu are neither large kin-categories nor smaller kin-groups but assemblages that may include people, land, animals, shrines and buildings.