Textiles form an important part of Māori culture, of interest to Europeans since contact
with New Zealand in 1642. The need to describe Māori textiles in English has determined
the terminology chosen to describe them, and also affected understandings of Māori
weaving. Ethnographic observation and recording of Māori textile production by
European non-weavers, inaccurate translation of Māori words, as well as incorrect use of
terms have all contributed to difficulties in understanding Māori textile structures. The
development of current terminology for describing Māori textiles is discussed, highlighting
how it arises as a result of temporal, cultural and political factors, and the consequent
importance of names. The values implicit in names given to Māori textiles then affect
knowledge, scholarship and communication of their attributes. One Māori textile form,
rāranga, illustrates how basing classification on structure alone could clarify
understanding, remove implicit value judgements, and enable accurate communication of the properties of artefacts.
