Mākutu and Witchcraft in Contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand

Record summary

Recent New Zealand scholarship and journalism continue to discuss mākutu as a Māori category involving harmful spiritual influence, taboo, accusation, or ritual power. The topic matters for comparison with occult traditions because it shows how a culturally specific category can persist, change meaning, or be invoked within modern legal and social settings. It is not a single paranormal incident, and accounts vary considerably by community and context. Researchers should distinguish historical ethnography, contemporary Māori perspectives, sensational media narratives, and the legal treatment of alleged spiritual harm.