Marcel Mauss
Mauss’s theories about the role of gifts in Māori culture relied heavily on the information provided by Tamati Ranapiri. Ranapiri was a Māori scholar who exchanged letters with ethnographer Elsdon Best. Through these letters, Ranapiri explained how gifts were used to connect people in Māori society. According to Ranapiri, gifts created commitment without force. These commitments created by gifts made social relationships and bonds stronger.