Marcel Mauss
In 2017, Georgina Stewart published a criticism The Gift, specifically on Mauss' understanding of Hau. Stewart claims that a misunderstanding of Māori beliefs about the cosmos and language differences caused Mauss to misunderstand the Māori concept of Hau. Alain Testart (1998) claimed that Mauss exaggerated the idea that all gifts need to be repaid. Testart said that there were some truly free gifts, such as giving money to a homeless person as you walk by them. James Laidlaw also points out an example of free gifts within Jainism, a religion where followers believe that they cause a war between microorganisms if they prepare their own food, so they rely on outside food donations.