#help iwi

[smthaboutusss]

Spricht hier eigentlich irgendwer deutsch 🤨 LMAO

[adm-starblitzsteel-4305]

NGL but...

Since this month is MerMay (I was hoping to draw Mermaid!Mothra, but I'm running out of time 😭), I have a crazy idea running my mind...

P.S. This might be the most funniest (shittiest) Kongzilla fic IDK why I should pull this...🙃

So it starts here...

What if after Godzilla consumes a lot of Tiamat's radiation on her lair and after a battle between the icy grandma and the bald tyrant son-of-a-bitch together with Kong on his side and went home to his coliseum to sleep, he woke up the next day finding his lower half of his own body is replaced by Tiamat's other half of her body?!?!

Now I imagine himself struggling to get up, even destroying half of the human population and the buildings before he managed to reach the sea and swims deeper and guess what? HE FUCKING SWEARS FOR ABOUT WHOLE HOURS.

Tiamat's (and even Scylla's) spirit is seen laughing her (their) ass off because she believes that Tiamat's lair might have laid "a curse" on his act for handing over her lair and the radiation reserves, and an attempt murder yeeesh. Godzilla can't sense because they were dead duh.

Then Godzilla travels back to his old home and goes into one of the Hollow Earth's portal in order to stop this "abominational curse".

Once there, he met Suko while on a hunting trip looking for food. The little ape was flabbergast yet he even laughed at him before Godzilla threatens him to incinerate or his kind, so Suko reluctantly guides the King of the Monsters to the newly built place for the Great Apes where Kong - now King Kong - is their new leader.

Once there, Kong was shocked to see him in his "not so normal state". Most of the Apes are seen snickering while others cannot hold on their laughters, and a few were scared because of his past actions that happened during the war of his and Skar King's history.

While even Kong cannot help but feel empathy of his former-enemy-turned-friend, he decided to seek Mothra out for help. He leaves his kind behind with only Suko and Shimo to guard them down while the two are travelling miles away.

There will be some scenes like Godzilla 'trips' himself right in front of Kong's chest, and Kong was like "WTF bro?! Why're you looking at me?!"; the two eating from their meals they had just hunting down and when their hands touched one another from trying to get that food, they stared like few minutes before breaking their sight out; Kong soothing Godzilla down after having nightmares of his father's death from the MUTOs; both talking about their lives from worse to better; friendship stronger; Godzilla admiring the Hollow Earth and how Mothra had fully evolved into her Rebirth form; etc.

Slowburn Kongzilla was there...

As the two reached from the Iwi borders, Mothra appears to them in the crystal-like temple (Jia, Ilene Andrews, the Iwi Queen, Trapper and Bernie were there; and I cannot imagine about them were flabbergasted about Godzilla's sudden appearance). Godzilla was happy to see her, and Mothra reveals that Tiamat's power has something to do with his form changing. The only way to break out this abominational curse is to "profess your former enemy's self-hatred."

Well, Godzilla already knew that, he cannot but least he told Mothra that he loved her very much, and the moth half-jokingly tells him he is BISEXUAL, I swear Godzilla dislikes that because he is a STRAIGHT MAN, but Mothra knew it otherwise because she can read his mind.

So anyway, Godzilla leaves, but Kong and Mothra follows him. Then there will be arguments, and Godzilla finally had enough. He confessed his feelings for Kong, and Kong was stood still in silence, but he feared about the Queen of the Monsters and Defender of the Iwi Tribe will beat him. However, Mothra never shows anger, but was simply proud about regaining their friendship and allied one another, most of all, feelings~

So the two male Alphas held their hands each other, finally professing their love...and THEY KISS~

...And Godzilla woke up with a loud scream, finding himself back to his cozy 'bed'. Mothra was there cuddling to her husband and just woke up from his scream. Then the King checks himself and his body, only to find out he's back to his normal body. He is happy yet scared about that shit until his wife calms him down, saying it's just a dream and nothing else. Godzilla couldn't help but feels his guts wanted to vomit out butterflies all because he will NEVER EVER gonna accept the fact about his relationship to Kong...

When Mothra falls asleep, Godzilla couldn't help but feels something was off to his matters.

"...Maybe this dream wasn't so real after all...or Kong's not really bad too."

THAT'S ALL FOR KONGZILLA SHORT FIC. 🤫

@sassyassblog

[jackies-ear69]

Trying to find out Courtney Eaton’s iwi online is near impossible 😭 if any of you crazy fans find out, please let me know 😔

[catboydan]

ok this was completely unintentional but everyone is calling the kiwi backpack the phiwi which is adorable but also:

in Māori, “iwi” means tribe/clan/people. putting that ph in front of it is like. the phiwi. the phan family. that’s us isn’t it. god help me. the fucking phiwi

[zzthekaiju]

So, Godzilla X Mothra as a Monsterverse movie, hmm...

Well, I got a lot of replies to the big comic saying that they’d like to hear my pitch for a GxM movie. So, here you go!

The film should be, at its core, of the romance genre variety. For both the kaiju and the human sub-plots. The overarching theme should not only be the Monsterverse’s usual “natural balance” motif, but also that of loving one another despite our differences and flaws, or perhaps because of them.

After all, “If you love a person, you accept the total person. With all the defects. Because those defects are a part of the person.”

 Obviously, Godzilla and Mothra are at the center of the kaiju side of the story. Big G is still patrolling for rogue titans while Mothra has made residence in Indonesia. Monarch returns with Madison Russell trying to prove her worth as a part of it. However, not only is her stubborn attitude grating on everyone, but her head is in a whirlwind because of Mothra’s newest ambassador: A good-natured and pacifistic young lady her age native to where the big bug titan lives. She and this newcomer (we’ll call her Lora for simplicity’s sake) are a mirror to Godzilla and Mothra. Also, Bernie and Trapper should return because there was NO way they weren’t having eyes for each other in the last movie.

As for our two kaiju, their relationship hits a snag when a new titan shows up with an uncanny resemblance to Mothra. And yes, this will be the Monsterverse’s answer to Battra (we’ll call him that here from now on). Battra is something of an older brother to Mothra, and the two have a very strong connection. Unfortunately, Battra’s way of handling protecting the Earth runs counter to how Godzilla does it (as in, wipe out human settlements and attack titans for the most minor of infractions), and Big G tries to handle it the only way he knows how (ie, beating him to death). But not only is Battra much stronger than he lets on (complete with an ability to control plant life), but Mothra intervenes on her ancestor’s side out of familial loyalty (she’s unaware of Battra killing people at this point), causing the king and queen to come to blows until she and Battra emerge victorious, driving Godzilla away.

This turns out to be a really bad move, as Battra is determined to wipe out humanity, believing them to be a scourge that Mothra foolishly trusted. Mothra doesn’t realize her mistake until Battra wipes out an entire village for the crime of being near a forest. She tries to stop him, but nearly gets killed before retreating.

Monarch’s main goal throughout the film is to reunite Godzilla and Mothra, requiring them to look high and low for clues to how this unique symbiotic relationship came to be. A major stop is the Hollow Earth Iwi tribe, which shows how the two met in the first place, and gives Jia a chance to enter the narrative. As time goes by, Madison and Lora’s relationship goes from “unstoppable force meets immovable object” to them finding common ground, and eventually falling in love. It’s them that enables Monarch to hatch a plan. With the help of Jia, and Madison’s mastery of the ORCA, they set Godzilla and Mothra up to meet again. Of course, they’re all rather surprised to see Godzilla so thoroughly heartbroken and ashamed of himself that he submits to her like any titan would to him. But as Jia translates Mothra’s thoughts, the insect Goddess and her king make up for each other’s faults.

Soon, it’s Godzilla and Mothra vs. Battra. But it’s not easy, as Battra has mastery over the elements, giving him an advantage over Godzilla by summoning giant plants to ensnare and attack him. Mothra gets in a lot of good hits, but in the end, it’s a combination attack from king and queen that destroys Battra’s wings, and reduces him to harmlessness. To show how much he trusts his queen, Godzilla allows him to live and Mothra to decide his fate. She ultimately has him confined to the same place she lives so that he has familial company. It ultimately ends with Godzilla and Mothra resting at the area where they first met, as Monarch watches from a safe distance with Madison and Lora sharing their first kiss. At least one person, probably Bernie, states that it’s the best double date ever.

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If anyone has other ideas/opinions, feel free to let me know!

[victoriadallonfan]

Not to claim Godzilla x Kong was a deep film, but credit where it’s due, it has by far the most respectful portrayal of indigenous people in all of the Kong films.

This is not a high bar and I’m NOT saying it’s the pinnacle of progressive film work, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Spoilers below, of course.

For those of you who haven’t seen any of the older Kong films outside of the Monsterverse, the general plot beat is that a wealthy businessman/philanthropist/greedy asshole goes to Skull Island to find something new to make a lot of money (film for the OG/Peter Jackson and Oil for the 70’s film), and comes across a tribe of “barbarian” natives who kidnap the beautiful white woman whom they sacrifice to Kong, whom they worship.

It’s such a cliche that even Peter Jackson does it in his 2005 film (and it’s possibly even more racist than the older ones):

As you can see, there is a very familiar pattern

The Iwi tribe of the Monsterverse is handled very differently

In Kong: Skull Island, it actually does try to play into previous viewers perceptions; we meet the Iwi as the protags stumble upon their village ruins and are surrounded by. Tension is tight, and it looks like it’ll be a repeat of the previous films… until the character of Hank Marlow arrives and diffuses the tension entirely, revealing that the Iwi have been generous and caring hosts to him.

And yes, while they do worship Kong, it’s not out of fear, but rather that Kong protects them from the hazards of Skull Island. The Iwi are the ones who help the crew get a working ship and aid them in escaping the island.

This is followed up in Godzilla vs Kong, where we tragically learn that a massive tropical storm (I think implied to be due to King Ghidorah hurricanes) sank the entire island and left Jia as the sole survivor of her tribe, saved due to Kong protecting her from the rising floods.

Kong and Jia are then seen as a near inseparable duo, further twisting the “beauty and beast” dynamic of the previous films, making it more about how they are both alone except for each other. Kong even learns sign language from Jia in one of the best movie reveals of the series:

It’s even Jia who is able to give Kong the morale boost to save Godzilla from Mechagodzilla.

And then we get into Godzilla x Kong. Kong and Jia, while having a new home, still feel isolated because of their cultures (or lack thereof) and make excuses to see each other as much as possible. Which is turned on its head as Kong finds other Apes and the Iwi tribe have returned (or at least) an offshoot of them, as the protectors of humanity who calls Godzilla to their aid.

I was a bit wary of making them telepathic, but I liked that they used it more like a separate language than a superpower, with Jia serving as that bridge as she finds her culture, her adoptive mother accepts that Jia may want this life more than one back home (where she felt out of place), and Jia becoming ANOTHER bridge as she helps resurrect Mothra who goes onto make Godzilla and Kong form an alliance!

Ultimately, Jia parts ways with the Iwi on good terms to live with her adoptive mother, happy to know there are people of her culture she can visit and Kong lives on with his people.

But I especially appreciate a moment in the film that pretty much lampshades the older Kong movies.

One of the characters is filming himself and others as they venture into Hollow Earth, desperate to get his fame and fortune in making people realize he was a hero and not a conspiracy theorist (he was a spy for Apex Labs, the ones who built mechagodzilla in the first place). Another character is an animal doctor and naturalist, who points out that, historically, native populations don’t tend to do well when exposed to the modern world.

Add on to the fact that the Iwi are telepathic and know how to use crystals to alter gravity in Hollow Earth, they would absolutely be the target of government operations and experimentation. Aka, a far more grand version of what happens in the older Kong films.

The film ends with the footage not being used and the Iwi living in peace, having Mothra once more to protect them.

Like I said, it’s not groundbreaking stuff, but I appreciate how different it is.

[aurora-starlight-silly]

Alright guysss so huhh I stopped answering this aurora asks cuz I lost the fun of doing it

Especially because I used like a kind of sprite and it's annoying to go on ibis paint, find, find the good layer, choose the good expression, choose the good mouth...so yeh (that wasn't a good idea to do it like that ;-;)

And ig it especially helped to introduce aurora, but it's probally not the last time you'll see her in an ask blog :33

I'll answer the last questions I got now !!!! Sorry to everyone who I didn't answer with art TwT

I'll answer in two ways: aurora's answer and mine

Aurora: oh ! Heh, thx ..! Also, that's not really a void, like I said, but idk if I can really call that an au, so I'll just say it's my home :3

Yeah it's cool here ! I mean, it's very pretty ! I can, look at tbe sky, and huh...sleep, on, huh...the grass ? I think I should add some things here ;-;

But if I wouldn't enjoy it here, I think I'd choose outertale, it's really pretty and peacefull !!!

TYSSMM !!!! Aaaa 😭

Yeah she does, it's a bit cold there, but just a lil bit, not alot at all, it's fine :p 👍

And yeaaah outertale's probally the best, I mean it's peacefull, poeple are nice, and it's pretty :33

Question by @the-white-soul !!! Thx again ! ^^

And sorry for being like 3-6 or more months late

The other asks under the cut :p 👇

I have a three !!!

..yeaaah alright I don't really have a shelter but it's not bothering me, it's not that cold -w-

But maybe I should have one yeah ?? IwI''

I don't really sleep, I don't even know often when it's night or day !! But I think it's cool to sleep sometimes, I understand some poeple can like this activity, it's nice :3

Oh ! I've never seen that thing ! It looks so cool :0 *eats*

Heheheh thx for your second ask soul :]

Yeh I think if I make an ask blog and she's apart of it and is in her home, it'd be cook that y'all give suggestions or something similar and you add things to her home together, it'd be fun :0

I love her she's dumb she thinks sleeping is a hobbys that poeple does at night AHAAHAHAHWQUGDJSGD JAHDHSHDHS

Also she doesn't know often if it's night or day because y'know, the underground, we can't see the surface...

I mean the monsters go to sleep but yeaah we can't REALLY know ig ?? And she doesn't knows how that works

She appreciates the candy :p

Ask by @soul100 !! Tyy >:33

Oh no did u mean a strawberry or a necklace ;-;

OH NO WHY DOES THE TRANSLATOR DOES THIS TO ME 😭

Well either way she appreciates the gift !!! :33

If I had drawn that : Aurora eats the cookie and is happy, and I would had fraw Shar with aurora ! Shar looks cool !!!!!

Ask by @funzyoff !!! Thx !

Hello ! Yes, I hear you !

My birthday ? What's a birthday ??? :>

I haven't tried alot yet, but from what I've seen in Ccino's cafe, I think blueberry muffins are awesome ! It's so cooool :0

*tries to comfort Sorrow and play cards with him*

Welp, now her bday has passed skdgsjgd, but yeh it was the 21 april :p

She doesn't know what a bday is because usually poeple don't really talk about their birthday before it is, so yeah she doesn't know :0 (cuz she doesn't have a memory and is learning abt the world :>)

WAIT THEN WHAT I DRAW FOR HER BDAY ISN'T CANON

Welp let's say a random person told her it was her bday and told her what it was lol (idk how else to make it canon to her ._.)

Istg these are so tasty !!! Also she usually likes more hot things since it's more cold in her home (not alot ofc but yeh)

New fact, when she doesn't know what to do with someone cuz she doesn't really know them, she'll play cards, cuz y'know almost everyone is on with okay with playing that usually, and btw it's probally the 7 family game cuz it's pretty simple :)

Oh no. Oh no. I just got a new au idea out of that. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ask by @luvyourself2hell tyy yugo >:33

I would had drew her getting scared of it cuz she never saw that animal ^^

And THX FOR THE CUTE ANIMAL :PP

ask by @salem-the-puppet tyy !!!

I would had drew her being scared of you and suprised hehehehehheheh >:]

She's probally pretty tasty :1

Ask by @ribboncrimson YAYAYAYAY :D

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Alrighhhtt again sorry for abandoning this T^T

I hope y'all still enjoyed the answers even if it's not in art !!!!

[whalesforhands]

what if dyf gojo has glow in the dark eyes? and he will just stare at us with it at night?

you would wake up in paralytic shock and wonder if you’ve done something that horrible to receive such a jumpscare.

You squeeze his cheeks inbetween both palms, your own cheeks puffed up and slight tears in your eyes as you pull and push at his soft face and try to rough up his skin with your handprints to sate your racing heart and embarrassment.

“Iwie cwna’t hfffwelp itw!” (“I can’t help it!”) He’s sputtering out words through your abuse. “Ie can’t gwfet mwe eyes two stfop befping mwe eweyes!” (“I can’t just get my eyes to stop being my eyes!”)

“Then why do you have to stare at me when I’m sleeping?! You didn’t even send word of when you were coming back from your mission!” Your brows are furrowed in irritation and your words choked with mixed tears, slightly raw from your scream but happy that he was back early in one piece, yet annoyed at the fact that he did exactly what he did.

It’s late. And Gojo Satoru thinks that even in the wee hours of the night, you were still uber cute when asleep.

He’s kneeled down by your head at the side of your bed, smile on his face and happy hums as brilliant blue remain trained on you even through the darkness that shrouded your bedroom. You look tranquil, so relaxed as slow breaths of air get breathed out with only the whirring of your AC unit to accompany them.

So, so cute. Oh, how he wishes he could just cuddle with you and hug you and tell you how much of a breeze his mission was as you just tiredly nod along whilst snuggling into his hold—

Well, he could try, no?

A hand reaches out to begin to test the waters, a finger tapping against your cheek as you scrunch your nose.

“Mm—f…” You’re starting to come to, turned onto your side facing him as your eyes start to flutter open, only to come face to face with shining, almost blinding blue that had irises narrowed into silts, glowing in the dark as that pair of eyes simply looked as if… They were floating in the dark.

And… What exactly was touching your face right now?! Panic overtakes you, the sensation of an all-too cold feeling against your skin with the combination of a seemingly sentient pair of eyes that stared deep into your own making you want to curl up in fear—!

So you scream.

And now here he was, with you pulling at his cheeks and pouting at him as you grip his face, giving him your own form of ‘punishment’ as he sits there and takes it, hoping that you won’t get any angrier as you mash and mould his squishy face in your hands.

“Satoru!” You finally cease the moulding of his face in your hands as you glare down at him, your expression no longer shrouded in anger as you simply hold his face still.

He’s expecting a scolding, a banishment from your room, his rights to even step a single foot in here revoked, a slap to his face, a wave of you calling him a creep, a loser—

“At least knock next time!” And you’re back to squeezing, your fingers pinching his cheeks and pulling the already red flesh as you start to use his face as a stress reliever.

“Owkay…” (“Okay…”)

[irawhiti]

kia ora! i would like to suggest the coining of a term that would hopefully help a large demographic of mostly-forgotten-about māori to connect with each other and share our experiences to feel less alone, congregate around a concept regardless of country of origin and upbringing, and organise as activists.

i politely ask as many people to spread this as possible to help indigenous people organise with each other and to get the largest amount of interactions possible.

anyway, with all that being said,

i would like to coin the term "ngāti rangiātea" for māori who do not know their iwi to use.

this is based on the well known whakataukī/proverb, "i will never be lost, for i am a seed which was sown from rangiātea." i chose this whakataukī due to the spiritual significance of rangiātea as a place in māori culture, as well as to emphasise that no matter how it feels, we are not lost, we can find ourselves in each other, we can experience strength and self-realisation, and that we will exist with mana and without whakamā as rightful tangata whenua.

i've put my reasoning, personal experiences shaping my viewpoints on the matter, and various statistics under the cut to make this post reblog-friendly and i would suggest fellow māori read it regardless of whether or not they know their iwi. i also ask for the opinions of other māori, ESPECIALLY AND SPECIFICALLY other māori who do not know their iwi. in fact, i politely ask māori to share this with their whānau and people in general to share this with māori they know, especially any they know who do not know their iwi. a wide reach is what i am going for to get the largest amount of voices, critiques, and opinions on the topic and to avoid this from just becoming a very small thing that stays in an online echo-chamber.

to begin, the 2018 aotearoan census shows that, of the 775,836 people identifying as māori in aotearoa, roughly 17% are unable to identify their iwi in the census. this has gone up by 1% since 2006, showing that we are a considerably stable percentage of people. along with this, there are more than 170,000 māori living in australia and, while there are no solid statistics, there are an estimated 8,000 māori living in the UK, 3,500 in the US, 2,500 in canada, and 8,000 in other countries where there's no option for māori or any polynesians on the census.

this number adds up to 967,816 total māori and while there's no census in these countries asking for your iwi, i would go as far as to assume that there's a larger number of diaspora māori who are no longer able to identify their iwi than there are in aotearoa. of course, this is just speculation based on my lived experiences and conversations with other diaspora māori, however even assuming that it's the exact same amount globally, 17%, this is roughly 164,532 māori worldwide who do not know their iwi. nearly one in five māori do not know their iwi.

regardless of the specific statistics, the hard fact here is that there is a large percentage of māori who are unsure of their iwi for whatever reason. it's extremely easy to feel unsure of yourself, lost, disconnected, and uncomfortable speaking on issues regarding te ao māori when you're unsure of your iwi (or your hapū, whānau, waka, or anything else, but there is heavy emphasis on the iwi) and it's very easy for whakamā to take hold, especially when many māori who can recite their whakapapa aren't very polite or understanding about your situation to say the least.

and there are a lot of those people.

unfortunately, i've spoken to many māori who are of the opinion that not knowing your iwi due to colonialism, assimilation, forced disconnection, etc. means that you should not, cannot, call yourself māori. this is a disgusting viewpoint to have and in my opinion it spits on the fundamental concepts of māori culture and worldviews. thankfully this is a small yet vocal group of people, but even so, they add to the collective experience that makes it extremely difficult to navigate a world while full of whakamā and internalised racism. it can feel like there's no space for you, no term you can use, nobody you can relate to, no mana you can claim, nothing. when you cannot recite your whakapapa, it can feel like there's a part of you that's fundamentally missing.

as well as this, even when people mean well, when you are in this situation, you're usually told to just do some genealogy work, do some research, ask your family what they know. sometimes, these steps are simply not possible. other times, we've already done everything suggested over and over and over again. we're generally told "oh, that sucks, but one day you'll find out, keep looking!" in response to our lack of iwi. sure, they mean well, but i have never once been told anything along the lines of "that's okay, some things are lost to time through no fault of your own. don't beat yourself up over something your whānau had to hide to survive, what you do now to uphold your family's mana, what you do know about your whānau, and who you ultimately become is more important than what you no longer know."

and why? why is it seen as shameful to say matter-of-factly that i don't know my iwi? i'm not looking for comfort, i'm not looking to be told that, aww, there there, i'll find it eventually. i'm stating a fact. i do not need pity, i need my mana and voice to be respected.

this concept is what i want to emphasise by coining ngāti rangiātea. some things are lost to time, but we aren't. our loss of knowledge does not mean that we are unworthy of being māori, that we are unworthy of basic human respect. it does not mean that we have lost everything that our whānau knows. it is a scar, a reminder of what colonisation took from us, yes, but we cannot allow it to continue to be an open bleeding wound. we will not be lost to time and we should not bow our heads and act like we do not exist, that we're inconvenient, that we damage the "image" that māori have. in fact, we are an important aspect of māori culture and ignoring our existence does harm to everybody.

and of course we can't speak on some topics regarding te ao māori. this seems to be a topic that comes up frequently as a strawman. yes, there are some topics that would be irresponsible to speak on when we have no experience with them. this doesn't mean we can't speak on anything. having a collective identity, an "iwi" to congregate around even just politically, would help us speak on topics that we are more qualified to speak on than māori with knowledge of their iwi (yes, those topics exist, shockingly.)

we will never be lost, for we are a seed sown in rangiātea.

by identifying as ngāti rangiātea, i wish to emphasise that it's important to accept that sometimes, someone just won't be able to find every piece of information. loss of family knowledge is literally one of the primary goals of forced assimilation! we all went through it as colonised peoples, why must we continue to attach shame to those of us who were forced to obfuscate our history to keep our children alive? it's not a personal flaw, it's not a dirty secret, it's a fact of life that must not continue to be kept quiet out of shame, and the sooner we can focus on healing this subsection of our community, the stronger māori as a whole will become.

so, this is why i'd like to coin a term for māori who are unsure of their iwi. this is what i intend to achieve by giving us a name, our own "iwi" to congregate around, to identify ourselves as. instead of hanging my head and saying "i'm not sure what my iwi is, i'm sorry", instead of feeling inclined to beg like a dog to be treated with respect, i would like to look people in the eye and tell them that i am ngāti rangiātea. i would like this label to be synonymous with strength and not shame, that i refuse to let my whakamā swallow me, that i am just as worthy of calling myself māori as anyone else, that there are many others in my iwi (or lack thereof). i would like other people to have that as well and i would like those like me to feel less lost when all they've been told is "well, you'll learn your iwi eventually!" as if that's going to help someone feel better if they can't find their iwi.

and even if a person finds their iwi eventually, it's absolutely disgraceful that people are treated that they're not allowed to access many basic parts of te ao māori until they discover something they are not even 100% destined to find. i think that this view contributes to a lot of people who eventually find their iwi becoming unnecessarily arrogant towards those who truly cannot find this information, that they're just not putting enough effort in. if a person finds their iwi after identifying as ngāti rangiātea, they are fully welcome to continue to identify as this political label along with the iwi they now know they belong to as i wish for it to be a term that describes your experiences, your upbringing, and your community. you don't suddenly lose your whānau or your lived experience when you discover your whakapapa.

finally, this hopefully goes without saying, but ngāti rangiātea is not meant to function as a real existing iwi does. the term will hopefully be used as a way to identify yourself and other people and organise but i don't expect nor do i want this to be treated like a coordinated iwi. i expect and hope for this to be a decentralised way of identifying and experiencing community to make it easier to organise as a people. think of this the way the terms ngāti kangaru, ngāti rānara, ngāti tūmatauenga etc. are used.

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so, the tl;dr is that i feel like coining a name for a phenomenon that nearly one in five of all māori experience in quiet shame, to make it easier for us to congregate and find each other, speak on our experiences, organise as activists, feel less lost, and ultimately give us the ability to regain our mana as a community with shared goals and experiences. i have spoken to many māori who feel this way and my suggestion for this term is ngāti rangiātea, to show homage to the well known whakataukī, "i will never be lost, for i am a seed sown from rangiātea", to give us a community to work with, and to give us an "iwi" to list when asked instead of fumbling for words and feeling whakamā.

i would like to take the emphasis off of constantly looking to the future for what you may or may not even find with this identity. we are not broken, we are not lost, for we are seeds sown in ngāti rangiātea.

tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa, and if you got this far, thank you for reading.

[nitrosplicer]

In other positive conservation news, kākāpō are being reintroduced to a sanctuary in Aotearoa (New Zealand)! In 1995, only 51 birds were known to exist. Decades of conservation work through the Kākāpō Recovery Programme doubled their populations to reach a high of 252 birds between 2016 and 2022. The effort utilized modern science and Māori matauranga (knowledge) to help bring the iconic species back from extinction. “This is a milestone translocation, and we are thankful for our iwi partners who will keep our taonga (treasured) kākāpō safe at their new habitat on Maungatautari,” Kaiwhakahaere (manager) Matapura Ellison said in a statement.

[xclowniex]

i’m american and our country doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to indigenous rights, but i’m very curious as to how new zealand approaches indigenous rights differently. one of my friends grew up in new zealand but she has american parents and moved back here for college, and she performed the haka for me one time because i was curious about it. in the states, this would be considered cultural appropriation (and rightfully so), but is it alright to do in new zealand? she told me that haka is taught in new zealand preschools to both maori and non-maori, and this is very interesting that new zealand does this because in america there’s barely any recognition of indigenous people. is maori culture more prevalent in mainstream (white? mainstream may be the wrong word to use here) culture?

In terms of a non Māori person doing the haka being cultural appropriation or not, it really depends on the situation.

If the person is doing it to make fun of it, then it is bad and disrespectful.

If a person is part of a haka group or representing the country then it's not cultural appropriation whatsoever. The all blacks do a haka before every match and not all of the players are Māori and there are pakeha (white people) who are part of top haka groups who perform it.

We do learn it in most schools. I learnt it as a kid. The reason for it is because it's one of the easiest things to do to introduce children to Māori culture. You also learn and use some te reo Māori in school too. Most basic instructions like listen, stand up, sit down, etc and greetings like good morning, hello, etc were said in te reo Māori more than English where I went to primary school.

I would say no, that it wasn't cultural appropriation for her to do it to show you. If she acted like an expert on Haka or Māori culture, then yes. But if she simply did it to show you it, then no as long as it wasn't one which is reserved only for those of a specific iwi (tribe) to do.

Excusing the Act Party cause of their current BS, the general attitude in New Zealand surrounding Māori culture is that we try to integrate it into our life and county's culture whilst still reserving certain cultural things for only Māori to do.

For example, Māori funeral rites should only be lead by Māori. But everyone is encouraged to learn some of the language and culture.

My favorite thing from Māori culture that I find really useful is Te whare tapa whā wellbeing model

Essentially if one of the walls of your house isn't sturdy, the whole house isn't sturdy, and you should strengthen the wall.

It's been really helpful for me in managing my mental health without medication as the various meds I've been prescribed in the past have too many negative side effects.

I wouldn't say that Māori culture is equal in the mainstream to the same level that pakeha culture is, but it is definitely more mainstream than native amercian culture is in the states and Canada.

There is a government funded Māori channel, Māori are included in most NZ shows.

There is still a long way to go in terms of Māori culture being the norm as well as representation, but it is better that the states.

I guess the only way for you to get an accurate idea is to watch some NZ shows.

I reccomend wellington paranormal as it is super funny. There is also Shortland street if you want to watch a mind numbing, should have ended a decade ago, hospital drama.

[astraerystarr]

Wingard can fuck off with his attempts at lore building.

Shimo is still a fully mature grandma for me and Mothra is still an immortal deity capable of (self sufficient) reincarnation.

But sure, Wingard. Yeah. She's the mother of KOTM Mothra.

Because. you know. She lays her own eggs?? The ones she is reborn in? I really hope that's what he's trying to say because if it's not I'll just give up.

Or she was SUPPOSED to be reborn in the eggs she lays before he made her spawn straight out of her cocoon instead. (And only with the help of a human from an island the isolated Iwi would have no knowledge of)

((Because of course the immortal reincarnating deity needs help from the little guys that worship her))

But idk. Maybe if they had thought about this a little more they could have introduced her into this movie in a way that wasn't disgustingly messy with her lore?

How much stuff was retconned with this movie? Little bits of lore and characterization the fandom embraced and enjoyed? If it wasn't for Shimo and Kong's story I would just disregard this movie as non canon

I'm sorry if this is all harsh but I just really love the silly moth, and since KOTM I grew such a big love for the concept of the Monsterverse and everything in it. Monarch, the hierarchy between the Titans, the dynamics between the Titans. It's so awesome. Such a creative spin on Kaiju and these iconic characters.

Next director, please. Preferably one that tries harder.

[gumnut-logic]

The Awards (Part 2)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Alexander Sweetapple series

This one was a challenge and being Australian and not a Kiwi, I beg forgiveness if I've messed up anything. Many, many thanks to @onereyofstarlight I owe her Haighs chocolate for consultation fees on this one (she actually wrote the intro).

Being a Sweetapple fic, this is m/m, and although they don't go beyond the occasional kiss and hug, if that isn't your thing, this isn't your fic.

I hope you enjoy it :D

-o-o-o-

“Tēnā koutou katoa.”

The room was already silent for the man’s mere presence on the stage. Scott Tracy stood tall, gazing out at the audience, and if he was honest with himself, Alex couldn’t help but feel proud to be an employee, sitting here in the audience, and represented by him.

“Ko Aerana te whakapaparanga mai. Nō Ngā Whenua Tōpū o Amerika au.” Scott straightened just a little. “My ancestry is from Ireland and I am from the United States of America.”

“Ko reo kōrero ō Tracy Industries ahau. I am the spokesperson of Tracy Industries.”

“Ko Scott Tracy tōku ingoa. My name is Scott Tracy.”

His eyes raked the room.

“It is the difficult and the horrifying that remind us of who we are. When circumstances threaten us and those we love. It is those times our hearts must be strong. To reach out and help family, friends and strangers alike.”

“You are a community which has seen terrible loss and heartache. But you are also a community of strong and defiant people who saw suffering and stepped up to help.” A pause. “I know. I was there.”

The room rumbled in acknowledgement.

“This is an opportunity to thank those who were pillars in their community, the iwi leaders who organised food and shelter, those who volunteered their time and energy to look after one another."

“Every one who saw a need and offered to help, all of you should be proud to be a part of Te Tai Rāwhiti because the sun does indeed dawn first on a very strong and caring people.”

He paused a moment and the room was full of an echoing silence as if everyone was holding their breath, simply hanging on the words of Mr Scott Tracy.

“So, it was with great honour I accepted this opportunity to open the Tairāwhiti Super Hero Awards 2065. While International Rescue might make a dramatic entrance,” the crowd murmured and Mr Tracy smiled just a little, “we should never forget the real heroes amongst us - those who step up and do what needs doing.”

For the briefest of moments that blue gaze settled on Alex before drawing the rest of the room in behind him.

“So thank you to all of you, for great service rendered.” Another small smile. “Ngā mihi nui.”

Mr Tracy stepped back from the lectern and the room erupted into applause. Alex found himself clapping like a lunatic.

But then this was Scott Tracy, Thunderbird One.

Beside Alex, Virgil was clapping just as hard, but he was grinning at Alex, not his big brother.

Scott shook the hand of the Master of Ceremonies and quietly walked off the stage as the lights shifted, heralding the opening performance of the night.

Alex’s eyes widened as students from the local high school, one of the most damaged by the quake, stepped onto the stage and into the rhythm of haka and welcome.

Knowing exactly how these people had been affected, and to see them here, proud and defiant, Alex’s heart swelled.

He lost himself in the lights and sound.

At some point, Scott slipped in on the other side of Virgil. The two brothers acknowledging each other unspoken, but throughout the ceremony Virgil held Alex’s hand.

And it was ever so warm.

At the end of the welcoming ceremony, the Prime Minister took to the podium, her stance as strong as her speech. Her acknowledgement of those lost, those who suffered, those who stepped up, and those who saved - and yes, she mentioned International Rescue particularly - Alex squeezed Virgil’s hand. It was heartwarming, politician or no.

And then came the awards.

The Prime Minister stood beside the MC and as names were announced and people stepped up from the audience, stories were told of heroic deeds.

The woman who sheltered three children with her body as a building collapsed over them. Thunderbird Two had pulled them out, finding her physically holding a slab of concrete from falling.

Her hoverchair separated from the crowd and hissed down the aisle to the stage.

A mechanic who had set up a care centre in his backyard, gathering locals who had lost their homes, finding blankets and bedding, and offering shelter from the weather in his workshop.

Amongst the recipients there were those who could not attend and those who had lost their lives helping others. Family members and friends accepted the awards from the hands of the Prime Minister.

The mood was both somber and proud.

“Alexander Sweetapple.” Alex startled and suddenly found both Virgil and his mother ushering him to his feet. “Caught in the Tairāwhiti museum collapse, Alexander was able to save the thirteen people caught with him before the building slipped into the Taruheru River.”

Alex was walking down the aisle towards the stage. He stepped up into the light, the Prime Minister’s smile all for him, and he shook her hand and accepted the trophy and tried his best to smile and not drop it.

His fingers fumbled.

Not drop it.

“Thank you for your service.” Her brown eyes were sincere and both her hands clasped his. “Thank you.”

He managed a smile and a nod, before turning back towards the audience. Somewhere out there, in that haze of bright light, was his mum, Messrs Tracy, and Virgil.

The thought of his smile…and what happened after saving those thirteen people…

Alex really didn’t need the piece of plastic in his hands.

So, of course, that was when he dropped it.

The thud as it hit the wooden stage floor was loud, the echo bouncing around the theatre.

A rumble of amusement from the crowd swelled as he stumbled to pick it up.

Grab the piece of plastic and get off the stage.

He managed it with as much decorum as he had left, only tripping on the stairs once in his haste. Walking up the aisle again, however, all he could see was fond amusement in the eyes that caught his and it mollified him a little. That feeling of just ‘being in it together’ reassured his thudding heart.

His mum and Virgil welcomed him back to his seat, both hugging him, one after the other.

The gentle kiss to his ear as heavy lifting arms wrapped around him was enough to slow his heart rate down a notch…okay, not slow, really, but more redirect its passion from terror to…other things.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. Panic was exhausting and he found himself resting his head on Virgil’s shoulder as hero after hero accepted their award.

At some point Scott climbed out of his seat and walked back down to the stage to accept a thank you to International Rescue from the Prime Minister - everyone knew IR didn’t accept awards, but Aotearoa had every right to say thank you.

Mr Scott’s smile and Erica’s favourite dimples charmed the audience and the Prime Minister…who, come to think of it, was single…

But the thank you was the last speech of the night. Scott returned to his seat again and the final performance roared onto the stage. Alex was quite comfortable with his head on Virgil’s shoulder, almost snuggled up beside him.

Sure, someone could photograph them, but at this point Alex didn’t care. Besides, it wasn’t like they were trying to hide anything. A good percentage of the world had already seen them playing tonsil hockey on social media, this was small time in comparison.

Virgil turning and kissing him gently on the forehead just sealed the deal.

But eventually the ceremony came to an end and the audience took to their feet. Alex straightened up, but his hand did not leave Virgil’s, even as they filed out with the crowd.

Iz, of course, appeared from nowhere, she and Kayo bracketing their party as they moved into the foyer where a buffet had been set up.

Alex brightened. A little kai and definitely some coffee would help.

Well, it would have if some of it hadn’t been thrown at them.

-o-o-o-

TBC

[ierotits]

hello, i hope this is okay to ask you! i remembered you had your post about pounamu so i figured u might be a good person to ask about this.

i have had a māori bone pendant (which ik is not the same thing; i was just hoping you might know) necklace for several years. it was gifted to me. it has been like my comfort item necklace; i literally have worn it every single day and it’s a my fidget / security item / comfort / safety token.

unfortunately i have managed to lose the necklace. i am. very upset by this. i wanted to see about potentially getting myself a new one? but i also don’t know where the original necklace was sourced from. so what i wanted to ask is if you knew of how/where to find bone pendants that are actually made/sold by māori people? or even like individual makers who sell their own? i’ve tried to look around myself online, but i haven’t rly been able to find much and i don’t trust myself to be able to know whether a place that is selling these is actually made by māori ppl or not. i was also wondering if there’s a similar importance with these kinds of items as what you said in your post with the pounamu, where i shouldn’t actually even be getting one for myself at all but it needs to be gifted to you.

tl;dr would you happen to know anywhere to buy bone jewelry made by māori folks?

i hope this isn’t too much of a bother, and sorry if i’m a bit rambly; i’m still very upset about losing the necklace. thank you so much

kia ora e hoa! I personally know very little about bone carving but for sure have tips for finding your own! I'm sorry to hear about your taonga, but sometimes the loss is a sign that you are moving into a new phase of your life and it is time for your taonga to move on with you

in general, the best method for finding authentic carving is looking into who the artist is! any carving should name who the artist is, and usually will also list their whakapapa, iwi affiliation, or what authority they have for carving. find something you like, search for an "about us" page or any info about the carver, and they should be very upfront about if the artist is māori or not. anything that doesn't clearly list iwi, I would always steer clear of

that said, there's a few local companies and carvers that would be my go to! most pounamu carving places will have some bone available

hapa is a company that puts māori artwork into the public sphere

tarati design is an artist who started to raise money for drug rehabilitation

moko pounamu is one of my locals, and they've been great at replacing the cord for my own pounamu previously

generally I'd advise finding somewhere local, or somewhere you have a connection to?

authentic whale bone will always be more expensive (over $5,000) but beef bone can be very affordable, some even below $100!

good luck, and I hope any of this helps

[sonicasura]

Kaiju No 8's Kafka Hibino gets dropped into the Godzilla/Kong Monsterverse, how much trouble will he cause?

His kaiju form is no doubt an Alpha if you look at episode 2 of the anime or the manga. Would Godzilla get extremely pissy like he did in Godzilla vs Kong? Maybe although the big guy will have trouble finding Kafka if he stays in human form.

Well, imagine our dear himbo being stuck as Kaiju No 8 throughout the entire stay! The mini kaiju that gave Kafka his powers would definitely hold the transformation as the monsters in the Monsterverse are walking radioactive massive disasters. Not small fry like the unnumbered Kaiju and Honju.

Kafka would absolutely have a meltdown for a few hours before coming up with a game plan. (He has another meltdown as I don't think he can age if stuck in Kaiju form.) His plan is affected by where or when he ends up in the timeline. Movie wise, Kong Skull Island is the earliest as the main events begin in 1973.

A good start considering the Iwi Tribe's connection to Kaiju specifically Kong could prove helpful to Kafka if stranded there. He can get a better handle at his abilities and begins to fully understand the monsters in this universe. Or how a displaced himbo somehow dads fucking King Kong.

If he makes it to civilization, then I bet our himbo would start up his very own Monster Sweepers. There are plenty of messes that kaiju had stirred while Monarch was being secretive. Kafka can still wear clothing so he can cover himself up to his hide appearance.

He's bound to encounter Godzilla a bit early as Skull Island kept Kong hidden by its massive storm wall. Kafka getting roared in the face and the man just gives Big G his version of 'Why are you yelling?!'. The himbo wants to get this latest mess climbed up so he can eat some soba.

Kafka being such a non hostile weirdo probably keeps Godzilla from pursuing a fight. Doesn't mean he leaves the man alone. Godzilla instead becomes that one kid who likes to watch frogs and occasionally be a nuisance to the frequent stray cat by booping their nose.

Poor Kafka tried to chill on the beach only for his new gigantic stalker to show up by splashing him with a small tidal wave. Monarch just in panic mode as they don't understand why Godzilla keeps emerging so randomly. Fully unaware he's there to bully the teeny tiny strange kaiju who likes to mingle around humans.

Even when Kafka shows his true power to help stop the latest kaiju causing trouble, Godzilla still be the asshole cat(affectionate) in this scenario. Sitting right on his front porch and in the way of the door so he has to go out the window to leave. (I had to balance Good yet Mischievous boy Kong so Respectful Asshole Godzilla.)

Kafka may absolutely scare the shit out of every human character but they'll learn he's just a giant dork. Lol

[adm-starblitzsteel-4305]

Kong: *dying*

Jia: papa! Please dont die. Please! *turns to mothra* PLEASE! HELP HIM! YOU CAN HEAL HIM!

Mothra: oh, oh my sweet child...

Kong: its okay, jia. You are. Safe now. Dont waste your. Life. Be. Happy

@gorillageek27 I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS

TW: ANGST, DEATH

Kong: *peacefully dies*

Jia, horror: *signing* Mothra, please he's-

Mothra, bows her head in guilt: I'm sorry, my child, he has lived forever in our hearts...

Jia: *sobbing quietly* I LOVE YOU, DAD.

Ilene/Mothra: *comforts her*

Suko, in tears: Rest in Peace, Dad...

Shimo and the Great Apes gathered together for a funeral. Kong's body was placed on a giant stone slab. Suko clutched Kong's axe, sighing shakily as he looked his father's body inside, trying so hard not to cry. Many mourned over their great leader who had given them freedom. Shimo was saddened by this, for Kong had given her a respect and kindness after horrible pasts she had been controlled. Boots also cried a lot. Jia cannot accept this even though he is dead, and Ilene knew this is the road of Kong's history. Plus, Mothra was there as well as Godzilla (you can say he is also in fact guilt and tries his best to reciprocate all his hardships and trust to his former enemy turned ally). The Iwi Queen and her people of Malenka joined there as well, all mourning of Kong's death, and also understanding Jia's deep bond with him from the surface and his deeds.

In one final look, he is now gone.

All of the Great Apes gathered together to each marked Kong's burial place, with Jia, Ilene, Suko, and Shimo are the last of themselves, then followed by the King and Queen of the Monsters.

All of the Great Apes presumed that Suko is the new Leader who will guide them just like Kong did after they gained freedom from tyranny and fear.

After saying a few words over how strong Kong was and his story, they all departed themselves separately.

Jia had remembered what Kong told her that wherever they go, they will always be each other. It ached her heart a lot, knowing that Kong will have his eternal life of where his soul was.

I'll stay strong, Dad, she vowed silently, I hope you will be with your loving family as well.

Kong, the King of Skull Island and the Ruler of the Hollow Earth, is gone.

But his story shall be passed through every ape generations and through human history.

Or so they thought...