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Blog 11

Both readings were highlighting what it means to be a Maori women in contemporary society as well as the history of living in Aotearoa New Zealand before the colonists arrived. Both readings talk and the effect that the colonists had on the Maori cosmology as well as the Western laws they enforced upon the Maori society. ‘Mana wahine, which is often referred to as Maori feminist discourses’ (Simonds, p11). However, it is a lot larger than that; is a theoretical and methodological approach that examines the intersection of being Maori and female. Pre-colonial times traditional Maori society both men and women were essential parts in the informing the whakapapa that linked Maori people back to their beginning of the world, and women, in particular, played a key role in linking the past with the present and the future (Mikaere, p1). One great indication proving that there was ‘no hierarchy of sexes lies in The Maori language, as both the personal pronouns (ia) and the possessive personal pronouns (tane/tona) are gender-neutral’ (Mikaere, p1). All of these ideas were washed away when the colonists arrived and brought with them their laws, highlighting that according to the ‘English common law, the head of the family, (the husband/father) was in control of the household, “women and children were chattels to be used and abused by the paterfamilias as he chose” (Mikaere, p2).  Laws like these were not only introduced to the household in Maori society but right through the academic field, maternity and adoption in Aotearoa New Zealand and still they play a huge part in contemporary society in New Zealand.

References

Simmonds, Naomi. 2011. Mana wahine: decolonising politics. Women's Studies Journal. Pg 11-25.

Mikaere, Annie. 1994. Maori Women- Caught in the contradictions of a colonised reality. University of Waikato. Pg 1-9.

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Blog 10

The counter appropriation of cultures, for one's gain of wealth or to highlight their superiority of being of Western European descent. 'The wild man' who is a mythical figure created centuries ago by western Europeans. It is exploiting traditional cultures, making them seem like they are wild, barbaric savages. This figure started to make a "reappearance in the most advanced media systems", and somehow in some cases, people still affiliate writings of a mythical figure written centuries ago with contemporary society.

In 2002 Sony released the game 'The Mark of Kri'. "The creators of the Sony PlayStation 2 game drew on others’ traditions and resources to render wildness. Clearly, icons of Māori and Pacific cultures are specifically used to create ‘worlds and characters’ and to achieve a visual design as unique as the ‘fighting mechanics’." They had no remorse or gratitude in doing this and "As a consequence, some elements of Māori art no longer stand in relation to the “realm that it opens up”; are no longer received by a culture as a whole. Therefore, “torn out of their own native sphere”, they become a matter for the “art industry”

Sony isn't the first to exploit the traditions of Maori and Pacific cultures, the Western Europeans have been doing it for hundreds of years; when they decided to colonise land and engrave their beliefs onto someone else. This recurring effect has had a huge toll on the indigenous people who are sick and tired of being stripped from their beliefs and told to confine to the westerner's rules and ways of living. "For me, this is not just about Bionicles, Lego, BZPower and the misuse of the reo. The large issue is the Pakeha mindset that can’t seem to understand why we feel as we do, and won’t just accept that it hurts us and stop doing it. For some reason, Pakeha won’t or can’t just say “Alright, it irritates you, I don't know why, but I am sorry and I will stop”.

Reference

Engels Schwarzpaul, Tina. Dislocation Wiremu and Rau - The wild man in virtual worlds. AUT University. N.d. pdf.

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Blog 9

“Hybridity has become a key concept within cultural criticism and postcolonial theory.” (Rutherford)

The way I see hybridity is that it acts as the middle-man trying to keep everybody at ease and inline; everybody is to be treated equal and should be allowed to voice their own political opinion, without the gab of superiority because of where you stand and where you are from. There should not be a divide in someone’s outlook and their views; if different to yours, just solely you were born into a different culture or race. In the interview with Homi Bhabha, he has highlighted the problems with the Western society and its politics surrounding it and what can be done to prevent the issues that are being placed around us. Such as colonisation and the postcolonial view on it. “The notion of Hybridity is the fact that in any particular political struggle, new sites are always being opened up, and if you keep referring to those new sites to old principles, then you are not actually able to participate in them fully and productively and creatively. As Nelson Mandela said ‘even if there is war on you must negotiate’ — negotiation is what politics is about.” (Bhabha, p216). What Bhabha is saying here is that we are living in a modern society that is always trying to push the boundaries with innovative ideas and new technologies, so why do we have to fall back to old traditional rules when we are discussing politics. And ones right to voice their opinion equally without separation because of where you come from and the culture you’re apart of. Not only does Hybridity act as a concept for cultural criticism and postcolonial theory. Hybridity gives nuance to the world and is presented and represented in many different forms, which has to lead to some criticism surrounding it; one being that it is to open to ‘interpretations, and raising fears that the hybrid model can be appropriated by anyone and can mean anything’.

Rutherford, Jonathan. 1990. The Third Space. Interview with Homi Bhabha. In: Ders. (Hg): Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. London: Lawrence and Wishart, 207-221.

Rubdy, Rani, and Lubna Alsagoff. The Global-Local Interface and Hybridity: Exploring Language and Identity. Multilingual Matters 2014. Pg 1-13.

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Blog 8

The reading was highlighting four examples of contemporary stereotypes in the media and the exploitation and misconceptions people have about the Maori Race. The key idea was that “since the time of colonisation in Aotearoa / New Zealand by Pakeha, Maori been stereotypically imagined as the ‘Black Other” (Wall, Abstract), and how still in contemporary media this stereotype is still being placed on the Maori race. Before colonisation presented itself in New Zealand the “Maori people had no cohesive identity as a ‘race’, with the label ‘Maori’, in itself being employed as part of an exercise in colonial naming and ‘race’ construction”. The term Maori originally meant ‘normal’ or ‘us’ whereas Pakeha signified ‘stranger’ or ‘them’. One of the four examples talked about in the reading is ‘Maori as the comic other’, which is looking at the perceptions of the Maori race as being lazy, having a “childlike simplicity coupled with a fun loving-loving disposition”. The Maori comedian Billy T. James developed a character in his show called ‘black singlet’ character, who was set as a ‘low class, happy-go-lucky Maori bludger, who was always slightly on the wrong side of the Law’. In the movie ‘Boy’ directed by Taika Waititi, the film is highlighting and showcasing the generic side of being a young Maori boy growing up in small-town New Zealand with no real father figure. The father who’s a drunk and involved with gangs is the just one of the stereotypes used in the film to showcase the generic life of being a young Maori kid living in a lower economic position. The film sits in the genre called ‘indigenous comedy’ which has had a lot of criticism for being politically insensitive and is an ‘active denigration of the Maori culture’, as some critics have said. The stereotype of Maori as the comic Other can play a bigger part and can help to stray away from the misconceptions people have about the Maori as a race.

Reference

Wall, Melanie. Stereotypical Constructions of the Maori ‘Race’ in the Media. New Zealand Geographer, vol. 53, no. 2, 1997, pg 40-45.

For the essay, I’m going to be covering the first question but I’m still unsure exactly the direction I am wanting to go down.I’ve been looking at the book ‘Art Toi: New Zealand art at the Auckland Art Gallery’ and the documentary ‘Big Picture: a history of New Zealand art.

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Blog 7

"We in Oceania did not/and do not have a monopoly on God and the ideal life. I do not advocate a return to an imaginary pre-papalagi Colden Age or utopian womb. Physically, we are too corrupted for such a re-entry! Our quest should not be for a revival of our past cultures but for the creation of new cultures which are free of the taint of colonialism and based firmly on our own pasts. The quest should be a new Oceania. " (Wendt's, p12)

Considerations from the readings are finding out the best plausible way to represent the Oceania region. Are they looking at building a strong relationship between each culture and nationality that make up the Oceania region without becoming homogeneous, or is it time to create a new identity for the region that has no ties or affiliation with the past. Colonialism was and still is such a huge part of the Oceania Region and it is sad to see the History and Heritage of one's culture die off. This is all evident in the way these nations are run. you see the impact of the European Educational system take over these nations, the Architecture invading the nations and the lack of creativity coming out of these cultures. Although in the later years of 1980's onwards it seems more and more people are expressing where they come from and are standing up for the history and culture of their nation, but is it enough?. The racial divide still to this day plays such a huge role in our society and hearing it from actual students who go through it on a day to day basis was extremely brutal to hear but it certainly puts everything into perspective.

PHASE

"I have said elsewhere that there are no more suitable people on earth to be the custodians of the oceans than those for whom the sea is home. We seem to have forgotten that we are such a people." (Hauofa's, p489)

Why have these nations been stripped back from their identity; culture, history and heritage to accommodate for a more progressive economy? Have the people running these nations forgotten about where they are from; have they became lost in the dream of making money, or are they scared to stand up for what they believe in.

REFERENCE

Hauofa, Epeli. The ocean in us, The Contemporary Pacific. 10 (2), Fall 391-410. University of Hawaii Press. 1998.

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Blog 6, Engels-Schwarzpaul

What I got out of this reading is how brutal those times for Samoan, Māori and other Pacificas were. Their cultures and identities were stripped by the westerners to gain value for their own personal benefits. The reading was focusing on how the westerners came and wanted to reinterpret the way the Pacificas live, by reconstructing the Samoan Fales and Māori Whares, sometimes with no disregard to its heritage or the correct way in constructing the structures. Not only were these used by westerners to promote the beauty of living in paradise, some of these Fales and Whares were used to travel around the world exhibiting how these cultures live and showcasing examples of traditional arts.

REFERENCES

Engels-Schwarzpaul, A-Chr, and K-A. Wikiteria. “Take me away... in search of original dwelling.” (2010).

Burke, G. (1995). Cultural Safety. In Barton, C., Burke, G., Weiermair, P. Cultural Safety- Contemporary Art from New Zealand. (pp14-31). Wellington, New Zealand- City Gallery.

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Blog 5, Colonial Art

William Dunning, Colonization in New Zealand, Julius Vogel (Colonial Prime Minister and Treasurer) and Rewi Maniapoto (chief of Nagatimaniapoto). Settler capitalism vs Indigenous peoples. 1999. Medium graphite (Pencil). This artwork is actually from my parents home collection. 

This artwork depicts the huge impact the Europeans had on Māori culture.  It comprises two divisions -  Julius Vogel, the colonial Prime Minister of New Zealand and the colonial Treasurer, sits formally on the left;  Rewi Maniapoto, the chief of Ngatimanipoto, sits on the right (Juluis Vogel, Biography) (Rewi Maniapoto, Biography).

The powerful framed picture in the background is an adapted version of Giovanni Bellini’s circa 1487 Transfiguration of Christ (“William Dunning”). However, Dunning has reworked this image by replacing Jesus with early colonial Governor William Hobson; and Moses and Elijah, with deed bearing settler and Māori Chief, substituting Bellini’s startled disciples with generic Māori figures.

This artwork shows the impact the Europeans had in New Zealand. Rewi Maniapoto is seen sitting next to Julius Vogel wearing a suit, a far cry from his traditional costume which would showcase his mana. Maniapoto fought for many years against the government to control the purchasing of land to the King but despite all of his attempts, he couldn’t resolve the speed and scale of land alienation. In my opinion, Maniapoto dressed in a European outfit next to Julius Vogel, showcases his defeat. The use of graphite is a powerful medium, as it portrays the harsh political times of the era.

REFERENCES

‘Contemporary Māori art’, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/nz-painting-history/contemporary-maori-art, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 9-May-2014

‘William Dunning’, URL: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/collection/99-3211-3, (Christchurch art gallery)

‘Julius Vogel’, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/julius-vogel, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 17-May-2017

‘Rewi Maniapoto’, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/rewi-maniapoto, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 3-Apr-2017

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Blog 4, Peacemakers

Reverend Henry Williams pioneered the removal of the missionaries ability to sell their muskets to the locals. This resulted in the prevention of a lot of deaths within the local tribes, especially after the gruelling years of ‘The Musket Wars’, started by Hongi Hika in 1821 (Walker, R. 82). In 1828 Williams saved the life of Pango, a captive Arawa Chief, by taking him from the Bay of Islands back to Tauranga (Walker, R. 84). More and more tribes wanted peace, so they looked to the missionaries as peacemakers, rather than one of the groups who had come to destroy and steal their land. By 1830 the missionaries established their own agricultural base in Waimate, from there they acted independent negotiators for the tribes. These missionaries were actually at the forefront of colonisation in New Zealand. Their goal was to replace Māori spiritual beliefs with their own, “a parochial view of reality”, which implies the superiority of the invader and the inferiority of those invaded. Williams wrote that “Māori were governed by darkness” (Walker, R. 85).

The first superiority of the Europeans was the mission schools, where they taught only the standard English school curriculum. However, a fascinating feature was that the teaching was done in the Māori language and the first scriptures were translated and printed in Māori in 1827. By the 1830s whole tribes began converting to Christianity. “While musket wars were physically debilitating, a conversion to Christianity led to further erosion of Māori culture and power” (Walker, R. 86). As time went on more and more of the Māori culture and their beliefs were getting replaced with the Europeans.

These events in New Zealand history had a huge impact on the shaping of current day New Zealand, because Europeans stamped out the Māori culture and replaced it with their own traditions and way of life. This has been one of the causes of Māoris present day grievances.

REFERENCE

Walker, R. (1990). Tauiwi. Pg 84—90.

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Blog 3

In the text written by Te Ahukaramü Charles Royal, ‘Politics and knowledge: Kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori’, he looks into the differences and connections between the terms Kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori and how they play an important role in Māori culture.

Kaupapa Māori is the plans, aspirations and values of Māori, looking into the future with reference from the past and traditional knowledge (māturanga Māori). Through tikanga Māori, Kaupapa Māori are expressed and made tangible.  Kaupapa Māori is also used to refer to values and principles emerging from within ‘mātauranga Māori’ (Royal, C. 30).

Māturanga Māori is a modern term for a body of knowledge that is made up over generations. It was brought to New Zealand by the Polynesians. The Māori carry it inside them with the legend and stories of their iwi. Māturanga Māori grows and expands through new knowledge and Kaupapa Māori.

“Graham Hingangaroa Smith, the chief architect of kaupapa Māori theory, states that kaupapa Māori theory is not to be confused with mātauranga Maori. “kaupapa Māori is not a study of mātauranga Māori — Kaupapa Māori theory makes space for Māori to legitimately conduct their own studies of mātauranga Māori in their own terms and own ways” (Royal, C. 33).

Kaupapa Māori and māturanga Māori are separate concepts however neither could exist without each other. Mātauranga Māori is needed as a base knowledge for Kaupapa Māori as without the knowledge of wisdom and tradition of the past kaupapa Māori would fail to be pono and tika tikanga. Without Kaupapa Māori māturanga Māori would not evolve and continue to grow and exist in todays modern society.

Kaupapa Māori is used as a political tool by Māori to make space for activities and enterprises initiated and controlled by Māori. Similarly, kaupapa Māori is also used to refer to values and principles emerging from within ‘mātauranga Māori’.

REFERENCES

Royal, Te Ahukaramu Charles. "Politics and knowledge- Kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori." New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, (2012).

“Tuhiwai Smith”, Linda. Kaupapa Māori research - Some kaupapa Māori principals. Kaupapa Rangahau - A Reader. 2015, 47-52. Pihama, Lione and Southey, Kim (Eds.). University of Waikato.

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Blog 2, Tikanga

The key aim of this reading is to give the viewer an understanding of tikanga. It looks in depth at how each underlying principle and value plays a part in the whole system that is tikanga.

For generations tikanga has been a way of life in Māori culture, as it is a set of values and principles prominent in their culture. Tikanga can be seen as similar to Māori world-view, as it encompasses the surrounding world and its environment. It is apparent from birth and continues to play an important role in all decisions and actions. It is difficult to imagine any social situation where tikanga Māori has no place.

Looking at how these principles and values play a part in tikanga gives you an understanding of what is entailed when using tikanga Māori in the correct context. Iwi to Iwi; there have been differences of opinions about the range of values that underpin tikanga Māori. Values could then be regarded as unreal (Mead, H. 27). However people do try to reach towards the values and practice them to the degree that they can manage.

“In understanding the nature of tikanga it is advisable to emphasise the concept of pono, since it is an old idea and because it’s meaning is free of connotations” (Mead, H. 26). Pono refers to “true or genuine”. Tika which means ‘right’ or ‘correct’,  is a base principle that applies to all tikanga. In order to qualify as tikanga Māori a ceremony needs to be correct and true to the principles and values of Māori culture.

“Williams (2000) argues that tikanga Māori deals not so much with rules and regulations but with values which are subject to various cultural tests of appropriateness, correctness and adequacy” (Mead, H. 27).

REFERENCES

http://maoridictionary.co.nz

Higgens, Rawinia. and Moorefield, John. “Ngā tikanga o te marae”. Ki te whaiao: An introduction to Māori culture and society. Auckland: Pearson Eduction New Zealand, 73-74. 2004.

Mead, Hirini Moko. “Chapter 2: Ngā Pūtake o te Tikanga - Underlying Principles And Values”. Tikanga Māori: Living By Māori Values. Aotearoa: Huia Publishers, 2003. 25-34.

Makareti, Tina. “Twitch”. Shift, An Anthology of Winners of the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing. Ed. Bill Manhire. Wellington: Royal Society of New Zealand, 2012. 88 - 101

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