Māori culture

2014). Though the process uses tikanga Maori values, not all Maori people support it as the process does not have its own autonomy (Dickson, 2011). Instead, Rangatahi Courts only give the Maori community partial power to reconnect its youth to their culture as it operates in a system that was imposed on Maori people upon colonisation. Though Rangatahi Courts do actually attempt to recognise indigeneity and prevent youth from reoffending, they cannot be effectively be used to…

I) Introduction: This is a significant case regarding Māori freehold land in Environmental law. Mrs Grace (the plaintiff) declined to negotiate the sale of her land with the Minister of Land Information (the defendant) for the purpose of a motorway. Her land, was needed for the building of a state highway in Wellington. In the Environment Court, Thompson J stated that it was not “fair, sound and reasonably necessary” for Mrs Grace’s land to be taken, following the requirements of the Public…

Question 1: Māori Magna Carta or Mega-Fraud? The quote from the preface to The Treaty of Waitangi Companion: Māori and Pākehā from Tasman to Today provides a fascinating insight into the contemporary conceptions that people have of the Treaty of Waitangi. The quotation is broad in its content and has so many different facets. I am taking the approach that each of the various aspects speaks to the principal question posed in the quote, and is, is the Treaty of Waitangi a Māori Magna Carta or…

Pacific archeological culture. Ancient original styles mainly consist of some simple patterns, like straight lines, repeating on the body. These geometrical styles can be found in Hawaiian and Samoan tattoo traditions. Because the age is too far from today, the meanings of these patterns are almost lost, or at a minimum debatable. The most used styles today, which instead consist of rounded patterns, are from Marquesas Island. Tattooing is a sacred ceremony in Polynesian culture. The tattoos…

The world encompasses many different cultures, which governs way of living. Culture is defined as the characteristics that mutually make up societies or groups of people identified by beliefs, behaviours and customs. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction formed from culture studies created the concept cultural capital. Divided into three types of cultural capital aspects embodied, objectified and institutionalised state all contributing to shaping lifestyles and individuals. Presence,…

ceremony that takes place on the marae. The intention of a pōwhiri is to formally unite the manuhiri (visitors) with the tangata whenua (hosts) through a series of rituals of encounter. This process is discussed in the book, Marae: The heart of Māori culture (2015) to which I have summarised below: 1. WERO The wero, meaning ‘to cast a spear’, is a traditional warrior challenge, which historically served the purpose to determine the intent of the manuhiri, whether they came in peace or at war.…

Once Were Warriors is a film that focuses on domestic abuse, sexual abuse, violence, culture, and identity. I found that looking up some background on Māori culture gave me context for what the film was attempting to communicate. The Māori are a Polynesian people who are part of New Zealand culture. Modern Māori have a huge struggle with identity. The Māori were colonized by Europeans in the 1800s. Pittman says “Defining who you are [as Māori] is important. We must reclaim the right to define…

The documentary; ‘Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth’ (2011), features Carlos Chan Chanuk, of the Lacondon Maya, who is studying to become a shaman. He lives amongst what was previously a thriving and lush rainforest in North America, which is now an island in the middle of cow ranches. Chan laments sadly that his people are losing touch with their gods. In this modern world they have disease and sicknesses, which Chan believes are because they have lost their belief and faith in their gods. Their…

Belgrave, Michael, Historical Frictions: Maori Claims and Reinvented Histories, Auckland, 2005. In this book, Belgrave explores the changes that have occurred in the last hundred and fifty years regarding Waitangi Tribunal claims, the role of the Waitangi Tribunal and the relationship between Maori and non-Maori in New Zealand. Belgrave sheds light on nuances of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal that are not commonly known. Belgrave provides evidence on various historical case…

Patricia Grace is one of New Zealand’s foremost Maori authors. Her novel Potiki displays many aspects of Maori culture. One important conflict in the novel is the different value money has between the tribe (the Tamihana family) and the dollarman. The different value that it has proves to be an important conflict in the novel as it conveys the message of the tribes independence without the large influence of money. This essay will discuss the different value of money by focussing on the…