Māori culture

Ethnobotany is the interactions of culture and plants and how the two affect each other over time Cordyline australis also known as ti Kouka or Cabbage Tree is a plant endemic to the New Zealand islands. Often described as out of place among the native fauna of New Zealand it is an iconic symbol of the country. Its uses have changed over the centuries, evolving along with New Zealand as Maori and then Europeans settled New Zealand and the resulting cultural shift that accompanied. Ti…

The role of a kahuna in the Hawaiian culture takes on the responsibility of keeping a balance between the people and the nation. In doing so, they apply their field of expertise towards assisting the aliʻi and the makaʻāinana. In ancient Hawai’i, there were many different types of kāhuna that had a skill set that contributed or benefited the community. In this paper I will discuss the different ways a kahuna achieves this type of balance within the lāhui. These kuleana include advising the aliʻi…

Since the authors who explored cultural decimation through colonization mainly analyzed the situations of native Americans, native Hawaiians, and the Maori natives of New Zealand, these case studies are incorporated in this literature review to contextualize the authorsʻ arguments. Upon collecting literature on the methods that colonizers employed to acculturate the native peoples they came into contact with, each of the authors assert that these actions were initiated by the colonizersʻ…

and when carved out, most are no bigger than the palm of a human hand. Pounamu is regarded as taonga or treasure and is significant in Maori art culture. Pounamu comes in many shapes because different shapes have different meanings from status and authority to making peace. Before the arrival of Europeans, Pounamu designs were one of a kind depending on the iwi (Maori tribe) now in modern days Pounamu carvings are still done but for sale so most is nearly identical. Pounamu was most significant…

Disruptions to one’s connection to culture is a prominent topic in today’s society and culture is an important feature in many people’s lives. Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro and Stolen Girl by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald displaying this common theme in their respective indigenous contexts. Both texts explore disruptions to one’s connection to culture differently, with whale rider overcoming intercommunity development in relation to gender and stolen girl commenting on the stolen…

research and narrates the example of how research colonized the Maori people of New Zealand. Linda Tuhiwai Smith is an associate professor and Director of the International Research Institute for Maori and Indigenous Education at the University of Auckland. Linda Tuhiwai Smith is the leading theorist on decolonization of Maori in New Zealand. Smith focuses her argument onto…

Timoti Karetu is quoted as saying that “if we lose our tikanga around tangihanga we lose our identity of who we are”. He said “if we forget our cultural practices, particularly those pertaining to the dead, then our very essence of our existence as Māori will be lost from the face of this earth, to the underworld forever”. Retaining tikanga is important to me in my practice in order to retain our mana and identity as individuals, as a whānau and as a hapū. Our practices and beliefs give us our…

Greetings are an important aspect of each culture and necessary for every member of the community. However, not all greetings are universal. In the ethological tradition exemplified by Irenaus Eibel-Eibesfeldt’s work, greetings are studied for uncovering some of the evolutionary bases of human behavior. In his research greetings are defined as rituals of appeasing and rapport that counteract potentially aggressive behavior during face-to-face encounters. New Zealand and North America both…

academic success for Pasifika learners. These qualities appear to feature in many Pasifika values, including fa’aaloalo (respect), feagaiga (covenant between others) in the Samoan culture and fefaka’apa’apa’aki (mutual respect), lototoo (humility and generosity), tauhi vaha’a (loyalty and commitment) in the Tongan culture (Anae, 2014; Tonga Tourism Authority, 2014). Therefore, it is understandable why Pasifika learners learn best when…

‘Cultural appropriation is defined by Young (2015) as the use of elements of one culture by artists of another culture and shown in their related products of art. Adopting another culture’s fashion, food, symbols, and art into one’s own use are just a few ways of appropriation. Due to this act of appropriation, many controversial issues have resulted from it. One of the main issues that we have encountered is that of the commercialisation for profits that arises from the appropriation of New…