Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Maori Today
Today's culture is marked by new developments in the arts, business, sport and politics.
Many historical grievances still stand, but some
iwi
(Ngai Tahu and Tainui, for example)
have settled historical grievances and are major forces in the NZ economy. Maori have also
addressed the decline in Maori language use by establishing
kohanga reo, kura kaupapa
Maori
and
wananga
(Maori-medium preschools, schools and universities). There is now a
generation of people who speak Maori as a first language. There is a network of Maori ra-
dio stations, and Maori TV is attracting a committed viewership. A recently revived Maori
event is becoming more and more prominent - Matariki, or Maori New Year. The constel-
lation Matariki is also known as Pleiades. It begins to rise above the horizon in late May or
early June and its appearance traditionally signals a time for learning, planning and prepar-
ing as well as singing, dancing and celebrating. Watch out for talks and lectures, concerts,
dinners, and even formal balls.
Kupe's passage is marked around NZ: he left his sails (Nga Ra o Kupe) near Cape Palliser as triangular
landforms; he named the two islands in Wellington Harbour Matiu and Makoro after his daughters; his
blood stains the red rocks of Wellington's south coast.
The Arts
There are many collections of Maori
taonga
(treasures) around the country. Some of the
largest and most comprehensive are at Wellington's Te Papa Museum and the Auckland
Museum. Canterbury Museum in Christchurch also has a good collection, and Hokitika
Museum has an exhibition showing the story of
pounamu
(nephrite jade, or greenstone).
You can stay up to date with what is happening in the Maori arts by reading
Mana
magazine (available from most newsagents), listening to
iwi
stations (
www.irirangi.net
) or
weekly podcasts from Radio New Zealand (
www.radionz.co.nz
)
. Maori TV also has regu-
lar features on the Maori arts - check out
www.maoritelevision.com
.
Maori TV went to air in 2004, an emotional time for many Maori who could at last see
their culture, their concerns and their language in a mass medium. Over 90% of content is
NZ-made, and programs are in both Maori and English: they're subtitled and accessible to
everyone. If you want to really get a feel for the rhythm and meter of spoken Maori from
the comfort of your own chair, switch to Te Reo, a Maori-language-only channel.
