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Week 11- Differences Between Maori and Western Views Towards Gender.

Both Naomi Simmonds and Ani Mikaere’s writings outline the difference between the viewpoints towards gender. They also point out how colonization has impacted this part of Maori way of life and how colonization has influenced how we as New Zealand’s see New Zealand’s historical views towards gender.  

There is a massive misbelief that men have thoughout New Zealand’s history “exercised power over women” (Mikaere, 1) However pre-colonization this wasn’t the case. Maori women were viewed at with high amounts of respect and a vital part of the collective as without them whakapapa would not be sustained. Therefore, gender difference did not play a big role within Maori way of life and rather both men and women worked alongside one another in unity. “Maori women were not regarded as chattels or possessions.” (Mikarea, 6) The Maori view is justified and becomes evident within Maori language. Simmonds states “This is evident by the lack of gendered pronouns in the Maori language “ai” meaning both she or he.” (Simmonds, 10)

Completely contrasting this at the time was European culture where women were viewed as possessions or property and received little to no respect from men. “As girls reached adulthood and married they changed from being property of their fathers to being property of their husbands.” (Mikaere, 2)

After colonization, these laws of ownership that were followed by European forcefully influenced Maori way life. The women figure was over time degraded to the helper of the man rather than the leader. “Colonisers were quick to impose shame upon the reproductive roles of women.” (Shane, 15)  

Work Cited List. 

Mikaere, Ani, ‘Maori women: Caught in the contradictions of a colonised reality’, Te Piringa, Faculty of Law, University of Waikato, 2014, pp.1-6

Simmonds, Naomi, ‘Mana wahine: Decolonising politics’, Women’s Studies Journal, Volume 25 Number 2, December 2011, pp 10-15

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Week 10- Dislocating William and Rau: The Wild Man in Virtual Worlds

Within the text Tina Engels Schwarzpaul makes many key points each at their core reveal how different designers have stolen from indigenous cultures without giving the culture proper recognition. Tina uses two key video game designs as examples to justify her statements and claims. Within the video game ‘The mark of Kri’ the designers have taken indigenous traditions and appearances. “Largely Polynesian influenced with generous doses of Asian, Native American and old world European thrown in” (Schwarzpaul, 3) Schwarzpaul reveals to the readers what aspects of these cultures have been stolen before justifying her main point. Which is the fact that the designers have not showed any effort to engage with the culture, specially the cultures art and rather exploit it for a finical profit. “Unlike Sony or Lego who have no response of any forward moving or engaging nature… they do not honestly choose to honour our art… but rather exploit and make money from it.” (Schwarzpaul, 3-4) Sony being the creator of the video game ‘The makr of Kri’. Because of this lack of effort and recognition the original values of the culture are completely lost. Due to average person being not well educated on indigenous ways of the cultures being represented. This then results in designers and media a massive influence on how people view indigenous culture and beliefs, which is completely misleading within the character Rau. In the game, Rau is depicted as a very brutal warrior type character, which is a common stereotype of Polynesian men.          

The designers of this specific game alike most designers who have taken intentionally from indigenous culture have no means to cause harm. Rather than are trying to create a character who looks in this case looks ’badass’. “As a reviewer reported anyone with tribal marking on their face is more than just a little bit badass, which we’re sure can’t help but make Rau, the game’s hero, just a little bit cooler than if he was lacking them” (Schwarzpaul, 3) However there is a procedure and an understanding that must be achieved before taking indigenous traditions such as the Maori moko and using it for finical profit. Which hasn’t been the case with the “The mark of Kri” at all.

Work Cited List.

Schwarzpaul, Tina Engels, ‘Dislocating William and Rau: The Wild Man in Virtual Worlds’, AUT University, pp. 1-12

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Week 9-  Homi Bhabha Interview

The word hybrid defines as something that’s mixed leaving the word hybridity to define as a mixture. This occurs within culture when an offshoot is produced from miscegenation which translates to race mixing.

However, when talking about hybridity in a post-colonial sense the term becomes less simplistic. Hybridity is the space in which the colonizer and the indigenous people are not represented separately. When hybridity occurs, this figurative space is now a space where the colonial authority is invisible. The hybrid can be viewed at as almost a place of balance between the coloniser the indigenes people. A representation of two separate cultures as one. When taking note of this ‘third space’ it can be used as a reversal to dominate culture and upset colonial dominance due to the space not entirely representing one side but more representing the newly birthed mixture of the two. “But for me the importance of hybridity is not to be able to trace two original moments from which the third emerges, rather hybridity to me is the third space which enables other positions to emerge.” (211, Bhabha) What Homi Bhabha is stating is that the third space which is created through hybridity is a newly formed space. Rather than focusing on tracing the hybrids culture as the colonizer and the indigenous as two separate things he focuses on both the cultures being represented through one. This now creates a new political view, different structures of authority and ultimately wipes any existing authority the colonizer may still have.    

Work Cited List.

Rutherford, Jonathan, ‘The Third Space. Interview with Homi Bhabha’, From ‘Identity: Community, Culture, Difference’, London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1990. pp.207-221

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Week 8- Stereotypical Constructions of Maori in the Media

While researching through the internet for ways in which certain Maori stereotypes have been portrayed I began to think about my own encounters of Maori representation within the media. Personally, growing up in New Zealand watching New Zealand television, television advertisement involving Maori was what came to mind. I was reminded of two partially advertisements firstly Legend which was the face of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (NZTA) 2011 drink driving campaign. Secondly, again created by the NZTA an ad titled Blazed As which was campaigning to stop driving under the influences of drugs. I decided to discuss the advertisement Legend within this week’s blog as it gain far more popularity throughout the course of the year it was advertised.  

Within the advertisement, the main positive message that is being portrayed is the encouragement of speaking up to friends and family who are too intoxicated to drive. However, along with the positive message many negative ideas are given to the audience, most of which are often not consciously looked at. Right from the opening scene we see a shot of young Maori adults drinking alcohol at a rowdy party which initially stereotypes Maori youth in a poor way. Further into the ad the main character speaks, he deliberately speaks very slowly in a over exaggerated Maori accident which makes him sound and look unintelligent. The main character continues to speak in this tone throughout the majority of the ad which continues to lead the audience into viewing the character who ultimately depicts young Maori adults as slow and simple which is not the case. When viewing this advisement through the four categories of stereotypical Maoris Melanie Wall speaks on within her writing the stereotype portrayed falls mainly under ‘Maori as the comic other’. Wall describes this stereotype of Maori ‘having a childlike simplicity’ which is completely represented through the way in which the main character speaks. Wall then goes on an describes the stereotype includes having ‘buffoonish behaviour’ which is represented within the opening scene of the disorderly party.

Works Cited List:

Wall M, stereotypical constructions of the Maori race in the media, New Zealand geographer Volume 53, Issue 2 October 1997, Pages 40–45.

Original: NZTA, Legend series, Video – Shared by Anthony Parsons, Published on Oct 26, 2011.

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Week 7- Marxism/Neo Marxism

Marxism defined by the Oxford Dictionary is ‘the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis of communism.’ (Oxford) This informed me that the term was political and economic theories of two men that are associated nowadays with communism, however doesn’t go into depth about the specific theories. A second quote from All About Philosophy states ‘Marxism is summed up in the Encarta Reference Library as a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western societies. Marxism is the antithesis of capitalism.’(All About Philosophy) All About Philosophy explains that the term is a philosophy theory that acknowledges the flaws within capitalism and suggests the working class will rise against the capitalist and bring in a new society. ‘Marxism is the system of socialism of which the dominant feature is public ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange.’ (Investopedia) Marxism is a different approach to society which could in theory eliminate private ownerships and individuals labour will be done for the common good. Marxism see’s everybody as equal rather than in class divisions and all the businesses were owned communally.  

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Week 7- “The ocean is us” and “Towards a new Oceania”

After reading the texts some of the considerations regarding Pacific identities that captured my interest were how the term that refers to the Pacific has developed and changed within the last two hundred years. Specifically, how these changes can roughly mark the different stages of the Pacific Islands history. Beginning with the term South Sea which was associated with the time of the islands being a beautiful paradise where the people lived in harmony with nature and into the time where colonization degraded this. The term South Pacific was then used, it was now that the developed western countries had great interest in uses the area to manage dangerous experiments. Next was the neo-colonialism stage which was when the name Pacific Island came into used for the region.  The term Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is also used however within this term the entire Pacific Islands are excluded. “…which covers the entire Pacific rim, but excludes the whole of the Pacific Island region. Thus, in the United Nations’ Asia-Pacific Region we are an appendage (or perhaps the appendix) of Asia, and in APEC we do not exist.” (Hau’ofa, 397) Hau’ofa is explaining that the Pacific Islands are being over looked and backs her statement within this quote which is an example of how specifically the United Nations have put a label on the Pacific area however excluded the Pacific Islands. Hau’ofa refers to the world view of the Islands as an appendage of Asia meaning that they are just attached and pulled along by Asia rather than their own.

A second consideration regarding Pacific identities that was greatly address within the text was how much of an impact the ocean truly had on the Pacific Islander identity. The ocean has had most immense influence in shaping Pacific identity. Hau’ofa refers to how someone does not need direct contact with the ocean to be influence by it as the ocean constandly influences climatic pattern and other natural phenomena. “On the largest island in Oceania, New Guinea, products of the sea, especially the much-valued shells, reached the most remote highlands societies, shaping their ceremonial and political systems.” (Hau’ofa, 404) Here Hau’ofa proves by using a physical representation, which is the shell, being commonly found in the highlands of the island, that the island itself along with the ancestors of the island has been deeply rooted within the culture.    

Works Cited list:

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

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Week 6- Unpacking an Image

Cook, James. A Chart of New Zealand. 1770, Captcook U.K, http://www.captcook-ne.co.uk/ccne/exhibits/nhil-021-0000756/index.htm.

This image is a very early map of New Zealand titled ‘A Chart of New Zealand’ created by Captain James Cook. The map was produced by Cook in 1770 which was the following year after Cooks arrived in New Zealand on his first voyage. At the time the British colony was amongst the most developed in the world and Maori had only lived on the islands for roughly four hundred centuries. This quote from Te Ara’s online page backs my statement ‘One of the main methods they use is radiocarbon dating, which measures the age of bones and wood. There is a lot of evidence that Polynesian people first arrived in New Zealand around 1250–1300 AD, coming from East Polynesia in canoes.’ (Te Ara)   

When unpacking this image, we see a title stating A Chart of New Zealand, along with numerous individual place names throughout the coasts of both islands. This alone is a false statement and is the first form of evidence that proves the ignorance the colonial country had towards Maori culture. Looking deeper into this it’s important to note the context Britain was in prior to Cook creating this map, Britain had colonised if not attempted to colonise numerous countries before discovering New Zealand. When taking this into account it allows us to get deeper within the minds and thoughts the British had towards the discovery. Approaching the titling of the image within a Maori cultural world view leads us to the concept of matauranga maori. Tepapa Museum explains the term ‘Matauranga Maori is a dynamic and evolving system of knowledge.’ (3) This means that Maori knowledge is continually growing and adapting as opposed to being a fixed concept and way of viewing. Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal states ‘Matauranga Maori is a modern term for a body of knowledge that was brought to these islands by Polynesian ancestors of the present-day Maori.’ (33) This quote reveals the concept from Maori culture as a key difference between the British and Maori involved with the discovery of New Zealand. The fact of titling and labelling the map proves these divergent ways that Britain and Maori viewed knowledge. The moment a landmass is named and mapped is the moment it is necessary for the land to be owned, which had already been completed by Cook without full matauranga maori of the land. Within Maori values before any decisions surrounding the land of Aotearoa New Zealand could be made full matauranga maori would needed to be gained. 

A second key feature that is often completely looked over when questioning points involved with this topic is how both the Northern and Southern island are mapped as being united and belonging to the same country. ‘Maps are a specific technology which communicate not only the shapes of land but ideological assumptions about land and reproduce the perspective of the map maker and their cultural assumptions and objectives.’ (Dick Whyte) Dick is stating that a map isn’t just communicating the shape of the land but also how the map maker and culture of the map maker views specific land and in a colony case what they aspire to do with land. In this case choosing to map both island indicates another vital decision made by the colonial country that shaped the future of New Zealand, this decision was made with the intention to colonise both islands as it would be much easier to do so if they were united as only one nation. Looking back prior to this labelling bringing what thought to be two islands together as one nation and questioning how it was culturally valued by Maori gives a complete different viewpoint. Each individual Maori tribe was varied and lived under varied values and beliefs, which at the time opposed the British colony as they lived collectively under the crown. We can prove this when investigating the years that followed, particularly the event of the Treaty of Waitangi. Ranginui Walker states ‘But despite an impressive final total of 540 signatures, there were notable gaps. Two paramount chiefs, Te Wherowher of the Tainui tribes and Te Heuheu of the Tuwharetoa confederation, did not sign.’ (97) This quote proves that individual tribes although from the same race did not necessarily live under the same values. The values of which referred to within Maori culture as Tikanga. Through Maori eyes their nation consisted of the tribe they belonged to rather than the people who shared the same land. The British colony completely misinterpreted and ignored Maori culture in this sense. The reason for this is possibly only having the thought of wanting to colonise more land and uniting the land masses as one makes this easily achievable. 

Work Citied List 

Cook, James. A Chart of New Zealand. 1770, Captcook U.K, http://www.captcook-ne.co.uk/ccne/exhibits/nhil-021-0000756/index.htm.

Irwin, Geoff, 'When was New Zealand first settled?', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 6 September 2017, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/when-was-new-zealand-first-settled.

Johnston, Karl.‘Matauranga Maori and Museum Practices.’ Te Papa National Services Te Paerangi, 4 Novemeber 2014, https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/sites/default/files/31-matauranga-maori-and-museum-practice_0.pdf. 

Walker, Ranginui. “Tauiwi.” Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou- Struggle Without End, Auckland: Penguin, 1990, pp. 80

Royal, Te Ahukararmu Charles. Politics and Knowledge: Kaupapa Maori and Mātauranga Maori. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, vol.47, no.2, 2012, pp. 33

Dick Whyte. Colonization and Visual Culture. 18 August 2017, Massey University. 

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Week 6- Take me Away... In Search of Original Dwelling

Take me away… In search of original dwelling focuses and looks beneath the surface of traditional Polynesian architecture. The specific focus was on the period when colonial counties attempted to adopt traditional Polynesian buildings in hope that they could achieve the tropical ‘Polynesian paradise’ within their home country. The reason for this was to showcase and replicate a Polynesian lifestyle within their own counties to their own people who wouldn’t have the opportunity to travel to these Polynesian countries. These colonial countries did so with no formal consent of the natives to the country and in the process pulled the authenticity from the buildings, due to changing the physical appearance of the building and the physical location as well as taking it from its natural environment. The reading finally concludes that a single paradise is completely impossible to achieve as each individual portrays a version of paradise slightly different therefore any attempt to replicate paradise would fail.        

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Week 5- Colonial Art

Earle, Augustus. Slaves preparing food. 1838, Lithographed and Published, National Library Wellington, https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22902207

August Earle was a travel artist born in London, he was unique as he operated more independently as opposed to other artist within his time. This image is a scene taking from Kororareka now known as Russell in the Bay of Islands. We see the landscape of hills and islands in the background of the image. We also see what looks like a European ship placed beside one of the Islands within the background. It could be argued that the ship is a Maori waka however the ship looks far too big to belong to Maori when compared to the Island it is placed beside. ‘Ethnographic inaccuracy in the representation of Maori subjects was the norm among European artist.’ (Bell 147) This quote from The Representation of the Maori by European Artist in New Zealand reassures that the ship is not an accurate representation of the Maori waka. This initial captured my attention as the scene is supposed to be a representation of life prior to colonisation. The reason for the false sizing of the ship is simply lack of knowledge from Earle about the Maori, therefore placing familiar European knowledge in the image. Looking at the mid and foregrounds of the image we see that the Maori are located within a tribe’s Pā. Looking more closely into the groups of Maori we see three groups placed around three different fires. We also see two Maori standing which blatantly shows their importance over the groups located on the ground. Looking deeper specifically into these two Maori, because of the importance placed we assume that they are chiefs or of high status to the tribe. This then leads us to a false representation of Maori with higher status as they are both dressed as basic tutua (commoners). Instead the two Maori should be wearing prestigious cloaks made from either Kuri skin and hair or finely woven harakeke which are fully feathered. Also, along with the dress of the two Maori the hairstyles are also misrepresented. In tradition, a specific hairstyle would indicate someone’s status. ‘Mens hair was twisted or knotted into many different kinds of topknots which indicated where the wearer came from.’ (Te Ara) Thirdly tradition for men of higher status was to wear head adornments which consisted of combs made from bone, stone and wood. 

When examining the Maori sitting/kneeling around the fire we notice that four of the Maori have been painted much darker than the rest, this obviously informs us that these four Maori are the slaves that the title ‘slaves preparing food’ is referring to. Located around the fire on the left of the image we see two salves preparing the food which has a great possibility of being aruhe (fern root) as they are beating the item with a patu aruhe which was specific tool for fern root beating. Another man opposite the salves is directly eating the food that the salves have prepared. The most obvious flaw in this section of the image being that Maori traditions didn’t allow for food to be prepared an eating in a context such as this, food was eaten in a much formal manner because of the concept of tapu. This image completely portrays European slavery rather than what Maori culture viewed slavery as. Slaves in Maori were people who had been taken captive from an opposing tribe when in battle, these people often didn’t want to escape and return to their tribe as within their own tribe their Mana had almost been lost. ‘It was acceptable for free people of an iwi to marry slaves, and their children would be considered free. Because of this no hereditary class of slaves developed.’ (Nation Library) The reason behind portraying slaves in a European way may be because this painting could have been used as advertisement to the being of Great Britain to take the journey over and settle in New Zealand. The upper classes of Europe saw themselves as a one nation throughout each county rather than linking themselves with lower class member of their own country. Therefore, upper class members of Europe would consider themselves in the class that the two men standing up were in and would view them as having complete control over the slaves which was frankly not the case. 

Work Cited List 

Basil, Keane, 'Tūranga i te hapori – status in Māori society - Class, status and rank'. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 6 September 2017 http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/turanga-i-te-hapori-status-in-maori-society/page-1 

Bell, Leonard. “The Representation of the Maori by European Artist in New Zealand, ca. 1890-1914″ Art Journal, vol.49, no.2, 1990, pp. 147  

Earle, Augustus. Slaves preparing food. 1838, Lithographed and Published, National Library Wellington, https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22902207 

Tamarapa, Awhina, 'Māori clothing and adornment – kākahu Māori',Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand,5 September 2017, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/maori-clothing-and-adornment-kakahu-maori

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Week 4- Eduction System

After receiving the lecture from John James on the Treaty of Waitangi I am disappointed in both myself for not taking the time to learn in detail the history of New Zealand and the educational system for not teaching students more knowledge surrounding our countries history. Thinking about the educational system and what I knew prior to the required readings as well as attending the lecture and tutorial i’ve found that most of what I had learnt on the treaty and New Zealand’s history in general was learnt in either primary or intermediate school. However as for secondary school I wasn’t taught anything further on New Zealand’s history, I find this very strange as secondary school would most likely be the ideal time to learn the events of such an important topic. This is because almost every New Zealand teen attends a secondary school and is at a mature enough age to comprehend the topic in more detail in comparison to primary or intermediate schools. Placing more importance on learning the history of country in greater detail would unite the future generations. Although some secondary students may show very little interest in the history of New Zealand I think that eventually they would find it very beneficial later in life as I am currently in the midst of finding out.              

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Week 4- Introducing Disease

Once reading through the chapter Coming of the Pakeha from the text titled Tauiwi written by Ranginui Walker, I was forced to come to the realisation that I knew very little finer details involved with the arrival European. One of these details I found interesting that I was completely unaware of prior to reading both required readings was the introduction of several different diseases. The fact of the Europeans bringing different contagious diseases to New Zealand makes perfect sense however hadn’t even crossed my mind before completing these readings.

The reason for the Maori not having contact with any what’s knowing in European culture as common diseases was because the diseases were cleared out in the process of migrating from Polynesia. ‘The diseases were filtered out along the Polynesian migratory routes across the Pacific because they needed a population of 50,000 to sustain them.’ (Walker 80) Walker is stating that there simply wasn’t enough Maori migrating to New Zealand at a time for a disease to survive. Europeans bringing the diseases had huge significance on the Maori at the time reducing the population of Maori dramatically by around forty percent. The population reduced to roughly 45,000 Maori by the year 1900. The diseases were only common diseases that can easily be treated and prevented with today’s medicines such as measles, rubella, chicken pox, influenza and scarlet fever. The reason why Maori in comparison to Europeans were so greatly affected by the diseases was due to the lack of immunity that Europeans had built from being exposed to certain diseases. Therefore, to the Maori it seemed as if Maori people died whilst the Europeans continued to live. Both in 1790 and in 1810 influenza epidemics passed through certain areas of New Zealand forcing tribes out of their pa’s. This is due to Maori having spiritual beliefs surrounding illness and viewed the epidemics as invasions of evil spirits. ‘Maori did not have a germ theory of illness. The literature on Maori medical practise is rather sparse, but what there is suggests that the Maori had theory of illness based on spiritual causation.’ (Walker 80). Maori were affected more than just on a physical level but on a spiritual level as well. With this being stated I realised the significance of contagious diseases on Maori, it didn’t just effect the Maori at the time but had an influence on later events that occurred within New Zealand’s history. Because of the obvious population decrease and spiritual beliefs challenged.

Work Citied List

Walker, Ranginui. “Tauiwi.” Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou- Struggle Without End, Auckland: Penguin, 1990, pp. 80 

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Week 3- Applying the terms to art/design

I’ve chosen to link the terms Kaupapa Maori and Matauranga Maori to the iconic All Blacks performance of the haka, which is performed before every rugby game that the All Blacks compete in. The haka is an action followed and created by Maori where different values and beliefs are expressed both verbally and physically. The fact that the All Blacks perform the haka prior to a international rugby match links both the terms Kaupapa Maori and Matauranga Moari with the performance. Kaupapa Maori links with the All Blacks haka as the haka is deeply embedded in Maori tradition. Rugby is a traditional European sport and the haka is a traditional Maori war dance. When the haka is performed in this context it shows how this modern knowledge (Matauranga Maori) involved with rugby can still be viewed at through traditional ways and actions created by Maori expressing tradition beliefs can be applied (Kaupapa Maori).           

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Week 3- Kaupapa Maori and Matauranga Maori?

Kaupapa Maori: Kaupapa Maori is an approach that is created which expresses Maori values. This approach is taken because of a range of different reasons but the structure of the approach is developed by Maori following Maori values. Kaupapa Maori takes Tikanga and expresses these believes making them physical and real. The values and beliefs are referred to as Tikanga whereas the physical action planned to approach a particular situation using these beliefs is the Kaupapa Maori. ‘Kaupapa Maori is used popularly by Maori in a fairly broad way to refer to a particular plan of action created by Maori, expressing Maori aspirations and certain Maori values and principle.’ (30) This statement explains Kaupapa Maori in more detail and shows that the term is used very loosely as it can refer to a wide range of situations whether it be physical or not.     

Matauranga Maori: Matauranga Maori is the knowledge of everything within the universe. This is a modern term as knowledge is not a fix thing within time and is constantly growing. Matauranga includes the original beliefs along with newly developed knowledge. This wisdom cannot be limited as the minds capacity is infinite. ‘Matauranga Maori is a modern phrase used to refer to a body or a continuum of knowledge with Polynesian origins, which survives to the present day albeit in fragmentary form.’ (33) What this means is rather than just the traditional knowledge and perspectives towards things, the concept lets Maori be open to gaining new modern knowledge. This new knowledge doesn’t by any means replace older knowledge but rather is added and expands on the traditional knowledge.  

How the terms relate? Kaupapa Maori links with Matauranga Maori as it allows Maori to define what Matauranga Maori truely is. Kaupapa Maori is the basis of how Maori approach Matauranga Maori they consider Maori values and beliefs when perceiving and engaging in new knowledge.

Work Cited List

Royal, Te Ahukararmu Charles. Politics and Knowledge: Kaupapa Maori and Mātauranga Maori. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, vol.47, no.2, 2012, pp. 33

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Week 2

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Week 2- Tikanga

After reading the third chapter titled Ngā Pūtake o te Tikanga Underlying Principles and Values I was left with a much greater understanding of tikanga and each of the fundamental values and principles that are associated with the concept. The readings main aim outlines the principles that underlie tikanga and gives examples of how these particular principles are used in large-scale ceremonies and in a daily social context. The reading defines each principle involved with tikanga starting with tika and pono which ultimately defines tikanga itself. The reading also talks about the concepts take, utu, ea, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, mana, tapu and noa. The reading then goes on and shows the links between each different principle, which at times are slightly blurred and difficult to comprehend. 

The concept that interested me the most within the text is Take-Utu-Ea. Take-Utu-Ea is an ethics based belief that falls under Tikanga. The overall concept is the process that is followed when an action is considered incorrect within a relationship between two parties have. The cycle starts when a party breaches a tikanga this initial phase is called take, it is viewed as the cause stage of the cycle. ‘A breach, however, involves parties who are aligned with the wrongdoer and with the wronged group.’ Meads (27) Meaning that there is both a party who is breaking the principle and a party who is effected by the principle being broken. Once the take has occurred both parties then need to agree on the take existing before moving to the next stage of the process. Utu is the next stage which is when the restoration of the relationship between the parties begins. Typically, a form of gesture is given from the party would had breached the tikanga. The reason for this to reach satisfaction for all parties involved, this desired state of satisfaction is the third and final part of the process which is called ea. I found this part of the process the most interesting as it is recognised from the beginning of the cycle as the state the parties desire the relationship to be in, however reaching this state can be at times a long and difficult process. Ea secures peace and restores the broken relationships, beginning a new stronger relationship between parties.  

The overall idea of being able to recognise and acknowledge the entire cycle is a new concept for me and considerably a much healthy way to view a relationship with particular people.       

Work Cited List

Mead, Hirini Moko. Tikanga Maori: Living by Maori Values. NZ: Huia, 2003. 

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Week 1