#māori television

[unwhitewashthebadbatch]

Filming on a television series, believed to be the first mainstream prime-time production to have 30 percent of its dialogue in te reo Māori, has just wrapped in Taranaki.

The Warner Brothers Discovery-backed drama Tangata Pai is being made in partnership with Te Atiawa iwi and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū.

It tells the story of five people whose worlds collide when a bomb is detonated at a peaceful Māori protest against a licence to mine a sacred site.

Writer-director Kiel McNaughton, who has whakapapa to Taranaki iwi and Parihaka, said the show had parallels with past struggles and contemporary issues such as seabed mining.

"In terms of Māori needing to stand up. Stand up for their rights, stand up for their land, stand up for what we believe in.

"And we are having to do that now and we were having to do that 140 years ago, so for me it's about looking at what's changed. Has anything changed?"

McNaughton, who is still on his reo journey, said it was important to normalise the use of the language.

"What's exciting about this is that it is being embraced by a broader network which has a much larger audience.

"And being able to get this 30 percent reo content, which shouldn't be intimidating for a non-Māori speaking audience, so for us to have that on Three and for Warner Brothers Discovery to support this is really exciting."

Former journalist Mereana Hond, who is from Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui iwi, is overseeing the use of te reo and tikanga.

She said Tangata Pai would include subtitles to make it accessible to as many people as possible.

"The fact that it is 30 percent te reo Māori is what sold it to iwi that have chosen to be a part of this.

"This is a collaboration, it is a partnership, there is a memorandum of agreement between iwi and the producers to create something which tells our stories in a different way."

Theres heaps of background talent here in Ngāmotu, so that's been terrific to engage the local community and have them come and be a part of the series and the filming.

"And then we have lots of crew that we've brought from different parts of the country. The majority I would say from Auckland."

Warkia - who has Scottish and Papua New Guinea heritage - agreed with Hond that one of Tangata Pai's strengths was its illustration of how disputes could be dealt with.

"The idea of maungaarongo which is very much about creating space for people to speak even if they have very different opinions.

"Creating a space where they can specifically discuss all of those differences, and that is healthy and important and shouldn't be avoided."

Filming of Tangata Pai, which has Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air funding, has now moved to Auckland.

It will screen on Three and Three Now next year.

[multimediacreative]

Ngā Tamatoa

Last night, as part of the I am Hana project, the first panel discussion of Ngā Tamatoa members took place at the TSB Showplace in New Plymouth, hosted by well known Māori TV presenter, Oriini Kaipara. The opening of the event was held mainly in te reo Māori, but morphed into mostly English with te reo Māori used on and off during the evening. It was later closed off in full te reo and…

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Ten things to know about Hana’s haka

By Arama Rata

On Nov. 14, 22-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke made global headlines when she performed a powerful haka, a Māori war cry, in New Zealand’s Parliament, tearing a copy of a controversial bill as part of her protest. A TikTok video of the moment, posted by Māori Television, has since been viewed over 200 million times and has garnered over 25 million likes in just three days. Online pundits have debated the effectiveness of the theatrical protest, but the bigger questions remain: Who is this young lawmaker? Why did she perform this haka? And what impact is her action likely to have on the broader movement for Māori sovereignty? Here are ten things you should know about Hana’s haka.

[mackmp3]

thinking about nz gothic again. like there for sure is something there & there ample material for it but every tv sjow to ever come out of this country was comedy or dark comedy or a cop show or fuckinh. country calender. i should write one. i feel like we need actual good aotearoa cult television. there's so much potential for using this landscape & the history without making it cringe or having to lean so far into it being New Zealand like. a lot of māori folklore & myth is quite cool combined with settler stories. combined with rural decay. combined with the fact that yeah it might not be that big but you could wander off the trail & never be found just as well here as you can anywhere else. combined with recorded & pretty recent megafauna (haast eagle anyone? moa?). combined with old mines. combined with mountains & forests & plains & lakes. like there so so much here there's potential to do it well

[uispeccoll]

#MiniatureMonday

Happy Māori Language Week from Special Collections & Archives!

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Maori Language Week, is celebrated annually the week of September 14th to commemorate Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori, the Maori Language Moment, which stamps the presentation of the Maori Language Petition in New Zealand at 12 pm on September 14, 1972.

Te Reo Māori is the language of New Zealand's Indigenous Maori people. It is a part of the Austronesian language family and shares its roots with other island languages including Tahitian and Hawaiian. The celebration of Te Wiki is rooted deeply in efforts to revitalize the Māori language after years of the speaking and use of te reo was banned in schools. Today, te reo Māori is the official language of New Zealand, or Aotearoa as it is called by the Indigenous people. It has become increasingly used in New Zealand society, culture, and professional institutions. The Māori language has also become something of global interest, with the popularization of the language through its presence in music, film, television, and sports commentary.

In the United States, Polynesians as a whole make up less than half of a percent of the American population, with Māori people as one of the smallest migrant populations. Still, for those living abroad or interested in learning the language from afar, the language revitalization movement has certainly spread to the United States, along with its learning materials and resources.

There is a Māori proverb that reads ahakoa he iti he pounamu, "although it is small, it is greenstone." This refers to the importance of things small but precious, such as these miniatures!

The Reeds' Lilliput Māori dictionary and Reeds' Lilliput Māori proverbs live in Special Collections as part of the Smith Miniature Book Collection. These 5cm tall miniature books were published by A.W. Reed in the early 1960s, the dictionary in 1960 as part of a collection of miniature dictionaries made popular by other global publishers. The book of whakatauki, Māori proverbs, joined the mini-dictionary in 1964. Other language dictionaries include Spanish, French, and Romanian. Due to their size, it is likely that these books were made to entertain more so than educate. Still, they are certainly one of the many taonga, treasures, of Special Collections.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2023 begins Monday, September 11, and concludes Sunday, September 17. Celebrate through songs, stories, conversations, or by learning some library-related Māori vocabulary! You can also visit the University of Iowa LibGuide on learning beginner's te reo Māori.

NGĀ KUPU WHARE PUKAPUKA LIBRARY VOCABULARY

pukapuka book

pūranga archive

whakaputunga collection

kaitiaki pukapuka librarian

wāhi tuku pukapuka reference desk

pānui to read

ako to learn

--From M Clark, Instruction GA

Reeds' proverbs (SMITH PL6465.Z77 .R44 1964) and Reeds' dictionary (SMITH PL6465.Z5 .R44 1960)

[kidofthesea]

Any woman can be a siren one minute and in pigtails the next. I am a very complex person with more than just the one facet that television played on.

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖 "ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪" 𝔸𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕣𝕚 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕜𝕦𝕟𝕗𝕥: ℕ𝕒𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕣, ℕ𝕖𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕝𝕥𝕖𝕣: 𝟛𝟙 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: 𝕋𝕠𝕔𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣, 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕒 𝕐𝕦𝕟𝕒 (𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤��𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕖𝕟) 𝕊𝕖𝕩𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥ä𝕥: 𝔹𝕚 𝔹𝕖𝕫𝕚𝕖𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: 𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕎𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟: 𝕊𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕖 (𝕨𝕚𝕣𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕂𝕚𝕕𝕒 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕥)

˜”°•.˜”°• Charly Ahuriri, eine 31-jährige Māori-Frau aus Napier, Neuseeland, wurde durch einen Unfall im Meer zu einer Sirene. Sie ist tief mit ihrem kulturellen Erbe verbunden und strahlt eine Aura von Stärke und Entschlossenheit aus. Trotz ihres tragischen Verlusts, ihrer kleinen Tochter Malea, zeigt sie eine immense innere Stärke und sucht Trost im Ozean, der ihr neues Zuhause geworden ist. •°”˜.•°”˜

[courtney-deserved-better]

Māori or Less: Kitty takes charge, and demands the truth.

chapter fourteen of my ridonculous race rewrite has been posted! go check it out!

read from the beginning here

summary:

Courtney thinks competing in the Ridonculous Race as the Best Friends is a terrible idea, but Alejandro is certain that with their skills, they can win… even if his legs are still damaged, and a few former members of Team Chris are also competing. Not to mention that Courtney soon finds herself distracted by a face she never expected to see here. As wounds from the past begin to rip open, will the Best Friends be able to stay best friends?

Noah expects this show to be like any other that he and Owen have competed on in the last year, complete with his steadily increasing competitive drive. What he doesn’t expect is to make fast friends with another team, or a reunion with a strangely sincere Alejandro. More perceptive than he’s given credit for, Owen just wants his little buddy to choose happiness, which is easier said than done on reality television.

Emma will do anything to win the million—except trust her opponents, or even her allies. Competing mostly for fun, Kitty wishes her sister would let her walls down, as she’s tired of how Emma’s been treating her since her bad breakup. There’s only so much bossy behavior she can take, and if Emma doesn’t start being honest with her, Kitty’s going to take charge.

[mucking-faori]

In better news, kapa haka regionals kick off this week with the Mātātua regionals, live streaming today!

I'm really looking forward to seeing Rob Ruha's new group, and of course all the old stalwarts. I really recommend tuning in now, as the full live stream recordings often aren't up for long after the event.

[tutuandscoot]

Ice Dance Falls, Fails and Flubs

Part 2

1. The Aboriginal Dance

Cultural appropriation at its finest. Seriously. How was this not banned??? VM’s Carmen gets banned but not this??

Points for not going with the standard ol’ Russian folk dance but this should never have been allowed. Aboriginal dance is an ancient tradition that dates back 60 000 years, it is a religion for the aboriginal people. There were once over 700 different tribes across Australia, each with their own unique storytelling. It is part of Aboriginal Dreamtime culture and is a way of passing down legends and stories through generations.

So, what specifically is wrong with this above, well other than ALL OF IT:

The music: this is not Aboriginal music, idk what it is but it is not utilising traditional instruments, the “singing” is not culturally accurate.

The costumes: this is just so offensive and inappropriate. Yes, aboriginal culture and dances use face paint (oca to be exact) but not like this. They do not where leaves all over themselves, nor do they wear strings. At one point in the season, he was dressed in a darker unitard and black face- AT LEAST that was banned.

The choreography: this is just not the kind of dancing that can be done on ice. Flamenco, yes, waltzs, yes, country dance, sure. Not this. This Russian team makes it out as though Aboriginals are Neanderthals. They are not. Their dances are are pieces of art and communicate 10s of thousands of years of history. The nose rubbing is not aboriginal but more a Māori (new zealand/ pacific islands) custom.

How this wasn’t deducted all the component scores I have no idea, it’s a disgrace this won an Olympic medal

2. Yuri Balkov: Human Turd 💩

Partly responsible for the shit show that was 1998 ice dance. Banned for a year then back on the panel several times again, and was up to his same shit once again here in 2002. Spineless turd with no respect for the sport he is.

3. Nailed the Ending

This is much better with volume (timestamp 1:11:00 on the Beijing FD video).

Point 1. The lil ‘sexy time’ moment 😖

Point 2. Why is it necessary to put a move like this right at the end when you have just done a lift?

Point 3. Who came up with this? Of course he was gonna dropped her! She has no point of contact on him so how is she suppose to get upright again when she does not have Tessa Virtue’s core of steel??

Point 4. Obviously on the first watch you notice the drop first, but just before that you get an elbow to the face- lovely.

Point 5. The perfectly timed crash drop on the music. Art. I hope she was ok, this is a horrible thing to happen, but the musically comedy of it is just gold.

Also this was a very bad fd.. so boring, bad music.. this ending kinda came par for the course.

4. Weapo’s Twizzles

Bobble bobble bobble bobble fall over bobble bobble

5. FP/M Salt Lake City Edition

Splat.

Come on man! How hard is it to stay up right? (ice skating is very hard but these are Olympic level athletes… supposedly).

It truly does not surprise me it was considered taking this “sport” out of the Olympics. Thank god they didn’t and two precious bby angels came among to rescue it.

Oh yeah btw.. this won a medal 🫣😵‍💫🥴

6. 22 year old high level athlete doesn’t take responsibility for her own costume; chaos ensues.

I was always taught from starting dance at 3 years old- your costume is your responsibility. If it doesn’t feel right, you get the safety pin or needle and thread and you fix it, or you at least make sure someone else does it up for you PROPERLY, obviously no one wants this to happen to them esp not on global television but it was solely her responsibility to fix it (things are different in shows/companies where you have costumers , but you individually- your own costume you are responsible for). To continue complaining about this for the next 4 years is a childish joke and even if the hideous green dress had stayed together you still shouldn’t have won 😘

7. ISU after 1998: “We’re gonna fix ice dance judging”. ISU in 2002: “Psych”.

I hate this and love this an equal amount.

The synchronicity of Rod and Tracey: “They’ve been beaten, by the Israelis”. (Pls don’t take that out of context rn). Tracey was just 100% DONE with all of this.

From Margarita and Povilas in their crowns, her throwing hers off and storming out. Jeff Buttle shouting ‘WHAT THE FUCK??’ Iconic.

8. Scooter’s Nose Bleed

Poor bby. Iconic way to finish off your first National Championships win. Then they make you go out and do an encore 🤦‍♀️. I love in the first gif how Shay pops into the shot 😂

Also ironic thinking about a certain team at 2017 worlds getting blood on each other and their reaction… do you think T even blinked twice at getting S’s nose blood on her?? I don’t think so..

[amyarano]

i. unknown movie, "doing the right thing" - daughter ( mv ) // ii. "come wander with me" - bonnie beecher, the twilight zone, dir. rod serling // iii. "shine on you crazy diamond (i-v)" - pink floyd

( gdocs version since we hate tumblr for its many crimes now )

quick stats !

full name: amy florence arano

date of birth: january 13th, 1967

zodiac big three: capricorn sun, leo moon, leo rising (?)

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual

ethnicity: chinese, māori cook islander, white

nationality: us american

religion: agnostic

languages spoken: english (5), mandarin (3), rarotongan (2)

enneagram: 4w5

mbti: esfj

temperament: sanguine-melancholic

alignment: true neutral (?)

backstory !

there is a tl;dr at the bottom!

triggers: she was a child actress, so... in the words of amy winehouse, what kind of fuckery is this?

It was almost the perfect day when Mr. and Mrs. Arano welcome their first child to the world. The sun was as warm as always, but cool breeze swept through the desert air. Surrounded by the angels that Los Angeles boasted, it was almost perfect. Almost.

But there was a negative talisman hanging above them, one that neither fully registered. See, they were sent home with a rabbit's foot and an invisible question mark over their heads...

It was Friday the 13th. Bad luck was written in the stars for Amy Arano.

It started with low funds. Constantly on the brink of poverty, constantly taking out loans, the move to the USA was coming to bite the Arano family in full. But being broke was nothing groundbreaking, nothing millions of families didn't already live through. And they had only one child to provide for. They could make it.

Until Mrs. Arano found herself pregnant in 1969. Abortion still illegal uh, should I be using the word 'still' given the overturn? and with little to no connections to backroom clinics, she carried to term. Gave birth. Twins.

More on the brink of financial ruin than ever with no backup plans, the Arano family was desperate. But they were marketable.

Chance had it that XZY had come up with a television show to battle The Brady Bunch -- it was called The Carey Crew. They had a few names attached, but were still searching for the final piece: the daughters.

Twins were marketable as child actors. Despite theirs only being two at the time, desperate times called for desperate measures. And the execs took to them... but they were looking for someone a little older -- you know, older than two. Which, with her haunting the background as her siblings were pimped out and still stealing the show, they found in Amy.

1972 was a whirlwind. Amy was to play one of the middle children of the Carey Crew, one of their adoptees -- because this show was, like, really edgy. The Careys had three biological children and three adopted children... like, literally the edgiest thing on all of cable.

Soon, before she was Amy, she was Sandy. And, as the story goes, the amount of money she, a child, took in from her role began to corrupt the Aranos. The twins grew up with little to no work ethic, her father was busy buying all the best watches, her mother was ensuring she was looking perfect for the next episode. It was hard to remember how they began, and not just because she'd been so very young.

Now, the positive aspect of being a child star in the 1970s? Tabloids weren't hitting it big yet, you weren't an idol yet, and, in due time, you were far less likely to be stalked and harassed by paparazzi and poor excuses for 'journalists.'

But the negative aspect of being a child star in the 1970s? Quite frankly, you were still a child star. All of the milestones you got to experience were scripted -- say, a first kiss -- and all of the milestones you missed were bastardized by the script -- say, your first prom. In addition, they were still missing the laws regarding the hours you worked... the safeguarding wasn't as safe as it would be in due time...

Off set, you were better off. On set, you were screwed.

But you -- but she -- spent most of her time on set. Early hours and late nights, provided uppers and downers to help survive the day.

The Carey Crew lasted for ten years, beating its rival show... you know, the one it pretty much plagiarized. From the series itself to movie specials to spin-offs about the kids, it made a splash. And the splash it made wasn't because it was good. For the most part, it lasted so long because all of the hatred and mockery brought in new viewers. So bad, it's good.

When the series -- and all of its spin-offs and movies -- finally wrapped in 1982 with the most nonsensical ending (it was Mick Carey's dream all along...), Amy was 50, 15, and 5 all at once. But the 5y/o and the 15y/o knew that it was the 50y/o's job to keep money on the table.

Very few offers came her way, what given The Carey Crew's status as a successful failure -- more commercials and guest appearances (with the inevitable 'oooooh!' from the live audience) than anything else. So a valiant attempt was made to further her fame into the music aspect of the entertainment world... which worked for one (1) song.

Think "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun!" and/or "Let's Go To The Mall" for reference... It became elevator music pretty quickly.

Despite her attempts and failures, she was still pushed and pushed and pushed to the edge. You know what? Maybe the 50y/o doesn't want to provide for the family anymore. Maybe the 5y/o and 15y/o want to go try something... different! and fun!

She had an uncle in Cherry -- a little Nowhere, USA. Arrangements were made between the two (oh, how he hated what his brother had become) and she left Los Angeles in the summer of 1985, but not before her mother could ask if she really wanted to leave her family in squalor.

It was, and remains... a culture shock. On the bright side, there are far less responsibilities -- there's far less pressure. On the other side... they don't serve champagne at these college parties?

She had never actually cared for acting. She had never actually cared for music. But the entertainment industry didn't take as kindly to writers, and they certainly didn't take as kindly to artists. But she wasn't in the industry anymore, right? Right! So, fuck it, we ball! Art History!

How do you do, fellow plebeians?

tl;dr !

born on Friday the 13th :\ (legit btw! Jan 13th, 1967, was on a Friday!) family poor :\ but it's ok because they love each other! family has twins :\ they gotta find more money now. some folks are looking for twin casting, omg! let's go! but omg! they're more interested in amy bc the twins are like. too young. ok! amy joins the show the carey crew, aka the brady bunch but worse. so much fuckery bc child actors are fucked :\ family doesn't love each other very much anymore! show ends after 10yrs and she's like "i am getting no offers bc that show was awful idk what to do" so. uh. one hit wonder. she's lindana and she wants to have fun. is eventually DONE WITH IT. makes arrangements to move to cherry with her uncle with HER MONEY!! mom tries to guilt-trip her and like it works but it also doesn't!! has been in cherry for roughly a year?? anyway. cherry is a culture shock... how do you do, fellow plebs?

headcanons !

call her sandy! call her sandy! call her sandy!

i actually have a few more rn but with tumblr being weird (it's a weirdo it doesn't fit in) i'm just gonna. use google docs for the rest.

[turanga4]

What does your username mean?

Thanks for asking! I am curious if this was occasioned by my enthusiastic reblog of an excellent writer's appreciation of the Māori  word, "Takiwātanga" for autism, which translates to "in his/her own time and space." Beginning in the 1980s, speakers of the Māori language officially noped out of adopting words directly from other languages (so, no "televisor" for "television", like in Spanish), and now all new words are officially chosen by a commission of respected community members, known as Te Taura Whiri.

I was absolutely blessed, while in college, to live for a year in New Zealand/Aotearoa, specifically studying at the University of Waikato, a bilingual/bicultural institution that centered te reo Māori (the indigenous language and its corresponding culture). When you met other people, the tradition was that you'd recite the story of yourself, including your Tūrangawaewae--your home, the place where you belong, the roots you draw on.

The word's literal meaning is "standing place:" it's taken from the words for "position" and "foot." As a very ambivalent American with a complicated family history, I didn't really know how to recite that part of my story: I learned to say, in Māori, "my standing place is within myself" ("ko ahau taku Tūrangawaewae.") My handle on tumblr and Ao3 is taken from that word.

[airyairyaucontraire]

This is a small thing in the greater scheme but I’m watching the 6 o’clock news* on TV3 (one of the two main evening news programmes on New Zealand TV) and both the anchors are Māori (Mike McRoberts and Oriini Kaipara) and the anchorwoman has a moko kauae tattoo on her chin. I am just thinking about the change there’s been in my lifetime in terms of Māori representation in the front ranks of television, in authoritative roles. There’s a lot of progress still to be made in terms of inclusion and respect for Māori people and their culture but that’s really neat.

*which I don’t usually do, I read the news online (primarily through credible newspaper/magazine websites), hence me noticing this tonight

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Hi! You've mentioned a few times that Harry mocked the haka years ago. Do you have any links to that, or could you summarise what you're referring to? Thanks. Also, how and why do you think Wellington was clearly pivotal in 1D's lives?

I'll answer the second question first - and then go into the first. Basically whatever happened in that mediocre bar opposite a parking lot in the early morning of the 23rd of April - the video about it certainly had an impact on their careers - it was the first massive peak in interest about 'Larry' (check out google trends). Both public and fans being aware of the idea of Larry Stylinson had a huge impact on Harry and Louis' life.

One Direction visited New Zealand twice once in 2012 and once in 2013. Both times they only interacted with Māori culture on Pākehā (white New Zealanders terms). On both occasions they were asked both in interviews and in twitter questions to imitate Māori culture. They didn’t know the basics of Māori culture or language and they individually and collectively imitated Māori culture badly for Pākehā entertainment.  This is racist, colonising behaviour, which reinforces Māori oppression.

During twitter questions they were often asked to do the Haka. They all attempted it in response to a twitter question in Auckland in 2012 (but not Wellington, because that was a magic perfect night).  In Christchurch in 2013, they did it during twitter questions, but not in response to a twitter question - it appears to be because they wanted to. (Harry says that he wants to learn the Haka - but not enough to actually do the learning before performing publicly - and Niall is so enthusiastic that he does it by himself first before the whole arena does it with them). And in their show Auckland they again did it in response to a twitter question. (Niall also did it on a radio interview in response to a question, but that video is no longer on line).

This is a mocking way of engaging in Māori culture and the more you watch the specific examples the more you see how bad it is - they make up gibberish words, as soon as they get past the two lines they remember from TV. They treated Māori culture as something to make fun of - and chose only to engage with Māori culture on Pākehā terms.

For those who struggle to understand why this was mocking - helpfully Ant and Dec put together that demonstrates it quite nicely. In 2013, 1D were interviewed for a pretend New Zealand television show for Ant and Dec's prank show and were asked to pronounce Māori words (something that also happened in New Zealand interviews, although I can't find any of them online any more). It neatly illustrates the underlying racist dynamic.

Now one point to make about all this is that this is a Pākehā New Zealand problem at its root. And obviously I could talk about the ways that Pākehā New Zealanders engage with Māori culture quite a bit. But you don't have to participate in every bit or racism that other people ask you too.

And to sort of set-up what I want to say about Harry - what's really noticeably different this time is that alongside the political action of waving a Tino Rangatiratanga flag - Harry engaged with Māori culture on Māori terms. And that treating Māori culture not as a play thing for Pākehā, but belonging to people who he can meet and talk with - was an important precursor to taking political action.

[elysiaishere]

Now that our first official Matariki (Māori New Year) is over here in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have a few comments I feel as though I need to express.

Growing up, I remember watching televised screenings on the news of the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year. And while the adult in me now understands and appreciates how valuable these celebrations are, and how it is important that our Chinese whānau (family) are allowed to embrace their culture so far from home, the child I once was always carried a small seed of bitterness over it.

At the time, I didn't know that Matariki was a very integral part of our tipuna's (ancestors) culture, but as a Māori child attending a predominantly Pākehā (white) school, what I did know was that my culture, my identity, was somehow "lesser than".

Never had I ever seen te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) be presented or perceived in a positive light. Sure, Pākehā institutions enjoyed commercialising our culture (e.g.: the All Blacks and the haka), but largely speaking, society perceived us as incompetent, lazy beneficiaries whom are violent towards our most vulnerable.

In reality, this is simply not true. Māori communities, like all communities, are not a monolith. It is unjust and inaccurate for non-Māori to accuse us of such. Just as all groups of people are, Māori are nuanced and multi-layered. Our flaws are prominent, yes, but so are our strengths.

It took me a long, long time to decolonise my own perception of my own identity and my own culture. Once I found myself on the other side of that journey, it was truly healing.

I credit Matariki as one of the major reasons for this healing.

As an official public holiday, I am filled with hope that all tamariki (children), both Māori and non-Māori, are able to walk into a tomorrow where true co-governance seems closer than ever. Māori aren't trying to erase Pākehā. We aren't trying to indoctrinate your children. That has never been our aim. We simply want acknowledgment, recognition, and respect. And the chance to reclaim our lost cultural identities.

That's all.

[dear-indies]

Hey! I hope everything is going well with you! When you have time - completely understandable to take time for yourself given everything - do you think you could give a list of your fave body diverse fcs over the age of 35, if any? I would greatly appreciate it!! All the best ❤️

Non-binary:

Ser Anzoategui (1979) Argentinian and Paraguayan - is nonbinary (they/them).

Ericka Hart (1986) African-American - non-binary (she/they) - is a breast cancer survivor.

Third-gender:

Yolanda Bonnell (1982) Ojibwe, Unspecified White / Indian - two-spirit (she/they) - is bisexual - has OCD and ADHD.

Gloria May Eshkibok (?) Mohawk, Ottawa, Irish, French - two-spirit (she/her) and wears an eye patch.

Gender questioning:

Kristin Chirico (1984) Cayuga, Seneca, Italian, and Irish - questioning their gender, explaining it as “encompassing a lot of things” but is not yet sure if she’s non-binary or a gender non-confirming woman - is bisexual and demisexual - has OCD.

Women:

Joanna Scanlan (1961)

Melissa McCarthy (1970)

Keala Settle (1975) Māori.

Michelle Buteau (1977) Haitian [African, some Lebanese] / French, Jamaican [African, Indian, possibly other].

Itziar Castro (1977) - is a lesbian.

Brooke Elliot (1978)

Dana Gourrier (1979) African-American.

Chrissy Metz (1980)

Natasha Rothwell (1980) African-American.

Beth Ditto (1981) - is queer.

Jana Schmieding (1981) Miniconjou Lakota Sioux, Sicangu Oyate Lakota Sioux.

Jordan Raskopoulos (1982) - is trans.

Denisse Ojeda (1982) Chilean.

Gabourey Sidibe (1983) Senegalese / African-American.

Yola / Yolanda Quarty (1983) British, Ghanaian, and Barbadian.

Ella Smith (1983)

Heather White (1983) Mohawk / Nakoda Sioux.

Jolene Purdy (1983) Japanese / English, Scottish, Irish, German, Ashkenazi Jewish.

Anna O'Brien (1984)

JB The First Lady / Jerilynn Webster (1984) Nuxalk and Onondaga.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph (1986) African-American.

Amber Riley (1986) African-American.

Nicole Byer (1986) African-American - comedian, television host, writer and actor - "doesn't identify as straight", but is uncomfortable with the labels "bisexual" or "queer."

Aidy Bryant (1987)

Men:

Mark Addy (1964)

Taylor Wily (1968) Samoan.

Jack Black (1969) Ashkenazi Jewish / German, as well as Northern Irish, Scottish, English, remote French and Welsh (converted to Judaism).

Nick Frost (1972)

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (1973)

Matt Berry (1974)

Kristian Nairn (1975) - is gay.

K. Trevor Wilson (1981)

Josh Gad (1981) Afghan Jewish and Ashkenazi Jewish.

Brian Tyree Henry (1982) African-American.

Matty Matheson (1982)

Sam Richardson (1984) Ghanaian.

Cooper Andrews (1985) Samoan / Ashkenazi Jewish.

Charley Koontz (1987)

Atkins Estimond (1987) Afro-Haitian.

Thank you so much for being kind and understanding, anon! I have a masterlist HERE too but you're always welcome to send asks as I know going through long lists can be overwhelming.

[5ellaal5]

Ten things to know about Hana’s haka

Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke captured global attention with a powerful haka performed to protest the controversial Treaty Principles Bill

November 20, 2024 by Arama Rata

On Thursday, 22-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke made global headlines when she performed a powerful haka, a Māori war cry, in New Zealand’s Parliament, tearing a copy of a controversial bill as part of her protest. A TikTok video of the moment, posted by Māori Television, has since been viewed over 200 million times and has garnered over 25 million likes in just three days. Online pundits have debated the effectiveness of the theatrical protest, but the bigger questions remain: Who is this young lawmaker? Why did she perform this haka? And what impact is her action likely to have on the broader movement for Māori sovereignty? Here are ten things you should know about Hana’s haka.

Hana’s election victory

Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was elected to Parliament at just 21 years old, making her New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament in 170 years. Her victory was surprising—not because of her age, but because she unseated one of the country’s most seasoned politicians, Nanaia Mahuta, to win the Hauraki-Waikato Māori electorate seat.

Mahuta, a long-serving Labour MP, was widely considered certain to retain her seat. In 2017, experienced tribal leader Rāhui Papa had contested the seat against Mahuta with the full backing of the Māori King, only to suffer a crushing defeat in a race that seemed to solidify Mahuta’s unshakeable hold on the electorate.

Hana’s rise in popularity

So how did Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke secure her historic election victory against such a formidable opponent? Part of the shift in voter preference can be attributed to declining support for the Labour Party, which, despite two terms in power, had delivered little for Māori. In contrast, the Māori Party’s popularity had been rising since it secured two seats in the 2020 election with its campaign to be “unapologetically Māori.”

A key factor in Hana’s rise was the series of threats she faced in the lead-up to the election—including home invasions, vandalism, and a threatening letter. When asked if these attacks had intimidated her, Hana responded with resolve: “Don’t be scared, because the Kohanga Reo generation is here,” referring to the generation of Māori educated in Māori language immersion schooling from an early age. Rather than weaken her campaign, Hana’s steadfastness in the face of these threats only secured greater support.

Why Hana performed a haka

Hana performed the haka Ka Mate during Parliament’s first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill—an attempt by the far-right coalition government to strip Māori of their Treaty rights. The bill is widely regarded as one of the most egregious measures in a series of legislative changes pushed by the government, which Māori view as direct attacks on their health, language, culture, and land rights.

A 9-day nationwide hīkoi (protest march), beginning at the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island, was planned to arrive at Parliament on the day of the bill’s first reading. However, with just two days’ notice, the government moved the first reading forward, scheduling it for a date just four days into the hīkoi—when the marchers had only reached the Waikato region. This move was widely perceived as a cynical, anti-democratic attempt to stifle debate and avoid the pressure of Māori exercising their right to protest. By performing the haka, Hana disrupted parliamentary proceedings as the votes were being counted.

What Hana said in Parliament

Hana began by calmly stating in her native language, “Six votes opposed.” She then performed a pao—an impromptu song—reminding members of Parliament of their place within the country: “Government! You were made a guest by me!” Despite Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee’s attempt to interrupt, Hana launched into the iconic haka Ka Mate. She was joined by members of her own party, Māori MPs from Labour and the Greens, and a packed public gallery.

The haka Ka Mate was composed in 1820 by celebrated Māori leader Te Rauparaha of the Ngāti Toa Rangatira tribe. It speaks to moments of “life or death” and celebrates the triumph of surviving seemingly insurmountable odds, making it an apt protest against the controversial bill.

Author: Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho

Hīkoi as a tactic in Māori activism

Hīkoi is a Māori word meaning “walk,” but as a form of activism, it has taken on a deeper significance and played a central role in the Māori sovereignty movement. The tactic was famously used in the 1975 Land March to oppose the theft of Māori land and again in 2004 to protest the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

The latest hīkoi was led by Toitū Te Tiriti, a group with strong ties to Hana’s political party. It began at Te Rerenga Wairua, the northernmost point of New Zealand, and involved relay teams physically traversing the land, accompanied by car convoys traveling between protest action points. In this way, the land was symbolically and physically reclaimed, while momentum built as the hīkoi progressed toward Parliament. On Tuesday, November 19, the hīkoi reached Wellington, where the march on Parliament was one of the largest in the nation’s history.

Hana’s role in the hīkoi

While Hana has received widespread praise for her haka, less attention has been given to her earlier work that day in the Waikato region, 550km north of Parliament. Hana met the hīkoi in her hometown and completed a 16km relay leg through her electorate. There, she delivered a speech and expressed a mix of weariness and hope, saying, “I’m sick of fighting.” She urged Māori to update the rallying cry, Ka whawhai tonu mātou! Ake! Ake! Ake! (We will fight forever and ever and ever), to Ka ora tonu mātou! Ake! Ake! Ake! (We will live and be well forever and ever and ever).

Hana’s international recognition

Despite being only one year into her political career, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has already received international recognition. This year, Time magazine named her as a ‘next generation leader’, and she was one of four people to be awarded the ‘One Young World Politician of the Year’.

Hana’s view of the world

Hana is a member of Te Pāti Māori (The Māori Party), which currently holds six seats in Parliament and has been vocal in its criticism of New Zealand’s foreign policy. In a statement on Gaza, the party condemned the government for “turning a blind eye to genocide” and urged New Zealand to end its role in “providing political cover for US-funded imperialism” and “acting as a Pacific spy base for the Five Eyes Alliance.” The party also demanded “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” and called for New Zealand to “expel the Israeli and United States ambassadors” until a ceasefire is achieved.

Reactions to Hana’s haka

The viral video of Hana’s haka has sparked online debate about the effectiveness of using haka as a protest tactic, particularly when performed by a member of Parliament. Critics who argue that a haka alone won’t achieve meaningful change often fail to acknowledge the broader context of the concurrent mass mobilization. Meanwhile, those who label Hana’s haka as “uncivilized” can be dismissed as racist.

Some critiques, however, have raised important points—ones that those within the Māori protest movement are acutely aware of. Protest movements should be led by the people, not politicians. Yet, the group leading the recent hīkoi has become closely associated with Hana’s Māori Party, creating a contradiction: the type of transformative change needed cannot be achieved through electoral politics alone. A broader political solution, such as constitutional transformation, is essential. Māori must remain vigilant to ensure the movement for constitutional justice is not co-opted for electoral gains within the settler government framework.

Additionally, hīkoi as a tactic alone would be insufficient unless it is clear that the mass mobilization is prepared to escalate if their demands are not met. Hana hinted at this potential, stating that if the government continues to push the bill, “honestly, it’s going to cause riots.”

Hana’s own reaction to her haka

After halting proceedings with her haka, Hana exited the House, where she was immediately surrounded by reporters asking why she had performed the haka. Hana casually responded that she was simply being Māori, as that’s all she knows. Her words reflected those of the late Māori King, Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, who addressed legislative attacks on Māori at a gathering earlier this year. In August, he said:

“The best protest we can make right now is being Māori. Be who we are. Live our values. Speak our reo. Care for our mokopuna, our awa, our maunga. Just be Māori. Be Māori all day, every day. We are here. We are strong.”

Upholding Te Tiriti

On Tuesday, November 19, the hīkoi arrived at Parliament. While the Treaty Principles Bill is unlikely to pass its second reading, there remains the possibility of a citizen-initiated referendum on the bill. If this occurs, Māori—who make up 17.8% of New Zealand’s population—could face the tyranny of the majority, similar to what happened during Australia’s Voice to Parliament referendum.

However, the hīkoi has always been about more than the Treaty Principles Bill. The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi is a movement to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi—the true Treaty, written in Māori. If fully honored, the Treaty calls for radical constitutional change in Aotearoa. While the current far-right government’s attacks on Māori have been distressing, they have also served to unite, galvanize, and radicalize the community. As Hana herself put it:

“Why are they [the Crown] consistently dictating over us when that’s not what the Treaty says? That is not what our founding document says. It says, you look after your people, we’ll look after our people, and we can get along. It does not say you govern over us. And that’s the bigger question that we’re starting to ask ourselves now.”

Dr. Arama Rata is a Māori independent researcher in Aotearoa New Zealand.