The Power of Language

                Kia ora! (Hi, good day in Te Reo) As briefly mentioned in my video, I want to discuss the importance of language to a culture.  The Maori language is called Te Reo, which translates into English as “the language”.   As a native English speaker, I have never put much thought into what English means to me or how it came to be spoken here in America and pretty much every other place on Earth. English is seen as the global language of business, but it also brings with it the oppression that came from pakeha (or white men) and their language. For my last blog, I want to further explore the phenomenon that is language. Language can be used to bring people together, to allow us to laugh and share stories, but it also can be used as a weapon on dominance and can destroy. For these properties alone, language is complex and is worthy of us taking a closer look.

                Te reo was the majority language spoken in New Zealand until 1860 when English-speaking settlers began to flock to the islands and soon, their language became the majority.  In 1867, the Native Schools Act was passed by colonial governments and it “decrees that English should be the only language used in the education of Maori children” (“Maori Language Commission, n.d.). This is an example of a language policy, which Martin & Nakayama describe as “laws or customs that determine when and where which language will be spoken” (2010). This ban, in my opinion, is a huge factor in the declining use of Maori during the late 19^th and early 20^th century. By cutting children off from learning their native tongue, it ensured that they would lose oral traditions, which are very important to tribal cultures like the Maori, and it also limits the amount of communication children do within their families. Many older generations spoke only Maori and since children were being taught only English, they weren’t able to communication with each other. My hypothesis is proven with the statistic that only 18-20% of Maori were fluent in Te reo in 1973-1978 and that most of the speakers were elderly (“Maori Language Commission, n.d.).  

                At the same time, many older generations worked to preserve Te reo, as it was used in worship and in Maori politics. Maori was still spoken in homes, but outside off that, the language served as little importance because English was everywhere and seen as the more important, dominant language. This all changed in 1987 with the passing of the Maori Language Act. This decree proclaimed that Te reo would become an official language of New Zealand, along with English and New Zealand Sign Language. After the passage of the Maori Language Act, many more public places began offering resources in Maori. Schools, Te Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Maori, began specializing in teaching Maori from early ages until children reached high-school age.  More newspapers, business places, and governmental agencies began using Te reo and lastly, Maori Television Service now broadcasts entirely in Te reo.

As you can see, the Maori language of Te reo has gone through many changes.  The history of Te reo is exciting and shows the tenacity of the language, but what does this mean in the “big picture”? How can this serve as an example for countries/groups that are in danger of losing their language and a huge piece of their history? According to Giles and Noels in Readings in Intercultural Communication: Experiences and Contexts published in 2002, “most ethnic groups also have a distinct language or dialect, and the ability to use this langue may be necessary for group membership”.  If a language isn’t preserved, certain people may not feel like they fit in to an ethnic group and will not relate to many of the practices or ideas the group shares. When I first thought about it, I didn’t think English was a vital part of my identity. Upon thinking more, I realized how much it does define me. I can only communicate with English speakers, I pray in English, I read, write, speak, sing, mourn, and rejoice, all in English.  The same goes for Spanish-speakers, Italian-speakers, Te reo-speakers, and any other language group.

                So, what does all of this mean? What it means is that language is important, whether you think it or not. Language has influences in food, music, holidays, worship, television, schooling, medicine, and tons of other subjects. For the Maori, the fight to preserve their language and keep it relevant was long, but today, Te reo is increasingly popular and is an official language in New Zealand.  From this cultural blog project, I have learned many, many things about the Maori culture, but also about my own. Being an American leads to much entitlement and is a very special thing to me, but it also makes me want to learn more about other cultures.  I haven’t had to experience the struggles that other have and I haven’t been met with much adversity in my life.  Hopefully, my experiences abroad will be positive, but I do expect some questions about the United States and our culture. Also when I am abroad, I hope to make friends with the locals and learn things about their area from the people who live in it daily. Like I said during class, I wasn't able to get into a Te reo class due to conflicting exam times, but I'm sure I will pick up small parts of the language by just being there for 4 months. Also while in New Zealand, I will have to get used to a different dialect of English. Even though we speak the same language, there are different slang terms and accents that will be very different from what I am used to.

I have really enjoyed working on this project for the last few months and hope that everyone has learned about the Maori culture! I can't wait to get to New Zealand! Only 63 days left!

One last thing, here is the link to my video
Maori Cultural Blog Video

References

1. Maori Language Commission. Retrieved from http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/english/.

2. Martin, J. N. & Nakayama, T. K. (2010). Intercultural communication in contexts. (Fifth ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

3. Maori Language. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_language

4. Giles, H. & Noels, K. A. Communication Accommodation in Intercultural Encounters in J. N. Martin, T. K, Nakayama, & L. A. Flores (Eds.), Readings in intercultural communication: experiences and contexts (pp. 117-125). Boston: McGraw Hill.

Blog 2: Maori and Post-Colonialism

      As discussed in my first blog, the Maori are a truly unique and fascinating culture that resides in New Zealand. Today, I want to introduce the topic of colonialism/post-colonialism and how it has affected life for the Maori residing in New Zealand.

       Let’s start off with a brief history lesson-In 1769, British explored James Cook reached New Zealand and began mapping the land for the British. Cook made friendly contact with the Maori and European settlers began coming to the country, bringing with them disease and firearms. In 1840, the British government officially annexed New Zealand in the Treaty of Waitangi. Maori chiefs signed the treaty, which meant they ceded their sovereignty to the Queen of England in exchange for protection and citizenship. The treaty seemed fair at first, but soon settlers wanted land that the Maori didn’t want to sell and wars soon erupted. The Maori population fell from 85,000 in the 1700’s to just 40,000 at the end of the 19^th century.

        

        Like in most colonized areas, Maori people grew tired of oppression, unfair land distribution, and being second-class citizens. New Zealand became fully independent from British rule in 1947 and since then, many changes have occurred. Post-colonialism can be seen in all areas of Maori life. As by its definition, post-colonialism is a change in thinking and doing.  In a research study written by Rangimarie Mahuika, Graham Smith argued that “conscientization” has taken place within the Maori people, meaning that they have gone from waiting for things to be done for them to doing things for themselves (Mahuika, 2008). An example of this would be the presence of Maori in the workforce. In the 1950’s, only 6% of Maori had qualified positions in the workforce (New Zealand in History, 2011). With a new sense of self and culture, Maori had significantly increased their influence in the work place, with the help of training programs.

                

        Maori post-colonialism is also seen intellectually. The Maori have developed their own theory called Kaupapa theory that is about challenging the ordinary notion of “normal” and empowering Maori people. The theory is taught all across New Zealand and stresses Maori pride, finding inequalities in society, and reversing them. This theory is strongly influenced by post-colonialism and is helping Maori regain the power and sense of identity that was lost to the British during their colonial rule. Kaupapa is based on 6 principles, including those of self-determination and cultural aspiration.

                As shown above, colonialism in New Zealand greatly affected the Maori people. From this loss of control, the culture was greatly suppressed. When the British finally left New Zealand, Maori began working to regain their sense of identity. Through ideas such as Kaupapa and other practices, Maori are ensuring that their presence will be felt in New Zealand. Now, Maori live amongst Europeans in New Zealand and the two worlds are intertwined. I think the best example of this is the teaching of Maori culture in schools and universities. The Maori recognize that they need to educate people in order to keep their culture thriving, so classes are taught on Maori life and customs. During my semester in New Zealand, I plan on enrolling in a class and will hopefully learn the basics of the Maori language : )

Bibliography

      

      (2011). The history of New Zealand. Four Corners. Retrieved from http://www.fourcorners.co.nz/new-zealand/history/.

      (2011). The Maori. New Zealand in History. Retrieved from http://history-nz.org/maori7.html. 

      Mahuika, R. (2008). Kaupapa Maori theory is critical and anti-colonial. Retrieved from http://review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/viewFile/153/180.

     Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2009). Intercultural communication in contexts (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

       Principles of kaupapa Maori. Rangahau. Retrieved from http://www.rangahau.co.nz/research-idea/27/.

Maori Introduction Blog

     For our cultural reporter assignment, I had no problem choosing the culture that I wanted to report on. Being very excited about my upcoming study abroad experience in New Zealand, I am doing my blogs on the Maori.

The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and have inhabited the land since 1300 AD. Europeans moved in during the 17th and 18th century and had control until the New Zealand Declaration of Independence was signed in 1835. Shortly after that, the Maori asserted their independence from the crown in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.  Ever since then, the Maori have been a very important part of New Zealand life.

The Maori culture is very distinct and is known for their language and tribal traditions, such as tattoo and dance. Maori is one of three of New Zealand's official languages, which shows how the culture is still very prominent in modern life. One way that the language has gained popularity in recent years is the introduction of Maori language broadcasting. The culture is also known for their performance art called the Haka. The haka is a dance that celebrates accomplishment and gained publicity when the "All Blacks" rugby team began performing a haka before each match. Here is a clip of a Haka performed by the All Blacks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y

As you can see with the video, New Zealander's are very proud of their Maori heritage and perform the Haka with much excitement. It is a very strong dance, which shows the more island/primitive side of the culture. This really interests me because it is so different than what I am used to seeing here in the United States. The Maori are also known for their art. They are a very resourceful culture and use things found in their lush environment to create artwork. Like many indigenous groups, Maori have many oral stories that are passed down.

With the limited face to face resources, I plan on gathering a lot of my information from the internet. Luckily, the New Zealand Maori Internet Society is striving to promote the Maori presence on the internet. The internet will be a great resource but it will be more challenging to get an inside perspective on the culture. Despite this difficulty, I’m really excited to learn more about the Maori and their culture. Like I said, it’s completely different than my own culture and I think there are a lot of unique aspects of Maori life. I'm really excited to learn more and can't wait to go to New Zealand : )

Sources
1. Maori. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Tourism New Zealand website: http://www.newzealand.com/int/#/maori/
2. Maori Culture. (2011). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Virtual New Zealand website: http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/culture/maori/
3. Maori. (2011). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Maori Tourism Limited website: http://www.maori.com/