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 19th 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/.
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.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2009). Intercultural communication in contexts (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
