why have you so many thorns?
nasty, prickly beast
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Reflection Time! : haka and maori women's rights
In Maori Society last week, we talked about performing arts and in doing so spoke to one of the questions I posed in my original reflections – what is the Maori opinion regarding the All Blacks use of the haka at sporting matches. I can now say with some confidence: not favourable. The “Ka Mate” haka has been used by the national rugby team since 1903 and is typically interpreted by sports announcers and the general public to be an appropriated war dance used to intimidate the opposing players. But while certain types of haka were used for war, the category extends to many other types of dance as well. “Ka Mate” is technically not a war dance in either form, content (expresses relief and thanks of a chief who narrowly escaped death), or the way it is performed (without weapons).
The iwi (tribe) of Te Rauparaha (the man who wrote the piece) have recently filed a lawsuit for intellectual property rights, something which would be extremely interesting to know more about. Their goal was not to gain royalties for its use but rather to try to regain control over the cultural practice to prevent its further exploitation and misinterpretation. A spokesperson for the All Blacks apparently said that “the haka is bigger than Maori” - that it should not be restricted to a specific tribe but rather has acquired a new and national meaning. While this sounds all well and good, it leads to interesting issues surrounding the appropriateness and way in which Maori symbols are used. As our lecturer pointed out, these symbols at the very least become divorced from their original purpose and history (something important in Maori worldview) and often end up actively involved in the perpetuation of misinformation about the specific practices and culture as a whole (such as in haka being known as a war dance). Plus, it arguably allows for a superficial (read advertisable) embrace of Maori things while practices and perspectives that are more difficult to deal with are ignored.
Among reasons for thinking that nationalizing Maori symbols is a bad thing, the haka is frequently exploited in advertising. For example, this advertisement for the 2007 World Cup match between NZ and France (I’m not going to even try a full on critique of that as there is way too much wrong about it. For a start: primitive/timelessness of Maori culture, objectifying, eroticizing women, isolated and paradisiacal tropics) The haka has further been used and spoofed across the globe. For example, this Scottish employment commercial.
I think I’m going to peg this as just above using demeaning caricatures of native peoples as mascots for American sports teams (like the Florida State Seminoles).
I am also pretty conflicted about Maori views on gender role division. Lecturers and texts take great care to emphasize the importance that women play in childbearing roles and on the marae (meeting house complex). They seek to explain (justify) the logic behind their exclusion from certain ritual leadership roles and place seated behind the men in the marae. I am interested to see how/whether views have changed with regards to the women’s rights movement and how cultural and gender identities intersect/conflict. (Mainly discussions from my Community Based Learning class last year regarding tensions between Native American and women’s rights movements are playing through my head – the perception that women acting out hurt the strength of the indigenous cause because it criticizes cultural values.) To what extent should traditions be maintained in continuation of old cultural practices and when can they be challenged? Does Maori minority in numbers (and consequent risk of being swamped by dominant Pakeha ideas) present an obstacle to cultural evolution? In other words, the desire to maintain something distinct and resist the other major way of being prevent change.
I am impressed overall though with the unique amount of consideration of Maori concerns in NZ law. Studying the resource management act, you find that consultation with iwi is firmly built into the consent process and the document openly recognizes the importance of wahi tapu (reserved/sacred sites) and the “principles” of the Treaty of Waitangi (vague to be sure, and possibly would be better to have part of the treaty text reproduced, but still way beyond the typical treatment of treaties in the US). Also, marae have been built on several university campuses, police are trained to say a karakia (prayer) and sprinkle water at the site of any fatal incident, and there are Maori language TV shows and radio stations.
Current topics I'm curious about:
- Maori opinion on contemporary hot topic debates such as abortion, capital punishment (or just punishment by the state in general), and homosexuality.
- Bastion Point, NZ 1977 vs. Alcatraz Island, CA 1969 (both involved occupation of an area for an extended period of time in order to bring attention to indigenous issues) Based on what little I know about either, it would be interesting to compare government responses to these protests.
The iwi (tribe) of Te Rauparaha (the man who wrote the piece) have recently filed a lawsuit for intellectual property rights, something which would be extremely interesting to know more about. Their goal was not to gain royalties for its use but rather to try to regain control over the cultural practice to prevent its further exploitation and misinterpretation. A spokesperson for the All Blacks apparently said that “the haka is bigger than Maori” - that it should not be restricted to a specific tribe but rather has acquired a new and national meaning. While this sounds all well and good, it leads to interesting issues surrounding the appropriateness and way in which Maori symbols are used. As our lecturer pointed out, these symbols at the very least become divorced from their original purpose and history (something important in Maori worldview) and often end up actively involved in the perpetuation of misinformation about the specific practices and culture as a whole (such as in haka being known as a war dance). Plus, it arguably allows for a superficial (read advertisable) embrace of Maori things while practices and perspectives that are more difficult to deal with are ignored.
Among reasons for thinking that nationalizing Maori symbols is a bad thing, the haka is frequently exploited in advertising. For example, this advertisement for the 2007 World Cup match between NZ and France (I’m not going to even try a full on critique of that as there is way too much wrong about it. For a start: primitive/timelessness of Maori culture, objectifying, eroticizing women, isolated and paradisiacal tropics) The haka has further been used and spoofed across the globe. For example, this Scottish employment commercial.
I think I’m going to peg this as just above using demeaning caricatures of native peoples as mascots for American sports teams (like the Florida State Seminoles).
I am also pretty conflicted about Maori views on gender role division. Lecturers and texts take great care to emphasize the importance that women play in childbearing roles and on the marae (meeting house complex). They seek to explain (justify) the logic behind their exclusion from certain ritual leadership roles and place seated behind the men in the marae. I am interested to see how/whether views have changed with regards to the women’s rights movement and how cultural and gender identities intersect/conflict. (Mainly discussions from my Community Based Learning class last year regarding tensions between Native American and women’s rights movements are playing through my head – the perception that women acting out hurt the strength of the indigenous cause because it criticizes cultural values.) To what extent should traditions be maintained in continuation of old cultural practices and when can they be challenged? Does Maori minority in numbers (and consequent risk of being swamped by dominant Pakeha ideas) present an obstacle to cultural evolution? In other words, the desire to maintain something distinct and resist the other major way of being prevent change.
I am impressed overall though with the unique amount of consideration of Maori concerns in NZ law. Studying the resource management act, you find that consultation with iwi is firmly built into the consent process and the document openly recognizes the importance of wahi tapu (reserved/sacred sites) and the “principles” of the Treaty of Waitangi (vague to be sure, and possibly would be better to have part of the treaty text reproduced, but still way beyond the typical treatment of treaties in the US). Also, marae have been built on several university campuses, police are trained to say a karakia (prayer) and sprinkle water at the site of any fatal incident, and there are Maori language TV shows and radio stations.
Current topics I'm curious about:
- Maori opinion on contemporary hot topic debates such as abortion, capital punishment (or just punishment by the state in general), and homosexuality.
- Bastion Point, NZ 1977 vs. Alcatraz Island, CA 1969 (both involved occupation of an area for an extended period of time in order to bring attention to indigenous issues) Based on what little I know about either, it would be interesting to compare government responses to these protests.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Party in the Bush!
Every year the Otago University Tramping Club puts on event known as "Bushball" during which club members backpack to Mount Aspiring Hut and once there have a formal dinner (this year a masquerade) and dance party. Around forty of us packed into vans on a Friday evening and drove to a carpark in the Matukituki Valley.
I was too cheap to rent a tent so I slept with seven others under a fly erected between two vans which subsequently blew down causing us to sleep under a picnic shelter. In the morning, we tramped between amazing snow-covered peaks, picking our way around cow poo, crossing streamlets to reach the hut. Upon arrival (it was raining by this point), we set up our beds, then traded our soggy socks and thermals to put on tuxes and dresses. We ate a three course meal complete with gourmet cheese and wine, turned up the music, and danced (and drank) until late. Some of us wandered outside to admire the moonlight on the mountains and the incredible stars. Hiking boots, wool socks, and fleece combined with formal attire is super stylish. The next morning it snowed (it is winter I suppose…) followed by rain, making for a very, very cold, slippery, muddy hike back. During the ride back I had a great conversation with a nontraditional (in his 30s) geology student who told us about the history and recent politics of the towns we were traveling through and ranted about the problems with the American health care system. Can’t wait to go back to the Southern Alps!
I was too cheap to rent a tent so I slept with seven others under a fly erected between two vans which subsequently blew down causing us to sleep under a picnic shelter. In the morning, we tramped between amazing snow-covered peaks, picking our way around cow poo, crossing streamlets to reach the hut. Upon arrival (it was raining by this point), we set up our beds, then traded our soggy socks and thermals to put on tuxes and dresses. We ate a three course meal complete with gourmet cheese and wine, turned up the music, and danced (and drank) until late. Some of us wandered outside to admire the moonlight on the mountains and the incredible stars. Hiking boots, wool socks, and fleece combined with formal attire is super stylish. The next morning it snowed (it is winter I suppose…) followed by rain, making for a very, very cold, slippery, muddy hike back. During the ride back I had a great conversation with a nontraditional (in his 30s) geology student who told us about the history and recent politics of the towns we were traveling through and ranted about the problems with the American health care system. Can’t wait to go back to the Southern Alps!
Learn to speak Kiwi (part 1)
Turns of phrase:
have a think....think about it
wee....as in: “Take a look at this wee graph”
eh.....interjected at the ends of sentences (several kiwis I know use it as much as a stereotyped Canadian)
flash....posh, flashy as in: “that pub was real flash”
sweet as.....usually used to mean very sweet - as if you are aiming for a phrase like “sweet as sugar” but then leave out the comparison. Can be used for other adjectives too like “weird as” or “paranoid as”
keen....as in: “Let me know if anyone is keen to come tramping”
cheers.....not just when drink, also can mean something like thank you
ta....thank you
terms:
scroggin = trail mix, gorp
muesli = granola
carpark = parking lot
holiday = vacation
tramping = NZ style hiking
Also: “Kiwi” refers to either the bird or NZlander but not the fruit. That is “kiwi fruit.”
have a think....think about it
wee....as in: “Take a look at this wee graph”
eh.....interjected at the ends of sentences (several kiwis I know use it as much as a stereotyped Canadian)
flash....posh, flashy as in: “that pub was real flash”
sweet as.....usually used to mean very sweet - as if you are aiming for a phrase like “sweet as sugar” but then leave out the comparison. Can be used for other adjectives too like “weird as” or “paranoid as”
keen....as in: “Let me know if anyone is keen to come tramping”
cheers.....not just when drink, also can mean something like thank you
ta....thank you
terms:
scroggin = trail mix, gorp
muesli = granola
carpark = parking lot
holiday = vacation
tramping = NZ style hiking
Also: “Kiwi” refers to either the bird or NZlander but not the fruit. That is “kiwi fruit.”
One month, 8 days
I am clearly not so good at remembering to blog. So I am going to post several in a row and we can just pretend like I’ve been doing so periodically throughout the last three weeks……
Some adventures of note:
1) Sampled some NZ cuisine including pavlova (type of dessert), meat pies with tomato sauce, L & P (carbonated lemonade type drink), and marmite (spread made from yeast extract and salt)
2) Birthday in New Zealand!! It snowed (just a wee bit) on my way to university. In the evening, I went with some of my flat mates and nearby cohorts to the documentary “Afghan Star” (part of an international film festival) and to a poetry reading at the public library. It was pretty sweet.
3) Spent a day hiking around the Otago Peninsula.
Ditte, Anna, Kyle, Kevin and I rented a car which we used to explore the incredibly beautiful area just outside of Dunedin. We met some seals, sea lions, and most excitingly - yellow eyed penguins!! We waited at a beach until dusk and watched them coming ashore after a day of fishing in the ocean.
They're pretty small in the picture. We had to respect their space or they wouldn't come on land.
Also I drove for the first time on NZ roads! Since you drive on the left, the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car. The most problematic part of that is the controls on the steering wheel are on the opposite sides too – needless to say I kept preparing for rain every time I wanted to signal a turn
4) Found glow worms in a forest. They look a bit like fireflies but don’t blink on and off.
5) I now play the saron in a gamelan ensemble. It is going to take a while to get the hang of it since the notation, scales, and song structure are quite different from anything I’ve played before. One especially neat (and confusing) aspect of this performance type is that it is conducted by the tempo set by the drummer rather than directed by someone whose role is solely to keep the group together. We are going to do a shadow puppet show performance at the public art gallery sometime in September!
6) Wrote my first NZ paper and took my first NZ test (it’s weird not having blue books!)
Some adventures of note:
1) Sampled some NZ cuisine including pavlova (type of dessert), meat pies with tomato sauce, L & P (carbonated lemonade type drink), and marmite (spread made from yeast extract and salt)
2) Birthday in New Zealand!! It snowed (just a wee bit) on my way to university. In the evening, I went with some of my flat mates and nearby cohorts to the documentary “Afghan Star” (part of an international film festival) and to a poetry reading at the public library. It was pretty sweet.
3) Spent a day hiking around the Otago Peninsula.
Ditte, Anna, Kyle, Kevin and I rented a car which we used to explore the incredibly beautiful area just outside of Dunedin. We met some seals, sea lions, and most excitingly - yellow eyed penguins!! We waited at a beach until dusk and watched them coming ashore after a day of fishing in the ocean.
They're pretty small in the picture. We had to respect their space or they wouldn't come on land.
Also I drove for the first time on NZ roads! Since you drive on the left, the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car. The most problematic part of that is the controls on the steering wheel are on the opposite sides too – needless to say I kept preparing for rain every time I wanted to signal a turn
4) Found glow worms in a forest. They look a bit like fireflies but don’t blink on and off.
5) I now play the saron in a gamelan ensemble. It is going to take a while to get the hang of it since the notation, scales, and song structure are quite different from anything I’ve played before. One especially neat (and confusing) aspect of this performance type is that it is conducted by the tempo set by the drummer rather than directed by someone whose role is solely to keep the group together. We are going to do a shadow puppet show performance at the public art gallery sometime in September!
6) Wrote my first NZ paper and took my first NZ test (it’s weird not having blue books!)
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