New Zealand: Respecting the Land and Community
By Nina Hoe and Putnam Ivey
This article appeared in Abroad View spring 2004
We thought it was going to be warm. It wasn’t.
Sleep-deprived, jetlagged and dressed in tank tops and capris, we straggled out the doors of the Wellington, New Zealand airport into the gusts of cold air, misting rain, grey skies and fog that greeted us. We boarded the bus, where Rawiri, our bus driver and Maori cultural expert, welcomed us with strains of 
Maori music. Having been awake for the last 36 hours, we hoped to snuggle down into comforters and sleep soundly, but instead we were plunged into our program. We found ourselves at Hongoeka Marae, where we were amazed by the beautiful scenery and cultural welcome that awaited us. A “marae,” we would learn later, is communal land owned by a Maori community where there are usually buildings for gathering, entertaining, cooking and sleeping.
Splashing through the puddles, we followed one of our Maori classmates and her mom onto the marae as they answered the call of the Maori woman at the entrance. This was the first of our many “powhiris,” the welcome ceremony that brings visitors onto the marae. We sat in our chairs gazing at the beautiful carvings as the men welcomed us in Maori. Despite not understanding the words or the significance of our surroundings, the combination of clean air, Western-style flushing toilets and delicious food—complete with cheese and whipped cream—made us feel at home for the first time in a month.
We had been traveling with the International Honors Program on a semester-long course studying “Indigenous Perspectives.” Our journey began in Massachusetts with a look at the Native American communities in our own country. For a week we met with members of the Wampanoag in coastal Massachusetts. Then we spent a month in India, traveling across the state of Maharashtra from the busy crowded streets of Mumbai (Bombay) to small tribal villages in the western part of the state. After India, our first impression of New Zealand was that it was easy and comfortable—reminding us of the United States.
We had come to this country to compare and contrast culture, government structures and environmental policies—all through the lens of indigenous perspectives. One of the most striking differences is the strength and presence of Maori culture within New Zealand’s society. Some of the most obvious forms are the performance of the haka (traditional war dance) by the national rugby team, the All Blacks, before their matches, and the presence of the Maori language, evident in the staple greeting “Kia Ora” as well as the bilingual texts in museums and books. In the 1970s the Maori started a campaign to revitalize their language, and as a result, Maori is recognized as one of the two official languages of New Zealand. Throughout our time on the maraes, we experienced the pride that Maori communities take in their traditions. The women showed us the practical and decorative uses of flax weaving, while the men demonstrated the Maori martial art taiaha. We also saw the youth practicing the “kapahaka,” their traditional songs and dance. All around us on the marae, people spoke to each other in Maori. As part of a cultural regeneration campaign, many children attend Maori immersion schools from kohanga (pre-school) to wananga (Maori university).
Less obvious to the traveler’s eye but extremely significant in its implications for New Zealand society is the relationship between Maori and Pakeha (non-Maori New Zealanders). Despite its separate and somewhat contentious Maori and English versions, New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, formally established a relationship between the Maori and the Crown (New Zealand’s government), laying out the respective rights of each. After a long history of Crown violations of the Treaty, the government recently established the Office of Treaty Settlements to hear Maori claims against the Crown, providing them with a fair venue to gain recompense in the form of an apology and settlement. Because the Maori comprise 15 percent of a population of four million, and Native Americans are less than one percent of a population of 300 million, it is easy to understand why indigenous issues in New Zealand are a greater part of the national consciousness than they are in the U.S.
Our goal was to explore the culture, dig below the surface of what we encountered, and, as American students, get past the obvious differences such as kiwi slang. In our experience, a weeklong homestay with members of the Green Party was a great way to learn about the organic farming movement, New Zealand's governmental system and current political issues, and most interestingly, how Pakeha view Maori and their own role in coexistence. We were amazed by what our host families told us about the diversity within Parliament, including substantial Maori representation, a transgender MP and a strong Green Party presence. Through our visit with the Office of Treaty Settlements, we saw how the Treaty of Waitangi is used as a starting point for a dialogue and the move toward coexistence and reconciliation. Our several stays on maraes on both the North and South islands provided a space for us to immerse ourselves in Maori culture.
On the environmental front, during our first week in Wellington, we noticed anti-genetic engineering posters all around, composts in every kitchen, impeccable cleanliness and a pervasive sense of environmental consciousness. When we forgot that New Zealanders drive on the left side of the road and walked into oncoming traffic, it was a relief to see a tiny two-door sedan instead of an American-style SUV barreling our way. And it’s possible to breathe in the wake of New Zealand’s electric bus system. Overall, organic farming, recycling, reforestation and “No Waste” campaigns were incredibly prevalent, and efforts toward conservation seemed much more common than in the U.S. Many of the country’s environmental movements are initiated and backed by Maori forces, because Maori have a deep and long-lasting connection to the land.
While our experience in New Zealand was positive, we do not want to minimize the conflicts and problems that exist between Maori and Pakeha today. However, we were very impressed with the Maori and with New Zealand’s initiatives. On the maraes, we were treated as much-loved family members, whether we were singing and sharing stories or washing and drying dishes together. During the month we were there, we could not help but feel the empowering presence of love and respect for the land, knowledge and the future.
These bios were accurate at the time this article was printed:
NINA HOE is a junior at Colorado College, where she is studying Anthropology and Math.She is taking off the spring semester to teach at Crested Butte Academy and to ski.
PUTNAM IVEY is a junior at Davidson College in North Carolina. She is studying Political Science and contemplating a concentration in International Studies.