Maoris and Aborigines of New Zealand - Research Paper Example

Maoris and Aborigines of New Zealand Introduction Maoris are the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand. It is undertaken that they migrated from Polynesia in canoes in between the 9thcentury to 13th century AD. Maori population forms 14 percent of New Zealand’s population. Maori way of life is distinct with their own customs and traditions, which they have been following enthusiastically ever since 1800 when Europeans started visiting after the British explorer James Cook made friendship with some of the Maoris. Maoris live majorly in the North Island where climate is warmer. Maori Culture Maori traditions and customs passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth. It includes many legends and waiata (songs). The most notable tradition still practiced is the dance form “Haka”, a war dance. This dance for has got assimilated by including it in the New Zealand’s Rugby Team the All Black, enacted before the start of each game (virtual oceania, 2010). In Maori culture, greeting is made by pressing noses. This welcome is called powhiri, which includes hongi by pressing closer of noses to welcome, opposite of welcoming by kiss. Another prominent feature of Maori culture is its traditional dressing of wonderful tattoos. Maori people used to wear full faced tattoos, called “Moko” practiced by Maori males. Female moko is limited to the chin area, upper lip, and the nostrils only. The tradition of wearing Moko is still prevalent as Maori people don’t want to lose their cultural identity. Maori people have a unique way of cooking food, which is called Hangi; it is cooking of food in earthen ware. This type of cooking gives the taste of steamed food with an earthen tinge (virtual oceania, 2010). Moko has special meaning; it is the identity that a Maori possess. It symbolizes rank, status, and ferocity or virility of Maori men. A moko at once provides a clue of the wearer’s hold on the community and level of authority he commands over the Maori people. Some other visible signs when associated with a particular moko, identify the Maori as a person along with his rank. For example a man wearing a dog clock with moko is known to hold the position of power; he is in charge of the fighters. Not recognizing a man by his these dress features could be quite insulting to take “utu” – revenge (New Zealand in History, 2010). There are eight sections of the moko on the male face defined for eight identities, namely rank on the center forehead area, position around the brows, hapu rank on the eyes and nose area, first or second marriage on the temples, signature under the nose, the cheek area for work, mana, the chin area and birth status depicted through the jaw (New Zealand in History, 2010). Traditional dress and face markings of the Maori men indicate their ancestry as well although it does not apply to all tribes. Normally, left side of the face shows lineage from father’s side and the right side of the face shows ancestry from mother’s side. Ancestry lineage was the topmost condition before wearing a moko. If one side of a man’s rank was blank, there would be no moko for it. Center forehead area without rank also indicated that the person had no rank or not inherited rank (New Zealand in History, 2010). Aboriginal Culture The aboriginal culture of Australia goes back to 50,000 years or even more. Aborigines of all Australia were semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers within their particular area. Relationship among different aboriginals was structured on aboriginal culture. The traditional aboriginal culture is based on the knowledge of the surrounding, its plant life, animals and overall natural habitat. It helped in developing deep and thorough understanding of the environment, which has helped the aboriginals in understanding the medicinal values of plants and animals (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). In aboriginal culture, an aborigine gets status through acquiring knowledge not worldly pursuits. Art being a branch of knowledge, hence grants authority to the aboriginal artist. Identities, right, and duties come to the aboriginal artists from art forms and ceremonial activities inherited from their ancestors (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Aboriginals follow their traditional systems of the aborigine society, which can be seen in their different activities and thought patterns. Right to marry in a particular clan is decided by the systems based on skin groups and moieties. Clan system in aboriginal society takes lineage with male and female off-spring from the clan of father, which needs to be a clan of opposite moiety to their mother (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Role play of Diseases in the destruction of Maoris and aborigine culture & people Life style and culture of Aboriginals was severely affected with the colonization of Australia. With the coming of Europeans, diseases like chickenpox, smallpox, influenza, and measles had an epidemic effect on indigenous people. With the appropriation of land and water resources from the aboriginals by the British, and the already weakened by diseases, aboriginals could not bear the shock of forcibly leaving their lands with which they shared cultural and spiritual attachment. The British invasion on aboriginal resources was a blow to their cultural traditions, which was essential cause of their living together and united (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Aboriginals were also affected and suffered severe health loss due to venereal diseases with the coming of foreigners to their native land. It affected their fertility and birth rate besides. They became habitual to alcohol and drug abuse, which has become a perennial problem. Their population decreased drastically between 1788 and 1900, to the extent of 90%. Out of protest to the oppressions committed by settlers, a natives’ protest group denounced the celebration of the Australia day, as a Day of Mourning, which ever since has become a tradition (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Further, the excesses committed on the aboriginals during the ‘protection era’ made a fatal blow to their cultural heritage, as children were barred from meeting their parents. They were forced to express hatred for their culture and were punished, and sexually abused for not showing contempt for their culture (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Huggins (1991) has shared in detail the account of torture; how the Queensland government pushed the tribes out of their places and kept them under the missionaries’ and government control with the sole purpose of segregating them from their traditional way of life. It affected the cultural practices, their language, corroborees, ceremonies, and religious beliefs, which became the target of missionaries. To missionaries, the Aboriginal traditions and practices needed to be discarded, as undesirable aspects of heathen culture. The government policies first tried to divide the aboriginal communities by so called protectionist practices and later tried to assimilate and absorb them to the mainstream. Such forced movements first in 1920s and later in 1940s and 1950s secluded the aboriginal people; their oral history and culture got further pushes, as the communities scattered further in rural towns and cities from their native places. Aboriginal communities resisted the colonial forces by remaining together but Aboriginals have shown endurance from all atrocities committed by still maintaining a rich tradition of oral history, story-telling, philosophy, autobiography and biography, saved by the older people (Huggins, 1991). Taking the example of Rita Huggins who was not given a traditional name, her family was forcibly removed to Barambah so that Aboriginal people could not continue with their heathen practices and follow the angelical practices and life style. Thus, children’s personal identities remained hidden with the European names assigned to them. Tindale’s research (1940, p. 302)) also showed Rita’s name “Rita’, not the community name but she was successful in finding her maternal Grandmother’s name in the Tindale documents - "Lucy," a “`full -- blood' from the Maranoa” (Huggins, 1991). Contribution of sports in bringing both the communities together Talking of Maori and aboriginal culture and society within the culture, sports have been an important cultural and societal impact of the culture of Maori migrants residing in Australia. During Maori festivals and sports tournaments, they exhibit their distinctive cultural features by performing rituals before the start of the game, showing the feeling of participation of the extended family in the celebration and after the game is over. Sports are an indivisible part of Maori culture. During tournaments, Australian Maoris strengthen their cultural bonding when visiting New Zealand (Bergin, 1991). There are a number of sport tournaments including the Taki Toa Challenge Shield Tournament and the Harry Bartlett Memorial Tournament. Sports are also a part of Maori cultural festivals held in Australia. Other than regular cultural festivals like Melbourne Maori Festival and the Queensland Polynesian Festival, annual Sydney Maori Easter festival and biennial Australian Maori Festival also holds sports competitions. Maori culture exhibition although is not the prime motive of sports tournaments but performing rituals has become a formality like when they perform ritual of encounter ‘hui’, known for traditional congregation as per Maori protocol. As sacred tribal meetings for performing cannot be conducted like Maoris used to hold in their times, rituals take place at any place, whether it is car parking, a sports ground or the school campus, rugby clubs or community halls. As the visiting team walks towards the ground, the keening voice of women ‘karanga’ is heard to welcome the visitors by the host club. Next to female karanga is male oratory ‘waikorero’ bidding farewell to the dead and welcoming the living in their native language. It is followed by songs called ‘waiata’, and ‘hongi’, the pressing of noses between the host team and visiting team. Sports event is preceded by the prayer ‘karakia’. Such tournaments have become a meeting place of Maoris from New Zealand with their Australian counterparts to relate with one another through their family tree. It strengthens their sense of belongingness (Bergin, 1991). Rugby is yet another sport, which has become the medium of reinforcing traditional practices and culture society, as Michael King (1981-298)) has indicated that Maori gathering in rugby union in New Zealand ‘fostered a sense of identity amongst Maoris, and on the football fields, Pakehas could see Maoris engaged in an activity that they understood and appreciated’ (Bergin, 1991). Maori and Aboriginal sporting relations Sports have become the medium of bringing both peoples’ together. Maori coaches and managers are part of the Aboriginal teams in rugby matches. Sometimes, when Maori teams play Aboriginal sides, atmosphere in the ground becomes tense with anti comments from the audiences. Sports are a good medium of developing understanding between the Maoris and Aboriginals but when Aboriginal players sing Maori popular songs and tunes, aboriginals feel that their community is more impressed by Maori culture than their own. Maoris also boast of their friendly relations with Aboriginals in schools where both communities participate through their schools in sports events and enjoy each others’ company. Sports, thus, are a major contributor in Maori-Aboriginal relations (Bergin, 1991). Sometimes, migrant children to Australia find the academic environment not sufficiently conducive for attaining knowledge, as Australian society expects them to participate keenly in outdoor games in stead of pursuing knowledge. Otherwise, Australian Maoris vehemently support Aboriginal teams from New Zealand than their Australian rugby teams, which shows their deep kinship of Kiwi identity of Maori migrants to Australia (Bergin, 1991). Maori cultural identity has reinforced with their visits to New Zealand to participate in sports meets there. It provides them an opportunity to develop and strengthen transnational relations with their New Zealand Maori relatives. They return back to Australia with a rich Maori cultural experience offered by their New Zealand brethren. References:   Australian Aboriginal Culture (http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/aboriginal_culture.htm). Bergin, Paul. (2002). The Maori sport and cultural identity in Australia. The Austrian Journal of Anthropology, 13 (3) 257-269. DOI: 10.1111/j.1835-9310.2002.tb00208.x Huggins, Jackie. (1991). Writing my mother’s life. Women/Australia/Theory. Hecate, 17 (1), 88. 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