A few weeks ago my friend Jess posted this video on facebook. Here's a screenshot:
It's a group called JGeeks and they call themselves "Modern Maoris having fun." Apparently they also use the phrase "metro-Maori" (as in metrosexual?)
As someone who cares about being respectful and honoring the culture of others, I have no idea what to make of this. Part of me is appalled, but they're Maori and who am I to decide what they do with their Maori-ness?
This month is Matariki, or the Maori New Year. In celebration, Te Papa, the national museum has events happening all month, including this one from a few weeks ago:
As someone who cares about being respectful and honoring the culture of others, I have no idea what to make of this. Part of me is appalled, but they're Maori and who am I to decide what they do with their Maori-ness?
This month is Matariki, or the Maori New Year. In celebration, Te Papa, the national museum has events happening all month, including this one from a few weeks ago:
The picture on the left (above) is advertising one activity on art night, which is to dress up in Maori clothing from the 1800s and get your picture taken. I cannot imagine a similar activity--dressing up in traditional Native American clothing--at any respectable museum in the US, but Te Papa seems pretty legit to me, so I didn't know what to make of it.
We went to the art night and saw people getting their pictures taken. The women running the activity appeared to be Maori and no one seemed to think anything was amiss. We watched for a few moments and a woman came over to chat with us. We told her we were from the US and were intrigued by it all, because in the US something similar would most likely be been seen as very offensive. It was some kind of lost-in-translation moment, because she got a little flustered, but also didn't seem to have any sense of why the activity could ever be considered problematic. Clearly it wasn't to her or anyone else.
No grand thoughts here, except that the threshhold for what is disrespectful cultural appropriation seems to be different here in New Zealand. I imagine it has lots to do with the fact that Maori make up about 15% of the population and their influence is visible in ways big and small... so somehow that means even non-Maori people feel more legitimately connected with the people, the language, symbols, etc? Honestly, I don't really know what to make of it. It was a little weird when I first arrived and schools that were 95% Pakeha started their school year with a powhiri and Pakeha professors started class with something in Te Reo. The whole concept of non-Maori adopting Maori practices seems to be the goal and seems to be thought of as not only normal, but very respectful.
That said, there's still stuff like this, where appropriating Maori portraits is seen as very offensive:
We went to the art night and saw people getting their pictures taken. The women running the activity appeared to be Maori and no one seemed to think anything was amiss. We watched for a few moments and a woman came over to chat with us. We told her we were from the US and were intrigued by it all, because in the US something similar would most likely be been seen as very offensive. It was some kind of lost-in-translation moment, because she got a little flustered, but also didn't seem to have any sense of why the activity could ever be considered problematic. Clearly it wasn't to her or anyone else.
No grand thoughts here, except that the threshhold for what is disrespectful cultural appropriation seems to be different here in New Zealand. I imagine it has lots to do with the fact that Maori make up about 15% of the population and their influence is visible in ways big and small... so somehow that means even non-Maori people feel more legitimately connected with the people, the language, symbols, etc? Honestly, I don't really know what to make of it. It was a little weird when I first arrived and schools that were 95% Pakeha started their school year with a powhiri and Pakeha professors started class with something in Te Reo. The whole concept of non-Maori adopting Maori practices seems to be the goal and seems to be thought of as not only normal, but very respectful.
That said, there's still stuff like this, where appropriating Maori portraits is seen as very offensive:
I was googling around and came across this interesting set of comments on the issue.
Long story short, I don't know what to make of it all.
Long story short, I don't know what to make of it all.