New Zealand
Language:
The official language of New Zealand is Maori. It is spoken by about 157, 000 people. Most of these people speak Maori as a second language and about 4% of those people reside in New Zealand. However, there are about 9% of Maori speakers who are fluent and native in the language. (http://www.maorilanguage.info/mao_lang_faq.html)
Other languages spoken in New Zealand are English, Samoan, French, Yue (Cantonese) and German. There are more English speakers than there are of any of the other languages mentioned. (http://www.stats.govt.nz/people/arts/language.htm)
Cultural Maintenance:
New Zealand culture is very unique and dynamic. It is what makes up the indigenous Maori people, their language, and their beliefs. Although the Maori language has faded a bit, the people’s spirit has not.
The older generation teaches the younger generation of the culture and ways of their ancestors. Much like the Hawaiian culture, information and knowledge is passed down. Stories, traditions or customs, art, and language are taught to the younger generation of people that call New Zealand home, and call themselves Maori.
Today Maori people live throughout New Zealand, and many are actively involved with keeping their culture and language alive. Within any Maori community, the marae provides a focus for social, cultural and spiritual life. The term marae describes a communal 'plaza' area that includes a wharenui (meeting house) and wharekai (dining room).
Maori people define themselves by their iwi (tribe), hapu (sub-tribe), maunga (mountain) and awa (river). Whanau is the name given to family - the term embraces immediate family, in-laws and all those connected by blood ties. (http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/maori-culture.html)
Art:
Art has a lot to do with cultural maintenance of New Zealand. Carvings have been passed down from generation to generation. They tell a story or represent a significant person or a higher power that plays an important roll in New Zealand history.
These artifacts are ways to leave behind a piece of history for the up coming generations to have a piece of evidence that this is where they are from, this is their background, and this is how the culture will continue on. Evidence is key in remembering important things or identifying certain things. We watched a film that showed us that through a design on a piece of pottery, two men were able to draw some sort of resemblance between two different cultures and places.
Work Cited:
• He Korero mo Te re Maori
http://www.maorilanguage.info/mao_lang_faq.html
• Maori By: Ray Harlow (Found on Google book search)
http://books.google.com/books?id=RkJTxNbcv7oC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=maori+writing+system&source=bl&ots=uxdnjyMF1C&sig=VucuMpj-pSKuNlFEY-KYjSfNkTE&hl=en&ei=G5WTSZfyKJLQsAOH7PWiBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA87,M1
• (http://www.stats.govt.nz/people/arts/language.htm)
• (http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/maori-culture.html)
Other comments:
I did my language research paper on Maori and a lot of the information I got from that applied to this topic. It’s funny how there is a small percentage rate of Maori people in New Zealand, but when you do research on it there is so much information on Maori.
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2 comments:
I also did my report on the Maori language. It was amazing to discover that only 4% of those people that speak Maori as a second language and 9% of those people are fluent in Maori. Just like the Hawaiian culture and many similar Oceanic cultures, the older generation teaches the younger generation of the culture and ways of their ancestors. Great summary!
Thanks for the great summary on each topic! I find it really interesting to see how much Maori and Hawaiian relate to each other in language, culture, and their revitalization. I also think the Maori have a unique culture in the sense that they are still able to remember how their ancestors arrived, where they arrived from, and what ship they sailed on. I think this shows how ties Maori have to their history even some of it disappeared with immigration of the British.
On the other hand I really enjoy the Maori artwork. Their carvings are very detailed. Perhaps these carvings represent earlier designs that came from Lapita pottery. It could be that because the Maori people did not have the supplies to do pottery they changed and did wood carvings instead. When I watched the movie Whale Rider, I noticed many of their carvings in the Meae.
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