I really like how the papers are conducted here. The curriculum in all my papers somehow ties itself to New Zealand/Maori history or connections. My psychology class has assigned readings that relate the concepts we're learning in class to Maori beliefs or "Maori psychology." Obviously, our Te Reo Maori class teaches about Maori language and customs. My education paper talks a lot about education in New Zealand and a lot of the readings were published here in NZ. The same goes for my anthropology class. My professor lectures about different ethnographies from all over the Pacific and beyond, and ties them back to New Zealand/Maori history and culture. It's really interesting! One of our readings was written by Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa entitled "Native Land and Foreign Desires." It talked about the Mahele and analyzed it from a Hawaiian perspective. I felt so proud of my culture knowing that I probably knew a lot more than most of the people in my class. Yet, it was good to see they were all interested. My professor had a HARD time pronouncing words and she misused a few hua, but I didn't correct her.
Everyone here is so interested in the Hawaiian culture. Logan found that in his Te Reo Maori tutorial, the Maori students were so interested in learning about the relationships between Maori words and Hawaiian words. For example, aloha is aroha; hale is whale; kapu is tapu. As we were learning about the names of the Maori atua, he taught them the names of the Hawaiian akua, which are remarkably similar. Our creation myths are very closely linked, and our beliefs in general seem to stem from the same place. It's amazing the things we have in common. Learning about the Maori culture makes me all the more proud to be Hawaiian.
There are a lot of programs and opportunities here at the uni for Maori students. There are Kaupapa Maori tutorials for each class, which are not necessarily taught in Maori, but the design of the tutorial is for students of Maori background or with extensive knowledge in the culture. There are Maori support programs, and Maori floors in the halls. My hall (College Hall) has a "Maori floor" which is exclusive to Maori students. They call themselves Hui Mai Tatou or HMT. When applying to be on these floors, students must identify what tribe (iwi) they are from and then they are placed.
After almost nearly becoming obsolete, the Maori language has become an official language of New Zealand. More of the younger generations are becoming fluent, and the language is making a big comeback. The future is bright for the success of te reo Maori.
In my psychology class, we learned about biculturalism, two cultures coexisting in one place rather than combining to form a new culture. I believe Aotearoa is a place of biculturalism. There are the Maori and there are the Pakeha. Sure, Maori people can be Pakeha and vise versa, but the cultures don't mix. The Maori culture is strong.
How does this affect me being Hawaiian? It makes me sad.
The Maori students tell me about the tribe they come from and all about their family history. I can barely tell them what island(s) my family comes from. They all engage in kapa haka and so many are interested in learning about their culture. They ask me if Hawaii still has Kings and Queens and tribes. When we go places and have to show our American passports, people give us funny looks and sometimes sly remarks. Hawaii is a part of America and I am definitely American. Maori words are a part of everyday language not just for Maoris, but for everyone.
In my Anthropology class, as my professor lectured on the excerpt from Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa's ethnography, one of my Maori friends asked me why the king would let those things happen to the land. Western culture has/had such a big influence on the Hawaiian culture.
I feel more Hawaiian here in Aotearoa than I do at home in Hawaii.
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