We arrived in New Zealand yesterday morning and immediately got on a bus for Paihia, Bay of Islands. Paihia is significant for Maori/Pakeha (non-Maori) relations because it is the site where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. The treaty, referred to by some as the founding document of New Zealand, is an incredibly important document which, unfortunately, says vastly differing things depending on which language version you read. For instance, in the English language version it says that the Maori people cede sovereignty to the Queen of England. In the Maori language version it only says that they will allow the Queen of England to govern her people who are living in New Zealand. It is further complicated by the fact that even the English language version is written in some pretty tortured prose and there exist 2 English language and 7 Maori language versions of the initial treaty.
Tomorrow we will be visiting the marae (Maori tribal lands) at the Waitangi National Trust. This is the site where the treaty was signed. The morning will begin with a powhiri (pronounced po firi) which is a "ritual of encounter" that occurs anytime visitors (manuhiri) want to come onto a marae. From what I understand there will be prayers, speeches, and we all have to sing in te reo Maori (the Maori language) before we are allowed to proceed further. In our seminar this morning we learned that all people who enter a marae are considered to have waiwaitapu (literally, sacred feet) and it is necessary to go through the ritual of powhiri in order to figure out who the visitors are and if they can be trusted. Once the powhiri is completed, the manuhiri are considered tangata whenua (people of the land, or home people) and welcomed into the whare (meeting house). Everyone is excited and a little nervous about the experience.
It's a little odd to have suddenly landed in the middle of winter. Yesterday the sun had set by 6 and I couldn't figure out why it was dark and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. I also wasn't prepared for all the warm and hearty soups we have been served as my body still expects some ripe tomatoes and salad greens. In deference to the hemisphere where I am, I've changed the time stamp on the blog to reflect the time in NZ when I post my musings. I think I'm 17 hours ahead of CST.
7:30 am, outside my hotel room.
Tomorrow we will be visiting the marae (Maori tribal lands) at the Waitangi National Trust. This is the site where the treaty was signed. The morning will begin with a powhiri (pronounced po firi) which is a "ritual of encounter" that occurs anytime visitors (manuhiri) want to come onto a marae. From what I understand there will be prayers, speeches, and we all have to sing in te reo Maori (the Maori language) before we are allowed to proceed further. In our seminar this morning we learned that all people who enter a marae are considered to have waiwaitapu (literally, sacred feet) and it is necessary to go through the ritual of powhiri in order to figure out who the visitors are and if they can be trusted. Once the powhiri is completed, the manuhiri are considered tangata whenua (people of the land, or home people) and welcomed into the whare (meeting house). Everyone is excited and a little nervous about the experience.
It's a little odd to have suddenly landed in the middle of winter. Yesterday the sun had set by 6 and I couldn't figure out why it was dark and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. I also wasn't prepared for all the warm and hearty soups we have been served as my body still expects some ripe tomatoes and salad greens. In deference to the hemisphere where I am, I've changed the time stamp on the blog to reflect the time in NZ when I post my musings. I think I'm 17 hours ahead of CST.
7:30 am, outside my hotel room.
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