My Perception

My perception on New Zealand has always been that of a country with serene surroundings, pure and natural. Having previously travelled to New Zealand, their pristine surroundings captivated me because it was like having to walk into the Garden of Eden. Strangely enough, my memories of New Zealand did not include any sign of ‘Disneyification’, maybe it was because I did not spend a long time in the main cities. Yes, there were modern buildings and houses, but they all blended with the surrounding nature, so it did not seem like an intrusive force of modernisation impeding on such a beautiful country. 

During my time in New Zealand, I did have the privilege to discover its’ greatest pride, the Maori Culture. It touched me to know that the influence of the early settlers in the country was still very apparent and strong. Because of this, New Zealand has always remained in my memories as a developed country yet untouched and pure with its own unique culture. It was unlike any other developed country, it did not look like an imposing city with big, tall buildings. 

Cultural Representation

According to a ministry website (Auckland DHB, 2011), of the entire New Zealand, 14.7% of the citizens were Maori people. That makes up the second largest ethnic group in the country (largest group are the Europeans). This could only indicate that the Maori heritage represents the culture of New Zealand because this tribe was the first to set foot on land, became the early settlers and their culture is still very evident in the country today. In the social report by the Ministry of Social Development, it is stated that the Maori culture is valued and protected. This shows that the country prides themselves on their unique and distinct culture and is what New Zealand is known for. Furthermore, most tourists are attracted to New Zealand because of its strong cultural heritage and is what the government capitalises on without damaging their culture because of the negative impacts of tourism. 

“ New Zealand’s Maori cultural identity is a cornerstone of who we are as a country and one of the aspects of a New Zealand holiday that is truly unique” - Tourism New Zealand, Official website of New Zealand Tourism Board. 

Maori Culture and Traditions

3.1 Brief History

Maori ancestors hailed from the Pacific Islands and arrived in New Zealand on waka hourua (voyaging canoes) before 1300AD. Having an extraordinary talent for adapting to their new environments, the Maoris hunted mainly seals and moas before they began to grow their own crops. During this time, they lived in small tribal groups that possessed a rich culture in spoken stories, strong traditions of warfare and regarded their ancestors and gods very highly (Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 2011) However, when the 1800s came along with many European settlers, it negatively affected the Maori people because they had lost many of their lands and local authority rights to these British settlers. Even though the Treaty of Waitangi had been signed in 1840, it still did not prevent the outbreak of war between the Eurpoeans and the Maoris. 

3.2 Culture & Tradition

The Maori culture is known to be very rich and diverse. Since their settlement in 1300AD, their culture has evolved throughout the years to encompass both traditional and contemporary arts. The gods were the divine direction for the people and in the past, earthly priests would convey these divine edicts to the people for them to follow. Friendliness in relationships is emphasized heavily in the Maori culture which explains why they are hospitable to visitors when they first arrive at The Marae (Meeting house). Also, proper behaviour and respect to others is part of the foundation of their culture and is shown through Hongi. This is a form of greeting, by pressing each others’ noses together, passed down from the past until the present. It is believed that by doing so, the spirits would mingle together. 

Another unique aspect of the Maori culture is that premarital sex is considered normal for Maori adolescents. In fact, these young men and women were expected to go through a series of sexual relationships before getting married. However, when a Maori female become sexually active, she has to publicly acknowledge this and be tattooed. The tattooing signifies the ritual and public passage of adulthood (everyculture.com, n.d.) and is considered extremely attractive. 

The Maori people are also known for their facial tattoos which can be seen on many faces of the Maori males. It is called Ta Moko and uses uhi (chisels) to leave grooves on the skin instead of puncturing the skin like modern tattoo techniques. In the Maori society, Ta Moko represents the status and rank of a man. A Maori male that does not wear the Ta Moko is considered to be someone of a lower social status. Besides that, these facial tattoos also signal the transition of childhood to adulthood for Maori males and is often accompanied with rites and rituals. With this transition into adulthood, a Maori male with Ta Moko is also considered more attractive to the opposite gender. 

In the traditional arts of the Maori culture, the main highlight would be the Haka and is a true unique symbol of New Zealand’s identity. Although the true meaning of haka is a dance, however, the description does not do justice to the amount of energy, rhythm and actions that the dance exudes. The haka can vary to express different moods: joy, grievance, warlike cries, as a welcome to high-ranking guests and as a prayer addressing one of their gods. The war haka has 2 variations, one called haka taparahi to express public or private feelings and the other peruperu. The second war haka is usually performed before going into battle and involves fierce facial expressions (poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons (New Zealand in history, 2011). By performing the peruperu, the Maoris believe that it would invoke Tumatauenga (god of war) which would guide them to the success of the war and warn the enemy of the fate that awaits them. In today’s modern world, New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team performs this dance with pride before every match and sends out a message of a challenge to the opposing team, just like how it is used in the traditional context. 

Just like any other society, the Maoris too have their fair share of the contemporary culture and that includes the arts, film, poetry and hiphop (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2010). One of the popular highlights is the production of a film called “Whale Rider” which tells the story of Paikea, one of their stories from the past. The success of the film propelled the main star, Keisha Castle-Hughes, to fame in 2002 and is one of the most prominent figure in the Maori society. Even with the emergence of a contemporary culture, the Maoris will always draw a relationship back to their roots. 

A Tourists’ Point of View

From the view of a tourist, I think that the culture in the Maori tribe is very much authentic. Having experienced it once myself, visiting a tribe intimidates the visitors because they can probably feel the ancient traditions and beliefs that are so deeply rooted in the tribe. Despite being intimidated, there’s also this sense of wonder and awe for the people and village because it is so rare to see a tribe so true to their tradition and culture in the midst of a homogenous culture in the world. Another reason why tourists would find the culture authentic is because when they visit a Maori village, what they receive is not commercialised. The Maori people did not commercialise their culture so as to please and keep the stream of tourists coming. Instead, they showed them their true culture which is what sets New Zealand apart from other holiday destinations because tourists would receive a true cultural experience that has survived thousands of years. 

Tourism Impact

Like any other tourist destination, there are tourism impacts that have befallen on the authentic culture of the place. 

5.1 Positive Impacts

New Zealand as a whole and the Maori people as well have received and seen the benefits that tourism can provide to their country. An increase in the job opportunities has provided a more stable income for them such as the selling of Maori arts and crafts. Furthermore, in doing so, it would spark an interest in the Maori culture in visitors and it would instill a sense of pride among the tribe because there are people who are interested to learn more about their culture. Tourism has also brought opportunities to the Maori people to share and pass on some of their values to visitors and at the same time learn more about cultures from the people that come to them. Also, when tourists visit a Maori tribe, they would be able to observe their ways of maintaining a close relationship with Mother nature. This would in turn create an increased awareness and concern of the tourists’ natural surroundings. When there is tourism in the country, it would help to better improve the country’s infrastructure and facilities because of the amount of tourist receipts generated from the tourists who arrive there. 

5.2 Negative Impacts

While the country and the tribe has benefited from tourism, there are also negative tourism impacts that have caused them trouble. Firstly, it is the lack of respect of some international tourists displayed when they visit a tribe. They do not observe cultural values and protocol which translates to the lack of respect for the tribe’s culture (for example, walking around in the Marae during a hui or assembly). Secondly, some souvenir shops could potentially sell artificial Maori arts and crafts which would lead to the commodification of Maori culture because these shop owners would use cheap materials to make these goods and a lot of it at one time. Therefore many tourists can get to bring home these fake goods and New Zealand’s proud culture could become nothing more than a commodity. Adding on, some shops that sell Maori arts and crafts are either not owned or operated by them therefore they do not receive any benefits from selling these arts and crafts that originated from their tribe and culture. Lastly, pollution and contamination as a result of tourist activities. Even though the tourists may get a chance to observe and learn the ways of Maoris on how they care and respect their natural surroundings, they do not often put it into practice what they see and most of the time forget after leaving. As a result, these tourist activities have damaged the Earth mother. Furthermore, some tourists that visit New Zealand give little regard for the natural surroundings of the country which results in environmental damage.

Focus of the Calendar of Events

6.1 Maori Calendar

According to their lunar calendar, Matariki, which is a celebration of the ending of a year and the coming for the new year, is held in either late May or in June. Pipiri is the Maori name for June and this year, they celebrated their new year on 4 June. This should be considered the focus of the Maori calendar of events because Matariki signifies growth and the people regard this as a time for change, preparation and action. The people would usually prepare for the coming year just by looking at the stars, i.e. clear, bright stars signaled warm and productive seasons. Matariki also has a cultural significance as it is a time where people got together and learnt about their history, family and bones (Christchurch City Libraries, n.d.). This is when the people would also given respect and appreciate their Papatuanuku (Mother Earth). In appendix 1, it shows the  brochure of a Maori Matariki event. 

6.2 New Zealand Calendar

After looking at New Zealand’s entire calendar of events, the focus seems to be on ANZAC Day which falls on 25 April every year. This day marks the day when Allied soldiers had landed on  the Gallipoli peninsular in the hopes of claiming a Turkish territory which was part of the Germany’s ally in World War I. New Zealand and Australia had combined their forces and fought as part of the ANZAC in the campaign but the Allies plan had failed because of the unexpectedly strong resistance from the Turkish territory. Despite it being a costly failure because of the terrible loss of life on both sides, the soldiers from New Zealand had established an enduring bond with the Australians that they had fought alongside with. Because of the fighting, mutual respect was earned and formed the core for the close and strong ties of the 2 countries that remains till today.

Disneyification in New Zealand

7.1 Principles of Disneyification

Since the beginning of Disney theme parks, their principles exhibited have been imitated by so many countries and businesses and can be seen in today’s modern society wherever we go. Countries like Dubai has captured the essence of the Disney principles and applied it to their land which could very well be the reason the country is known to be the playground for the rich. Theming is a Disney principle and is often used in many countries. For example, Dubai has used theming to catergorise each section of their land giving tourists the option to choose which one to go to, very much like the different lands that Disney theme parks have. Other principles such as hybrid consumption, merchandising and performative labour are also well emulated in other countries.

7.2 Disneyification in New Zealand

According to a research paper (R.J. Batty, Lincoln Unversity, 2008), shopping centres in New Zealand are very similar to the Disney theme parks because they are enclosed fanatasy lands. They entice people to enter their premises and keep them there for as long as they can with use of another Disney principle, hybrid consumption. Since everything can be found in the shopping center, all the needs of he visitors will be met and they would want to extend their stay in the premise for as long as possible. Like the theme parks, there is not only entertainment provided to visitors, there are restaurants and food stalls to satiate their hunger and there are also shops for them to buy the things that they want. 

Looking at New Zealand as a whole, the country has exemplified the principle of theming because different cities have their own ‘theme’. For example, Queenstown has the ‘theme’ of being an all natural city, taking advantage of their natural and picturesque landscapes to attract tourists. Therefore, it resulted in the city developing around their ‘theme’ that offers tourists a wide range of activities that has to do with nature. Every city differs in what they specialise in, Wellington is the political city of New Zealand, Dunedin’s scottish heritage, Otago as the wildlife capital of New Zealand just to name a few. 

Merchandising is also common in New Zealand and is most obviously seen in the merchandising of the rugby team, All Blacks. The famous rugby team plays really well in the field and has won most of their matches therefore it has made them an icon of New Zealand. Because of this, commodified goods and images of this icon has been generated. Now many people have the chance to possess an item that relates to the All Blacks, in the form of a jersey, phone accessories, watches and even souvenirs and accessories. 

When guests enter the grounds of a Disney theme park, they are greeted with smile of friendly people, all of which are part of their role as an ‘actor’ on stage. The staff takes on performative labour and their role is somewhat like an actor on stage, always having to put on a front and smile even though they may be having a bad day. This is also evident in the Tamaki Maori Village. Here, guests are greeted with a performance of the Powhiri which is a formal welcome ceremony. Visitors to a Maori village all look forward to seeing a haka dance performed live for them. However, when this happens, performative labour takes over and the performers lose the essence of the dance which is a war cry. Unlike when it is appropriately used, for example by the All Blacks before a match, it exudes a totally different feel from when it is performed for guests. 

My Reflection

After a much thorough research on the country of New Zealand, there has not been much changes in my perception before I began my research. Instead, I have gained new knowledge on their culture and tourism. New Zealand’s society and culture has not changed since the last time I travelled there, they are still the same patriotic people who take pride in their unique culture and has even taken steps to protect it. An example would be that there are government laws in place which are more favourable to the Maoris. The society has recognised the need to keep their culture alive which led to the revival of the different Maori aspects being taught in school such as fostering Maori values, imparting the language and culture to the children despite the proportion of Maori children in the schools. 

Lots of people still travel to New Zealand to experience the Maori culture and to visit the natural beauty that the country possesses. In fact, those that travel to New Zealand are probably culture junkies who love unique and authentic cultures different countries have and also those seeking rejuvenation for the body because of the sheer beauty and calmness that the surroundings radiate. However, tourism has impacted the country both positively and negatively as described above and it is known the government is doing its best to contain the negative impacts.