Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Maori Language Week!

**curious george** · 27th July 2005, 20:37

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/tereo/

Tena koutou katoa....
Like I said... Just found out it's Maori language week. w00t!
Kaore taku reo Maori i te tino pai.

Several red necks in my near location have passed this off as more useless PC dribble, (and will be voting ACT), as it has no real worth at all.

And this is true to a point.
No significant commerce will ever happen in Maori that I can forsee, the major language of NZ will likely stay English, and couldn't our kids do something better with their time and my money then learn an obsolite language? Even latin has a greater use, (especially at med school for instance...)

So without looking like a sandel wearing-tree hugging hippy-gay friendly-culturally aware type of guy, what's wrong with learning a little bit about our extra melanin coated friends?

Isn't our history something to be proud of?
NZ loves the All Blacks, but how many know all the words to the Haka?, or what they mean?
All of the places we live in have Maori names that mean something, most of which can be understood by cobbling together two or more nouns, thus giving a place name of significance.
At the moment, there seesm to be a real push for Maori just to be PC... not because of any desire to learn another language or recognise another culture, but just to be 'seen doing the right thing'.

I reckon, why waste any time on that at all?
It's insulting to Maori, and does nothing for anybody else, except piss people off.
We have a country with two strongly intertwined cultures and languages, but only one is really recognised.

Leaving two possible directions to take....
1: Ditch the tokenism, and get on with life as an ENGLISH speaking country, with only historical reference to our Maori past.

2: Have a properly integrated Maori education system in schools, teaching the basics, working up to something like high school level.

What do ya reckon then, you lot?
How about learning a little bit about the place you live in.
Could this be constructive as a nation, or devisive?

**curious george** · 27th July 2005, 20:42

Actually, if I can add another 2c, I dont really like the term 'Pakeha'.
I've always thought 'New Zealander' or even 'pacific islander' to be more appropriate.
Anybody got a better word?

**Big Dave** · 27th July 2005, 21:04

Originally Posted by curious george

Actually, if I can add another 2c, I dont really like the term 'Pakeha'.
I've always thought 'New Zealander' or even 'pacific islander' to be more appropriate.
Anybody got a better word?

Australian......(kidding) I'd take exception to it - Pakeha i mean.

Us immigrants struggle enough with the place names, but the Maori language question is a hard call. Having two cultures is kinda cool if they can co-exist - shame if it becomes a divider?

I've noted an escalation in race politics since living here, but I still reckon that if you go into a Manukau restaurant and see all the brown, white, black, asian, and other people, all mixed and having a good time - all at the same table - and it's all as natural as can be - then I think that maybe it ain't too bad really.

Edit - Or what about a KB ride! - that's a rather mixed bunch too eh.

**Coyote** · 27th July 2005, 21:07

Maori Language Week.... yaaaaaaaayyy......

I might have more respect when they ditch their attitude and their Von Dutch Hoodies

**curious george** · 27th July 2005, 21:08

Originally Posted by Jackrat

I'm a New Zealander or a Kiwi,end of the story.

You got that right!
Just to note though, you said

Originally Posted by Jackrat

I belive Maori need to speak their own language and it's certainly not going to harm the odd Pakeha to open their eyes to it either.

I think that's part of the problem - it always seems to be two different species we are talking about.
This I dont really understand. I'm no more European than I'm Afro-American. I'm not brown enough to be Maori, (at least that's what I'm told), but NZ is my home.
I really think that is part of the problem at the moment recognising two different species, and according different values and privilages to each.
Anybody who has done a 'cultural safety day' at work or a 'bi-cultural day' will know what I'm talking about.

**oldfart** · 27th July 2005, 21:10

I have enough trouble with english without worrying about a dead language that has to bastardise english words to try & re invent itself. My precious lif is also to short to waste learning something I would find mind numbingly boring. This probably why I got ejected from form 2 French.

**Quasievil** · 27th July 2005, 21:17

Oh for fucks sake show some respect would you, its the bloody heritage and culture of New Zealand for christs sake !

**Big Dave** · 27th July 2005, 21:17

Originally Posted by alarumba

Von Dutch Hoodies

Ironic that the Britney types wear them too:

"Von Dutch was as talented as he was prolific, becoming the first person to airbrush monsters on clothing, turning out eerie, surrealistic paintings, building and etching expensive knives and rare vintage guns, and striping hundreds of hot rods over the years.

He’s remembered today for that body of work, but also for the larger-than-life persona he fashioned—the drinking, carousing pinstriper who did as he pleased. Much of that image was real, and according to those who knew him, it included a serious dark side.

"He was quite a racist; didn’t like anybody. He had all the trappings of being a neo-Nazi. He could not tolerate black people," said Williams, whose friendship with Dutch cooled over time, but never ended. "But I had some wonderful times with him. When you caught him in a good mood he was really wonderful to talk to. But he would slip into these loud violent periods that were just horrible."

That edge wormed its way into his work. In one 1965 painting, Dutch faded in the words "Fuck You," visible if you look long enough.

Pinstriper Franco Costanza, a.k.a. Von Franco, remembers Dutch grudgingly striping a guy’s glossy, beautiful ’34 Ford—and painting a tiny, perfect ladybug on one pillar, just to annoy the owner. When the man found the ladybug, he demanded Dutch take it off.

"So [Dutch] says, ‘Okay, I’ll take it off,’" recalls Franco, a burly, jovial man with a jet-black pompadour and goatee. "He takes this hammer and just smashes the ladybug, just ruins this guy’s paint job and tells him to get the fuck out of there."

Writer Ken Gross, in The Rodder’s Journal, a quarterly car mag, tells the tale of one kid who drove his car to the West Coast just so Dutch could stripe it. On the glove compartment door, Dutch drew a caveman in a diaper, holding a headless, bloody cat, an atrocity the owner masked with cardboard whenever he dated, but felt compelled to preserve as art.

Von Dutch distrusted people and was paranoid in public. Williams said Dutch would "park right at the edge, so that if something happened he could get out. He had a gun on him within a minute’s reach."

More here:

http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/18/cover-douglas.php
"

**oldfart** · 27th July 2005, 21:23

Originally Posted by Quasievil

Oh for fucks sake show some respect would you, its the bloody heritage and culture of New Zealand for christs sake !

Why would I. I couldn't give a rat's, (not you Dave) about my european culture. When was the last time you went to ballet or the opera? So I'm fecked if I'm going to waste my time on some other crummy cultural shite. I'll stick to bikes & other things that interest me thanks all the same.

**oldfart** · 27th July 2005, 21:29

Originally Posted by Jackrat

Not species,but definatly different people.
When Maori lost their language they also lost a lot of their identity.
I'm not in the lest bit interested in how or why they lost their language but the fact remains they did.
Today they are starting to address this and a lot of non Maori seem to feel threatened by this.
I don't really understand why people should be threatend,it's seems a very positive thing to me.
The interesting thing I've noticed,and this is because I have a lot of contact with Te Reo in my work.The people learning it an teaching it are no more interested in the crap PC stuff than anybody else.They just want to know their own language.
So do I as it's a part of my own history as much as english is.

Agree in principle but dislike having any cultural shite shoved down my throat by some git like Max Cryer & his precious language. If people want to learn Maori, or any other cultural thingies, then more power to them. Just don't bug me with it & DON'T EXPECT ME TO PAY FOR IT. I nominate my tax to go on better roads

**SixPackBack** · 27th July 2005, 21:31

Embrace it folks......its bloody COOL......don't you get a rush when the all blacks do the haka, i do
most of us are related to maori, one of our mates is maori etc. Nothing to be scared of but some thing to embrace and tresure, our ancestors will be pissed if we do not keep it alive

**Motu** · 27th July 2005, 21:59

English is the language of commerce,computers and what they speak in 747s to the control tower,it's gotta be the most important language on the planet - but it's made up of so many other languages...even Maori.

I got no problem with Maori,but I don't want it rammed down my throat.I've sent my girls for Maori lessons,I think it's important for them to know.I always have a Maori dictionary near me,I want to get the spelling right,I like to see what the word is made up from,kinda like latin,of which I know nothing.I have chosen a Maori username I use all over the internet,I hope it indentifies where I come from.

For a Pakeha I suppose I identify quite well with Maori,I have had close Maori friends all my life.When I meet one I don't pidgeon hole them like I do others....Dutch,Samoan,Chinese,Russian etc,I don't need to,they are just like me,a New Zealander,we share the same heritage.I know a few Maori words,work on correcting my 1950s pronunciation,which is a bit embarrasing at times.

They can have Maori Language Week,but it will pass over me un noticed like all the political speeches this week will too.A road test on the new Buel Ulysses
in Maori? Ok,that will get me involved!

**GROOMER** · 27th July 2005, 23:01

Originally Posted by curious george

2: Have a properly integrated Maori education system in schools, teaching the basics, working up to something like high school level.

It should not be compulsory. If parents want their kids to learn it...fair enough,
If they don't, it should not be forced on the kids.
Same as "bible studies" or whatever its called these days. At primary school, parents were asked first if they wanted their kids to take part in it, if not..they went and did music class or went to the library for an hour.