Maori people are mostly living in former colonized lands. Imperialism from Europeans got their culture and then even entire generations stolen. In today’s society, Maori are suffering of the consequences through societal and identity crisis. Indeed, unemployment, criminality, alcoholism, poverty rates are really high and it implicated the creation of gangs such as “Black Power”.
The necessity to revive their culture can be lead by different actions. For instance, speaking groups have been created to overcome their traumas. This kind of therapy enables them to be more united through the struggles they endured such as the many kidnappings of the “Stolen Generation”. Knowing that they are not alone can help them move on and live in a society adapted to them. Maori can also reconnect to ancestral traditions such as the Moko, this typical method of tattooing. It can build their identity, mixing the traditional conventions and their own desires. But another way is also to share their culture to the world so it would be more known and recognized. This can be done through movies, for example, Niki Caro, a New-Zealand movie director did Whale Rider to show her culture and how it can evolve. In a more concrete way, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the feminine rugby team did the Haka, a traditional Maori way to scare enemies.
However, they are not the only ones concerned by this problematic: the colonizers are too. But because they mostly all passed away; the next generation of these former colonizers countries can act to pacify the relationships. A first step is to give national apologies from the State to recognize the pain they went through and that still impacts them nowadays.
Telling Maori that their difficulties are valid and that they are victims of the past generations is an efficient way to appease the memories. The States can also pay New-Zealand compensations for the stolen lands and give them all back. Even if it doesn’t erase the past, it seems to be the bare minimum to do. For instance, in 1995, they received 170 millions New-Zealand dollars as a compensation. But those are national actions. Group of people can also act at a lower level by studying Maori’s culture and teaching at schools like many pupils study the British one. Culture is also a way to highlight Maori’s culture with books, movies, songs… For example, in 2016, the Disney movie Moana was released. The characters’ voice was done by indigenous people and it was also translated in Maori’s language.
So Maori can revive their culture through many actions lead by different people. But the most important is to be careful to cultural appropriation and to respect with realism this culture, without a lucrative goal. For instance Moana was considered polemical because they were confusions through the divinities and the cultures. But you, what would you be ready to do to help the former colonies overcome their pain, so they can revive their culture?
Written by Célia Chasle