By Anita Dundys
The Maori culture of philanthropy is a part of their societal concept: giving, caring and sharing linked to duties, obligations and responsibilities. Theirs is a gift economy, which through its deep connection with the natural world, has developed conventions that emphasize social rewards, loyalty, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Katherine Vanker
The Maori language is a Polynesian language that is closely related to Cook Island Maori, Tahitian and Hawaiian . According to the 1996 Census, the Maori language is spoken by approximately 150,000 New Zealanders . The name Maori originally meant “the local people” or “the original people” . This distinguished them from the European settlers and the new arrivals . Today they are known as the indigenous people of New Zealand.
Traditions and social customs are very important to the Maori . Read the rest of this entry >>
By Nadia Heyd
“I am part of the sea and the sea is part of me when I am on it.”
(Meriam Elder, cited in Sharp http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ILB/2000/129.html, accessed on 05 February, 2010)
This opening statement from an Australian Aboriginal elder describes a connectedness to nature that is not seen to anywhere near the same degree in Western traditions. “deep within Aboriginal culture, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Deanna Coop
It’s just how we operate.
If someone in my whânau needs help, then I do it.
It could be going to a tangi of someone I never knew,
or getting hold of information for someone
or helping out in the kitchen, or whatever.”
(Kuia)
Introduction
Volunteering is particularly important for the Maori people of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is so much a part of their everyday lives that many do not classify it as anything separate. A study conducted by the New Zealand Office of the Read the rest of this entry >>