I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I officially enrolled on the Mauri Ora course today which is a 12 month home study tertiary course with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa designed to teach you about the Maori customs, history, beliefs and language.

I met Aroha, my Kaitiaki (support person) today and we chatted for an hour or so about the course and what it involves.

I'm really excited about learning more about, and improving my understanding of my adopted culture.

Enrolment is free and all learning materials are provided, as well as support and assessments as you go along.

You also get invited to the marae to graduate and are allowed to wear the ceremonial robes!

http://www.mauriora.ac.nz/

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Hi Rob

I'd be really interested to hear how you get on with this & how much you benefit from it.

I've seen it advertised in our local press recently and wondered whether free really was free :unsure:

Keep us updated please :thumbsup:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I will. I have the assessment book for the first of the four modules. Apparently this one and the fourth are easy and the middle two take a lot of effort.

I have a lot of learning to do just to understand the titles of the sections:


Descibe the life and deeds of a selected atua

Explain key concepts and practices associated with pöwhiri

Demonstrate knowledge of types of hui

etc..

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

God, I'm lost already ... but really would be keen to hear how you get on ... I would love to do something similar - time permitting?!:o

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

We finished the first of the four modules and had them assessed last week.

I'm pretty impressed with the course so far.

The answer books and main guides were designed by an NZ film company and are very well produced.

The books and materials you get are excellent. In the first pack we received several books produced by Mauri Ora themselves as well as some commercially prioduced books. Also two DVDs and some CDs of waiata and Maori songs. There's a decent Maori English dictionary, pens, folders, felt tips with the colours written on them in Maori, all sorts.
The second pack has a photographic Maori history, more DVDs and CDs and other stuff. Going by the prices at Borders and Te Papa, about $250-$300 of stuff.

I found the first module hard - the text is full of Maori words which I had to look up, and it's not the sort of learning I'm used to. I'm used to learning Microsoft stuff - absolutes basically - and this is all concepts and belief systems.
Concepts like mana, tapu, noa, mauri, whanaungatanga (sp?)
It's fascinating stuff.
So are the Maori legends explaining the creation of the world and of New Zealand.

As a new immigrant, commonly used Maori words like whanau, tanagata whenua, mana, marae, taniwha etc can be confusing (certainly from personal experience!), and this course makes a start in giving an understanding.

Based on what I've seen so far I wholeheartedly recommend it to those of an open mind who want to learn more of the Maori culture and beliefs, as well as some of the language.

http://www.mauriora.ac.nz/

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

How many hours a week please Rob? I'm only working part-time and would be interested but I have to factor in the dyslexia support study for Phils Master Craftsman exams.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

The course suggests something like 30 hours a week to get the full benefit but to spend that amount of time I reckon you'd have to be reading every word of everything twice over!

I've spent maybe 3-4 hours a week tops on covering the answers in the book. I haven't read everything yet, but I intend to go back and read it all over time.

The answer books tell you what pages to look on to find the answers, so you can take short-cuts, but as I said, to get the full benefit you need to read it all at least once!

Basically you have 12 months to get all four modules completed and if you get stuck you have a kaitiaki to support you by phone or email.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Why do you say Maori is your adopted culture? I don't find that Maori culture here is very independent of the government support it receives and does not represent mass culture in New Zealand. It seems from some that I know that it is more of a hobby. Nice that you want to learn more about it yourself. My kids have to take some Maori studies at their primary school, which is OK, but at times I think that too much time is given to it.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

"Maori culture...doesn't represent mass culture in New Zealand"

What do you mean exactly? I don't understand.

RobClubley is the first poster I've read on this forum who has taken an interest in the indigenous population and you are complaining?

Posters here get smothered in 'karma' and smilies just for making it to the airport but this guy has enrolled in a potentially difficult 1,500 hour home study course.

He deserves a medal...



(Should I say 'Mauri' and not 'Maori'??)

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I wouldn't go that far!!

Maori and Mauri are different.

Maori are the people, Mauri is, well, kinda hard to explain but it's a spiritual thing, kind of a mental state.

Hang on, Google is my friend..

Mauri is the essence or life-force of both animate and inanimate objects. It binds the two parts of body and spirit together. When a living thing dies, its mauri/life-force dies with it but the wairua/spirit lives on.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

No it's not the modern culture of New Zealand, but it is the culture of the
first people to arrive here and it has a lot of historical significance. The course will also cover the European arrival, merging of cultures, modern history, from a Maori point of view of course.
The majority of Kiwis that I know are of "white European" descent and most are very dismissive and down on the Maori people and culture.
I wanted to see other points of view to help understand these attitudes as most of what you hear from day to day is quite negative.
I'm learning that for a tribal people the Maori have a very spiritual and peaceful attitude to life within their own iwi and there are lots of traditions about getting on with other tribes and avoiding wars and violence
I'm looking forward to the historical stuff to see how it is presented and I fully intend to read up on other accounts to get perspective.

At the end of the day, I'm expanding my knowledge and I'm getting a lot from it.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I don't believe I complained I believe I said it was nice and that I hadn't noticed that the native culture was so strong as to make me feel that it was a culture to adopt like the first poster mentioned. I think you have read quite a bit more into my post then was there.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Good for you mate. I was having fun watching whanau on telly and picking up some maori words. Not full time study I grant you! Unfortunatly I've had to start work so thats stuffed that up. I have found a couple of good maori language sites on the net though. I really enjoyed investigating the culture as I travelled about the country and think that we should all learn a bit about our adopted land. I had similar feeling in Oz and think that we should all be careful that cultures aren't lost in the 'McDonalds' world that we live in.

Good luck with it all, it's too easy to forget that the differences between us should be embraced, not feared. (unless of course you are a sunderland supporter, then you should be laughed at!)

now thats enough deep thought for me today, where did I leave the gin?

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

hi Rob,
it sounds really interesting, the organisation I work for uses lots of Maori words at meetings etc and sometimes I feel like I'm making it up as I go along (my understanding, that it is) although I do always ask at the end.
Keep us informed as to how you get on, good luck,
Donna

I'm a Sunderland supporter!!!!!Dustybin - are you a Geordie? Just seen your toon army comment, bloody Geordies, get everywhere!

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Good on you Rob! How many times do we hear complaints that immigrants to UK don't bother to learn the language and culture? You should be commended for taking the time and effort to do this and at the very least you will be able to have an educated opinion on Maori affairs. If we choose to live in a bi-cultural society, then it's only right that we should embrace all of those cultural differences. Instead of following the well trodden path of generations of previous immigrants who have been largely ignorant and woefully ill-informed about what it means to be Maori. Your education will rub off and touch on many people around you and that can only be a good thing.

I'm sure, as I have found, that Mauri ora will be just the beginning and you will come away from this wanting to learn more.

As for comments about Maori not being a 'mass culture' of NZ, depends entirely upon where you live. North Island was where the majority of Maori settled as it was too cold down South and the further North you go the more Maori it gets. Northland and Bay of Plenty regions were over 25% Maori in the last Census. Not forgetting, of course, that there is also a huge popluation of mixed race people, whose names and colour alone would not make them instantly recognisable as Maori.

Maori TV is excellent too! Not only do they have some excellent programmes, they have lots of short simple teaching programmes and you will find that the more you watch it, the more you can pick up and understand.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I started reading this thread thinking rather like this:
Now I have begun to think more like this.

Now see what you have done,
you have got me bloody thinking,
thats what you have gone and done :confused:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I watch the Maori TV channel for no other reason than I enjoy some of their programmes. They've had some wonderful interviews with older generation Maori who give an account of their lives. Facinating.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Excellent! :thumbup: Result!

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Mauri is the essence or life-force of both animate and inanimate objects. It binds the two parts of body and spirit together. When a living thing dies, its mauri/life-force dies with it but the wairua/spirit lives on.

In other words Mauri is your life principle.

One may refer to "te mauri o te whare" (ethos of the house), or "te mauri o te whai kerero" (life force of the speeches).

Each person and object has a mauri, and the sum total of all the charactiristics of a person reflects his or her personality.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Excellent. I understood that but struggled to explain - as you saw!

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I know how you feel Rob. I can't always explain Maori concepts in Pakeha terms.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

not sure if the word "pakeha" is all that friendly. Doesn't it mean "white parasite" or something?:confused:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

It's a perfectly acceptable word meaning non-Maori

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Actually, all Maori are of mixed race.
There are no full blooded Maori left in NZ.

Kip

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

True, but as long as the locals keep using 'Maori' and 'pakeha' instead of 'New Zealander' or 'Kiwi' then this country will always be able to boast that it has the friendliest apartheid in the world....

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Ummm sorry matey but the Mori Ori where the first, who then were killed and eaten by the Maori's when they pooped over.

But alas, the white fella came over and peace was restored :rofl: :rofl:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

As a Maori/Pakeha woman I find this offensive. Or perhaps ill informed (offensive just seems so mean to say!). Locals SHOULD be using both Maori and Pakeha but as a positive word, not simply in the sense of "bloody pakeha" or "bloody maori" etc.

Think about it, where else in the world does Maori culture exist? Yes there are various other Pacific Island cultures, and there is Cook Island Maori, but NZ Maori? If it isn't celebrated in NZ both for its history, culture and future then where else would it be celebrated, learned and lived? Maoridom is hardly going to have significant cultural importance in Portugal or Spain now is it? Nor should it be.

In the very same way, Pakeha as a term only exists in NZ. It identifies New Zealanders of various European descent but one which is not necessarily their most recent identifiable culture. For instance, I may be Pakeha (and Maori) but I am certainly not English (contrary to my Coronation Street watching habits…) My English and Scottish forebears came to NZ 150 -200 years ago. To say that I am English or Scottish would be simply incorrect. Originally of Scottish and English descent would be fine. But that Pakeha (and Maori) IDENTIFIES me as a New Zealander. My pakeha heritage is important to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t disagree with the term NZer or kiwi, I think they are great words and I am proud to be both (even watching the rugby with French people grrr). But to not use the terms Maori and Pakeha, at least when in NZ, ignores very important facets of NZs identity -its people and its history.

Sorry rant over for now. May start up later :)

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

I'll tell you more once I've read the book properly but as I skimmed through there was a section about this and it appears this might be untrue.
I'll have a look tonight.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Hmmm....yes.....but 'Maori' and 'Pakeha' are just clever ways of saying 'white' and 'non-white', aren't they? (Not including 'non-white non-Maoris' of course...they tend to get called 'asians').

Now..if New Zealanders want to keep living as if it's 1770 and Captain Cook has just turned up, then that's fine...but if they want to move on as ONE NATION then they'd might want to perhaps think about stopping the act of characterising each other in racial terms.

Just a thought.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Do you think NZ isn't moving on as ONE NATION ??? explain please.

I don't believe the Maori/ Pakeha thing is as big as you are making it out to be.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Well...will a bunch of white policemen dressed up as stormtroopers arresting Maoris for 'terrorism' be a flash in the pan or the shape of things to come?

Will the 15% of Maoris who left NZ because of (amongst other things) racism return and make NZ whole again? ;)

This very thread....where a number of posters wondered why somebody would bother to study Maori culture....isn't that a sign of divisions?

The problems aren't that great at the moment, true, but the potential is there...and 'pakeha' is a word (and state of mind) that doesn't help much.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Is that allowed :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Did somebody mention captain ? :p

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Re the Moriori:

From reading a couple of sources it seems that the story of the Moriori being indeginous people of New Zealand who were killed or driven out by the Maori is actually a lie told by the European settlers to justify colonising New Zealand so that they could say "we're only doing what you yourselves did before"

100 years or so after Maori settlement in New Zealand a tribe left for the Chatham Islands, and they are the Moriori.

There is truth to the story though.

A raiding party of Taranaki Maori chartered European ships in the 1830s to the Chatham Islands and killed, enslaved and cannibalised most of the Moriori people, eventually leaving only 101 alive out of a population of 2000

http://www.zealand.org.nz/history.htm
http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealande...s/Moriori/1/en
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriori
http://history-nz.org/moriori.html

In my experience the story is usually repeated by people trying to reinforce negative comments they've made about the Maori people.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Part of the problem is though that for many years Maori, especially those in the Native Schools (hehe showing my history bent here) were told not to be outwardly Maori. Language, customs, whanau structures etc were if not lost, then at least severely weakened.

There are many reasons for this and it should be noted that it wasn't just a case of ol' whitey vs Maori! It should be said that Maori elders themselves were often the reason for this - they wanted their children to succeed and they believed that following the old ways would impede that.

I just think that pride in its unique culture and heritage is what can make this country stronger and more inclusive of people. It also means that Maori culture is not just a museum piece but also a living part of this country.

White or Non White? No don't like those terms at all. Doesn't say anything about you at all. Doesn't say that you are from NZ, from England, from Ireland or from Latvia. It doesnt say anything about a person's ethnic or national background.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Perhaps the "Grievance Culture" should be mentioned now. I was in NZ for about a year. I remember reading about a road-widening scheme up in the North Island somewhere, the Local Maories were up in arms that the proposed works would take place over a culvert where the "Talyfan" (a mythical figure) lived. A few weeks later I found that the road scheme had been given the go-ahead following the payment of an undisclosed sum of money to the local tribe. No doubt there were many injustices metered out to the original inhabitants of these islands. I don't believe money is the answer to righting the wrongs. Respect would be a better way. But it's not easy to respect a group when their sole percieved aim is to fleece the Crown as often and for as much as they can.:ohmy:

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

A Taniwha?

But you can't represent all Maori by the ones who do this. Yes, some take the mick, like when someone tried to claim rights to UK benefits for Maori based on the treaty of Waitangi.
But it's like picking a certain politician who does something you don't agree with in the UK then saying all British are the same.

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

The grievance culture is a million dollar industry Rob ...

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Maybe so, but I bet it's a select few getting most of the benefits

Re: I Enrolled on Mauri Ora course today
 

Yup you're right it's the Maories!:D