During a Maori cultural activity hosted by the New Zealand Student Association, members who were non-natives said they enjoyed learning Maori traditions, while natives said they felt closer to home.
The group gathered at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Aotearoa Village. According to Mare Riki, a junior studying international cultural studies from New Zealand, the activity was enjoyable. “There was always something to do instead of waiting around,” he said. “Everyone was always busy with different activities.”
The club organized traditional Maori games, dress, tattoos, and ate fish and chips. Ayla Blade, an international cultural studies sophomore from Washington, said her favorite part was the photo booth. “We got to dress up and I got to pretend like I was an old-school Maori,” she said.
Rahera Ngawharau, a freshman from New Zealand studying social work, said seeing the students dressed up in traditional period attire brought back feelings of being home.
Ngawharau said a lot of guests at the PCC would ask them if they were like warriors. “We are, but there is more to us then that,” she said.
Riki said she hoped “the kiwis had mingled more with those who were not from New Zealand.” He said most of the visitors were not able to make new friends, which he said was “kind of sad because that’s the purpose of these kind of events.”
Riki said other cultures might have the wrong impression of kiwis and be intimidated. “We are really nice and we are really friendly. It’s just introducing ourselves to new people is not easy,” he said.
Riki said traditional activities were a good way to teach those who were born and raised in the culture as well as those from outside the culture. “‘Mau rakau’ is the Maori marital art. Instead of using your hands and feet to kick and punch, you use sticks.” Riki said doing the Mau rakau at the activity helped him connect to his culture better than going to a class room have someone teach him.
The chapter also played the game called Tititorea, which both Riki and Ngawharau said they grew up playing. Students made a rhythm by hitting the sticks together on the ground and tossing them to each other while singing. Riki said, “My dad and I played that a lot. We would make up our own songs. Sometimes when we didn’t have sticks, we would roll up newspapers and magazines.”
Blade said although her team as bad at the games, she enjoyed the games. “We were just cracking up. The laughs were good,” she said.
Writer: Kelsy Simmons