Culture

New Zealand has a unique and dynamic culture. The culture of its indigenous Maori people affects the language, the arts, and even the accents of all New Zealanders. Their place in the South Pacific, and their love of the outdoors, sport, and the arts make New Zealanders and their culture unique in the world.

M?ori Culture

The M?ori people are the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and first arrived here in waka hourua (voyaging canoes) from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki over 1000 years ago. Today, M?ori make up over 14 percent of the population. Their language and culture has a major impact on all facets of New Zealand life.

Rich and Varied

M?ori culture is a rich and varied one, and includes traditional and contemporary arts. Traditional arts such as carving, weaving, kapa haka (group performance), whaikorero (oratory) and moko (tattoo) are practised throughout the country. Practitioners following in the footsteps of their tipuna (ancestors) replicate the techniques used hundreds of years ago, yet also develop exciting new techniques and forms. Today M?ori culture also includes art, film, television, poetry, theatre, and hip-hop.

Stories and Legends

M?ori is an oral culture rich with stories and legends. The M?ori creation story describes the world being formed by the violent separation of Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, by their children. Many M?ori carvings and artworks graphically depict this struggle.

 

The People

Today, New Zealanders are largely sophisticated and highly educated urban dwellers. Members of a unique and vibrant multicultural society, New Zealanders are embracing 21st century technology and culture in record numbers. But New Zealanders also have a background of quiet but rugged individualism, self-reliance, and a genius for invention ? qualities still evident in the population today.

Unique in the World

New Zealand has a diverse population ? but with some uniting features that make it unique in the world. Our relatively isolated South Pacific location and rugged landscapes still makes many New Zealanders quiet and independent, yet resourceful and self-reliant, with a famous ?Kiwi ingenuity?.

 

New Zealand Art ? An Exciting Blend of Cultural Influences

The arts in New Zealand reflect an exciting blend of cultural influences including Maori and Pacific Island, as well as European and Asian. From haka to hip-hop, fashion to filmmaking, New Zealand artists are making their mark at home and around the world.

Artland New Zealand

Whether you?re interested in Maori carving or abstract painting, you?ll find lots of art in New Zealand. Traditional Maori arts such as carving and weaving are alive and well. You?ll find excellent examples in museums, shops, and on marae (meeting grounds) throughout the country.

 

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