Performing Arts
The Māori dance and song arts can be divided into four main categories, waiata (traditional chant and contemporary compositions that are traditional in style), haka (the posture dance often erroneously considered to be a war dance and the exclusive domain of the male), poi (a dance employing a light ball with a short or long string attached to it, swung and twirled rhythmically to the accompaniment of a song), and waiata-ā-ringa (the contemporary action song).
Waiata
These are chants performed in the traditional style always in unison and unaccompanied by any musical instrument. Each tribe has its own repertoire, with many of its chants composed centuries ago. There are a great number of these chants, with their number being added to by the contemporary compositions being performed in the traditional style. The themes of the contemporary chant are quite different from those handed down through generations, but just like traditional style. The themes of the contemporary chant are quite different from those handed down through generations, but just like traditional waiata, they relate events of importance to the generation concerned.
While many tribes do have a repertoire of chants peculiar to them, there are many chants that have become common property. This has happened where the chant concerned has an attractive air or because the lyric of the chant expresses the sentiments of a tribe so well that it is taken over by others. It is considered a mark of flattery for a tribe to want to sing another's chants.
To the unfamiliar listener, traditional Māori chants sounds tuneless, dull and monotonous but, in fact, each one has its own distinctive air. Despite this, traditional chant is enjoying a revival among the young, an interesting development when one considers how accustomed most are to hearing contemporary western airs and rhythms.
While these contemporary rhythms are beginning to have an influence on the way the younger generation performs traditional chant there is still a great deal that has remained unchanged in terms of tempo and performance. There is at the same time a school of thought that believes that for the chant to survive, consideration should be given to adapting the rhythm and the air to make them more appealing to the young. This is unlikely to happen in the near future, as the field is still dominated by conservatives who feel that the chant ought to be performed in the way the composer intended.
What is more difficult for the young to pick up are the half and quarter notes more easily discernible by experienced listeners, who were accustomed to hearing these chants being sung by the experts of their day and age. Consequently there is a tendency for the younger generations to render the notes full tones rather than the more correct quarter and half tones. Despite this, many of the young are serious in the desire to master the subtlety and nuance of traditional chant.
Of all the Māori performing arts, the chant is the least choreographed, for there are no set movements as with the poi, the haka and the waiata-ā-ringa. In the chant, the performer emphasises words or phrases with appropriate gestures when the mood takes him or her. It would be unusual to see all the members of a group performing the same movements at the same point in the chant, and if that were the case it would be likely that the meaning of the chant should be lost to the performer.
The chant will continue to survive while etiquette demands that such chants be performed at the end of a formal speech. Once that is no longer the case, the less demanding action song, a hymn or one of the many popular songs may take the place of the traditional chant. In some tribal areas, this change has already occurred.
Haka
There is a proverb which says: "E tū i te tū a Tāne-rore, e haka i te haka a Tāne-rore, kaua i te tū, i te haka a te keretao" (Adopt the stance of, and dance like, Tāne-rore, not be limp like a puppet.). This is an admonition to the male dancer, urging him to adopt a graceful, but masculine, stance rather than a soft, gentle one. His hands should always be strong in all the actions executed and yet should continue to quiver to show that, in the dance, Tāne-rore is still acknowledged.
Today the haka is often regarded as the exclusive domain of the male, and, quite erroneously, as a war dance. Any haka performed with weapons is called a peruperu, whakatū waewae, tūtū ngārahu or pūohotau. These latter haka are performed mainly on ceremonial occasions and are generally haka of welcome. Many are traditional in that they have been handed down for centuries, but the haka taparahi is enjoying a popularity unequalled before. It is used as a vehicle for protest, praise and congratulation, just as it was in former times, and is very popular with wider audiences.
It should be noted that there are haka in which women have the prominent part, as exemplified by the women of the East Coast and their haka pōwhiri.
Poi
Just as the haka is considered to be essentially the domain of the male, so the poi is the domain of the female. Its sole function is to provide an accompaniment to the chant or modern type of song and to allow women a chance to exhibit their beauty. Some tribes have said that it was once the domain of the male, but this seems to have only been the case among the tribes of the eastern seaboard. The tribes of the West Coast of the North island use the poi not only for entertainment but also for the rites of passage such as the welcoming of guests, the celebration of important events and the farewelling of the dead.
Over the years, the poi has become more and more 'busy' as the composers try to create new and more difficult and original figures. It is an item that enjoys great popularity. The two tribal areas that have dominated the poi, with very different styles, are Te Arawa and those of Taranaki and Whanganui.
Waiata-ā-ringa
This is the most recent development in Māori dance and was given form early this century by one of the most famous sons of Aotearoa, Sir Apirana Ngata. Waiata-ā-ringa came into being at a time when Māoridom was at its lowest ebb and was considered to be one way in which self-esteem and self-worth could be re-established.
Waiata-ā-ringa used traditional movements, evolved new ones and were performed to many tunes borrowed from Tin Pan Alley. Composers justified this on the grounds that the tunes were immediately recognisable to the young and would therefore make them more eager to learn and to involve themselves in the new dance form. Since its inception, waiata-ā-ringa has enjoyed great popularity with a wider audience.
The 'golden age' of waiata-ā-ringa was the period from World War I to the end of World War II. Many songs were composed to farewell the soldiers who went to battle, to pray for their well being while at war, to encourage them in their efforts, to welcome those who returned, and to mourn for those who did not. Today the action song, like the haka, is being used as a vehicle for protest and praise, as well as other occasions considered important by the composer. The function of the action song is to convey through the actions the meaning of the words.
Some critics feel that, since the end of World War II, the action song has been on the decline in terms of its lyric beauty. Many of the songs composed during World War I are still very popular, although many of those being performed at present have been composed within the last 20 years.
Competition
For many years competition in song and dance has played a part in the retention of arts. There are tribal, regional and national competitions. Just as there are people who enjoy competition, there are opponents who say it is to the ultimate detriment of the arts.
Whatever the opinion expressed, competitions are popular with the people at large and receive great support. As a result, however, teams are becoming more and more regimented, and thereby losing their passion and excitement - essentials of the Māori dance arts, and the very emotions they should also arouse in an audience. If the wana (passion) and ihi (excitement) are missing, the group is considered mediocre. This has happened in some dances in competitions, when failure to use language in performances has meant a loss of vitality.
The Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival was instituted in 1972 as the New Zealand Polynesian Festival. Originally it was held annually, but has since become biennial. It was conceived as a measure to raise the standard of performance, to encourage groups to revive and learn the traditional chants of their own tribal areas and to actively discourage
the use of the tunes from Tin Pan Alley. This aim has been substantially achieved but the negative aspect has been the standardisation of performance, the concentration on costume and the relegation of language and lyric to a position of secondary importance.
Tourism
A strong influence on the state of dance is the impact of tourism. Many groups feel that they must adapt their performance to suit the tourist, and their costumes to look appealing.
However, what is attractive to one culture might not be so to another, and many tourists would prefer to see what the Māori audience sees, with all the appropriate information given by someone capable of doing so, to enable the audience to enjoy the performance. Not all forms of song or dance, of any culture, are immediately attractive to the ear or the eye of the uninitiated. Dance arts could seek to make tourists better informed so that they will appreciate what standards and ideals there are.
The song and dance arts are on the rise, but the use of language is on the decline, although there are many among the conservatives who brook no departure from the conventions observed over the centuries.
Kōhanga Reo
The most visible and widely felt manifestation of the resurgence of interest in the Māori language is without a doubt the kōhanga reo or language nest. The first Kōhanga Reo was set up in 1981; by the end of 1987, just six years later, there were 522 established throughout the country, catering for over 11,000 children. This network of early childhood education centres was developed as one answer to the drastic decline in the number of Māori-speaking youngsters growing up in New Zealand.
The basic policy of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori is to impart traditional Māori values and knowledge to pre-schoolers using Māori as the only language of instruction. A lack of resources, both human and physical, means that this ideal of a monolingual learning environment is not always realised - fluent speakers no longer abound, while in many cases, the salaries on offer to teaching staff are insufficient to attract personnel with a thorough knowledge of the language and of childhood development (with special reference to language acquisition), and the required teaching skills.
Despite these shortcomings, kōhanga reo offers an essential link in bridging the intergenerational rupture that has occurred in the passing down of native language skills, and is receiving strong support from the community as a whole for the promise it holds.
Māori Language Act 1987
On 29 April 1986, the Waitangi Tribunal handed down its findings relating to te Reo Māori, which included several recommendations to the Government covering the use of Māori in Courts of Law, government departments, local authorities, other public bodies, in education and in broadcasting.
Although calls had been made over a number of years for legislation to recognise the status of the Māori language in New Zealand, it was the tribunal's finding that finally prompted the drafting of the Māori language Bill, which was later enacted as the Māori Language Act 1987. The Act did not implement all of the tribunal's numerous recommendations. Nevertheless it does contain three important provisions:
- It declares Māori to be an official language of New Zealand.
- It confers upon a wide range of participants the right to speak Māori in certain legal proceedings; and
- It establishes the Māori Language Commission (te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) and defines its functions and powers.
It is ironic that Māori is in fact the only language in New Zealand that has received explicit official status in legislation. English, which dominates indisputably the linguistic landscape of this country, is de facto the language of officialdom. Indeed, awarding an official status to a language appears to do little more than confer upon it a symbolic value.
It is not easy to say, however, that it is without indirect effect. In a social climate already more disposed to recognise Māori values, it invites all New Zealanders to consider what the rightful place of the language is in contemporary society.
The only language right specifically legislated for concerns the courts of law. The Act states that in any legal proceedings, the following persons (i.e., any member of the court, any party or witness, any counsel, etc.) may speak Māori, whether or not they are able to understand or communicate in English or any other language". When a Māori speaker chooses to exercise this right, the onus is on the presiding officer to ensure that a competent interpreter is on hand to translate. The law confers neither the right to be addressed in Māori nor to have one's testimony recorded in Māori.
Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori
The Mission of te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) is to contribute to the growth and maintenance of the Māori language as a living, widely used means of communication with a legal status equal to that of English.
Its functions are fourfold:
- To promote the Māori language amongst New Zealanders in general, but more particularly in those communities where its use is strongest; to encourage and assist government departments and other public institutions in the development of Māori language services; and to liaise with existing Māori language organisations with a view to co-ordinated action;
- To formulate and implement policy which will enhance the position of Māori as the language of the tangata whenua of Aotearoa, and give effect to the objectives of the preceding item;
- To carry out research into matters related to the promotion of Māori. (Sound policy decisions require good background research;
- To assess the competence of candidates wishing to act as interpreters and translators, and to issue certificates to the successful candidates;
- The Commission consists of a full-time commissioner and four other members who meet at least once a month. Under the Commission proper is a permanent secretariat, which carries out corporate services, undertakes research and implements policy decided upon by Commission members.
Language Policy
The Māori Language Commission has already established policies and broad objectives in several key social areas and some of these are summarised below.
Public Institutions
If the Māori Language Commission is to promote the use of Māori over the widest possible range of situations, public institutions will need to be encouraged to offer full services in Māori. Even if a voluntary approach to such services succeeds, it may be that future amendments to the Māori Language Act will confirm the right to speak Māori (and to have it used in reply) in a much broader range of situations than is presently the case.
Encouraging the establishment of Māori language services means pointing out the moral obligations imposed by the Treaty of Waitangi - the accord by virtue of which the tangata whenua agreed to a partnership with the pākehā and the benefits of a diverse society, where individuals and groups feel that their identity is respected and their specificity catered for.
Some people have expressed fear that the promotion of the Māori language is equivalent to requiring them or their children to become personally proficient in Māori. In reply it may be pointed out that institutional bilingualism is not individual bilingualism. Bilingual institutions will offer services in both Māori and English and will be staffed by personnel who, as individuals, may be bilingual or monolingual. In such institutions, the ability to speak Māori (or effectively, to be bilingual in Māori and English) must be recognised and rewarded as a valued skill.
As well as promoting services in Māori, the Māori Language Commission will encourage people to use these services. Socio-linguistic behaviour is to a large extent the result of habit, moulded by attitude; habits are difficult to break and attitudes slow to change. Initially, many Māori speakers will feel embarrassment at demanding services in Māori, simply because that has not been the standard practice. If the cycle 'no-demand-therefore-no-supply' is to be broken, Māori will have to take it upon themselves to create the demand. This clientele will expect from the authorities concerned a willingness to advertise the availability of services in Māori and an openness to approaches in Māori, but it will nevertheless require a certain courage to demand these services, especially in an over-the-counter situation.
For a variety of reasons that include the limitation of human resources, the experimental nature of any policy, and the demographic reality of the country, Māori language services will at first probably be concentrated in areas where they are more likely to be called upon.
One of the most important services that can be offered is that of having available at any given time someone competent to deal with a Māori-speaking client, whether it be over the counter, on the telephone or by correspondence (written or electronic). An important point to be remembered here, and one that was noted by the Waitangi Tribunal and taken up in the Māori Language Act, is that ideally any New Zealander should feel able, as the client, to use either English or Māori, irrespective of his or her knowledge of the other language. Here, the 'right to use' a language includes the right to be addressed in that language in return.
An essential ingredient of these 'immediate' services (as opposed to 'deferred' services) is goodwill. The availability of such services will need to be well publicised, and the client will be invited, by way of prominently displayed notices perhaps to employ the language of his or her choice. The service will in turn need to be dispensed willingly and promptly.
"Deferred" services include material printed in Māori, such as signs, information pamphlets, forms. This type of service is the easier to offer, since it consists of one-off products, but it may be considered secondary to the more important task of ensuring a face-to-face service in Māori.
Broadcasting
In an enlightened democracy (one where, although government is by the majority, that majority nevertheless recognises the right of minorities to be different) media coverage reflects the diverse make-up of its society. Māori in New Zealand have 'special' minority status as tangata whenua.
At present, there is a daily television news programme in Māori (Te Karere), along with two weekly current affairs and cultural events programmes (Waka Huia and Marae) and children and youth entertainment programmes (Tikitiki, Pūkana). The Māori Language Commission advocates an increase in the time allotted to Māori television/Radio to a level more proportionate with the Māori population in the general population, with some primetime viewing/listening hours. Māori media should in turn be controlled by Māori and designed for Māori consumption (not precluding pākehā participation).
Education
Where kōhanga reo have managed to produce youngsters fluent in the Māori language, good work is often undone simply because there are so few primary & secondary schools in which these children can continue to receive instruction in Māori. The Māori Language Commission supports the establishment of exclusively Māori-medium schools (Kura Kaupapa Māori), for it believes that only in this way will the language be retained. For there to be success, the teachers have to be appropriately trained, and must banish English in all teaching situations, from kōhanga reo to university and beyond.
The Picot report (Report of the Task-force to Review Education Administration, 1988, para.7.7.5) recommends a mechanism that allows minority groups, unable to have their values reflected in existing structures, to withdraw and set up their own institutions, funded by the state.
Teachers who are fluent enough to be of use in the classroom need to speak Māori at all times. However, prior to being sent to the schools, they will need to be trained, so that they can carry out their role with competence and confidence. A problem that has occurred in the past with fluent speakers in the schools is that they were not adequately trained, and not given support in the classroom or appropriate recognition. If these deficiencies were to be rectified, the situation would be vastly improved. If not, the language will perish. An additional problem faced by these teachers is the dearth of educational and other material published in Māori.
Conclusion
Language is central to the cultural identity of both the individual and the community to which he or she belongs. Not only does a language express the realities of a particular group, but it also marks one's membership of that group, both from within (since the language is shared) and without (since it highlights one's difference).
If a language is lost, the cultural identity of the group is considerably weakened, which in turn alters the very nature of the society of which that group is part. In light of this, it may be considered important to retain and promote the Māori language, in order, amongst other things, to develop a diverse and harmonious society.
KO TE REO TE HĀ TE MAURI O TE MĀORITANGA.
Language is the very life-breath of being Māori.
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