essay on new zealand culture

Essay on New Zealand Culture

Students are often asked to write an essay on New Zealand Culture in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

Introduction to new zealand culture.

New Zealand culture is a rich blend of native Maori traditions and influences from European settlers. It’s known for its strong connection to nature and a laid-back lifestyle. Sports, arts, and community events play a big part in the lives of New Zealanders, often called Kiwis.

Maori Heritage

The Maori are the first people of New Zealand. Their customs, language, and arts are central to the nation’s identity. The haka, a traditional Maori dance, is famous worldwide. Maori values and history are respected and celebrated across the country.

Outdoor Lifestyle

New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes make outdoor activities popular. Hiking, rugby, and water sports are activities that many people enjoy. This love for the outdoors is a key part of what it means to be a Kiwi.

Food and Festivals

New Zealand’s food is a mix of fresh local ingredients and international flavors. The traditional Maori hangi, a feast cooked underground, is a special treat. Festivals throughout the year showcase music, film, and food, bringing communities together.

Arts and Creativity

Creativity thrives in New Zealand. From local crafts to world-class films, Kiwis are proud of their artistic achievements. Traditional Maori carvings and modern art galleries display the nation’s talent and diversity.

New Zealand culture is unique, with its blend of Maori traditions and modern lifestyle. It’s a culture that cherishes its past while embracing the future, full of adventure, community, and artistic expression.

250 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

New Zealand, a beautiful country far in the Pacific Ocean, has a rich culture that mixes the traditions of its native Maori people with influences from European settlers and other cultures from around the world. This blend has created a unique way of life for the people of New Zealand, known as Kiwis.

Maori Traditions

The Maori are the first people of New Zealand, and their customs are a big part of the country’s culture. One famous Maori tradition is the ‘haka’, a powerful dance used to welcome guests or to show strength in sports. Maori language, stories, and art are also important and are taught in many schools.

New Zealanders love the outdoors. With lots of beautiful landscapes, from beaches to mountains, it’s common for people to spend time hiking, sailing, or playing sports like rugby, which is very popular. This love for nature is seen in how they care for the environment.

Food in New Zealand includes fresh seafood, lamb, and ‘hangi’, a traditional Maori way of cooking food in the ground. There are also many festivals that celebrate the arts, food, and history, where everyone can enjoy music, dance, and good food together.

New Zealand’s culture is a colorful tapestry woven from its indigenous roots and the various cultures that have come together on its islands. It’s a place where history is respected, nature is cherished, and people from all backgrounds share in the beauty of Kiwi life.

500 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

New Zealand, a country in the Pacific Ocean, is known for its rich culture that comes from its native people, the Māori, and the mix of other cultures brought by people from around the world. The culture of New Zealand is a colorful tapestry that includes art, language, sports, and celebrations.

The Māori Influence

The Māori are the first people of New Zealand, and their customs, language, and traditions are a big part of the country’s culture. The Māori language, called Te Reo Māori, is one of the official languages of the country. Traditional Māori art, like wood carvings and tattoos called ‘moko,’ are well-known. The haka, a type of war dance, is performed at important events and has become famous worldwide through New Zealand sports teams.

Food in New Zealand is a mix of Māori dishes and food from other places like Europe and Asia. A traditional Māori way of cooking called ‘hangi’ involves steaming food underground. It is a special part of celebrations and gatherings. New Zealand also has many festivals that show off its culture, like Waitangi Day, which celebrates the signing of an important treaty between the Māori and the British.

Sports and Recreation

Sports are a big deal in New Zealand. Rugby is the most popular sport, and the national team, the All Blacks, is known all over the world. People in New Zealand also enjoy cricket, netball, and soccer. Being close to the ocean and having lots of nature, New Zealanders love outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, and bungee jumping.

Art and Literature

New Zealand has a lively art scene. Māori art is still very important, and other artists in New Zealand use paintings, sculptures, and movies to express their ideas. New Zealand literature is rich with stories and poems, some of which are about the country’s beautiful landscapes and unique animals.

Everyday Life and Values

In everyday life, people in New Zealand, also called Kiwis, are known for being friendly and relaxed. They value fairness, honesty, and treating everyone with respect. They also care a lot about the environment and work to protect their natural surroundings.

New Zealand culture is a beautiful blend of old traditions and new ideas. From the Māori people to the different foods, sports, and arts, New Zealand has a unique culture that is both interesting and welcoming. It is a country where history is respected, and the future is made by people from all walks of life coming together.

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• The Culture Of New Zealand

• New Zealand's culture is a mix of Western and Indigenous influences.
• The Māori people have lived on the island since the 14th century, and the British colonizers came in the 18th century, forever altering the course of history for the inhabitants of New Zealand.
• Most of New Zealand's population is either Christian or not religious, and the country also includes different faiths like Islam and Buddhism.
• The traditional Māori music, dance and art forms are still practiced today, and have significantly influenced New Zealand's artistic expression.
• Rugby is the most popular sport in New Zealand, but many other sports are practiced as well.

The island of New Zealand is located in the southwestern region of the Pacific Ocean,  southeast of Australia. New Zealand is a diverse nation, with colonial Western culture influenced by Māori customs and traditions. Before the 1800s, the Māori pre-colonial culture was dominant on the island. The Māori culture developed from Polynesian influences of their traditional lands, and when they arrived on the island we now know as New Zealand in about the 14th century, their culture developed under the influence of their new surroundings. 

The migration of the Europeans into New Zealand in the 1800s forever changed the course of history for its inhabitants. These Europeans carried with them traditions and practices of their native lands, most of whom were from Britain. Cultural interactions among the Europeans and the Māori people created a new set of new practices both for the Māori and for the Europeans as they exchanged different aspects of religion, dress, music, and language. These interactions between the Indigenous Māori and the European settlers gave rise to the Pakeha people. Currently, New Zealand is committed to promoting its cultural heritage, especially the Māori culture, which is unique to this country.

Social Beliefs And Customs

Though the relations between the Indigenous peoples and Western settlers have varied throughout its history and have been strained at times, New Zealand is founded on the principles of equality and classlessness. Although the earlier culture of the Māori displayed social stratification with three different hierarchies of belonging in their society, the classes relatively disappeared with influence and interaction with other cultures. New Zealanders, also called Kiwis, are social people who believe in basic politeness and hospitality to all. They value aspects such as personal distance during communication, greeting, and have defined expectations on showing affection in public. For instance, during communication, too much eye contact and closeness translate to the invasion of personal space. Greetings are also an important part of the social fabric of New Zealand with parties acknowledging each other with a simple “Good day!”

The cuisine of the Māori people includes sweet potatoes, fern roots, birds, and fish prepared into various meals with earthen ovens, roasting and steaming over natural hot springs and pools. The influences of the European culinary cultures on the Māori led to the adoption of pork and potatoes in the Māori diet. The Pakeha people, a word used to refer to light-skinned Māori or to the Western colonizers, brought their native culinary tradition into New Zealand including their high consumption of red meat and sweet foods. The evolution of the country’s cuisine from influences of local and international cultures has led to the emergence of new cuisines and the recreation of former ones. Food tourism has also grown, with tourists eager to partake in unique cuisines and more restaurants incorporating a variety of local and ethnic foods into their menus. Increased awareness of healthy eating has also played a significant role in the production and preparation of food in the country with most people opting for healthier choices.

Clothing is an essential part of the identity of New Zealanders. While most of the fashion is from Western culture, subtle influences of other cultures, particularly Māori, can be found in the dress and style of clothing. Both the Māori and the Pakeha borrowed clothing styles and pattern designs from each other. Today, the Māori will often wear their traditional clothing during cultural festivals, and their daily wear is primarily casual and Western in style. Generally, New Zealanders dress in a smart-casual style when out for social events.

Music And Dance

Music and dance are some of the aspects that are central to any culture. The music and dance in the New Zealandic culture draw its influences from genres such as jazz, pop, hip-hop, or rock and roll. However, the music has a unique New Zealand twist from the incorporation of Māori singing traditions, dances and musical instruments. Traditional Māori music featured monotonal and harmonic signing, usually by a group of singers. Later on, the music developed through the adoption of European styles and instruments leading to the rise of contemporary Māori music. Dance styles of New Zealand descend from influences of the Pacific, Asian, and European cultures. Cultural dances and music are often seen at festivals and cultural events in New Zealand. The most famous dance is the Pacific dance, a part of the Pasifika festival. The traditional Māori dance, the Haka, has also gained prominence in New Zealand. Other dances in New Zealand include the Irish dance, Morris dance, Legong, Chinese lion and dragon dances, and Bharata Natyam.

Literature And Arts

The traditional Māori storytelling is primarily oral. During the pre-European era, oral traditions were the common method of transmission of their cultural traditions, beliefs, and practices. The major literature developed in New Zealand for a long time showed the dominance of European influence. Very few Māori engaged in literary production, with that trend changing only recently. The Māori flourished in the performing arts such as traditional dances and songs. New Zealand is home to numerous museums and galleries that contain relics of the Māori arts including sculptures, woven items, and carvings made from various materials. Some individuals, organizations and the government provide funds towards the promotion and revival of traditional arts.

Religions And Festivals

Before the coming of the European, the polytheistic Māori religion was the common practice. With the introduction of Christianity, some of the Māori people converted to Christianity. Other religions sects such as the Ringatu and Ratana have retained some of their traditional religious practices while adopting the Christian faith. Since the 19th century, Christianity has risen to the prominence of being the most popular religion in the country, totaling about 45% of the population. The main Christian groups in New Zealand are Roman Catholics and Anglicans with about 12% each, and Presbyterian at 8.47%. Other religious groups in New Zealand include Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. About 38% of the population has no religion. Festivals in New Zealand exhibit influences of both traditional and modern cultures. The two most recognized New Zealand native festivals include ANZAC Day, which commemorates New Zealand and Australia’s fallen soldiers and veterans, and Waitangi Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Waitangi Treaty between British representatives and Māori chiefs which acts as the country’s founding document. Religious festivals, as in other Christian countries, include birth, marriage, and death, which include foods, drinks, songs, and dance.

Sports are important in the culture of New Zealand. Popular sports include rugby, cricket, football, netball, golf, basketball, hockey, tennis, and water sports such as sailing and surfing. New Zealand also uses its winter season for sporting activities such as skiing and snowboarding. New Zealand participates in both local and international competitions and has a prominent national rugby team commonly known as the All Blacks. Athletic activities in New Zealand are also vital, especially track and field events including racing, boxing, and cycling. Most of the sporting activities developed from influences of British and Western cultures and grew from recreation activities to competitive and professional ones. New Zealand also prides itself on the invention of bungee jumping and zorbing, both of which are tourist attractions of New Zealand.

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New Zealand Culture

New Zealand

Core Concepts

Māori have been the tangata whenua (indigenous people) of Aotearoa (New Zealand) for a millennia. Their ancestors migrated from the Polynesian region of Hawaiki over 1,000 years ago. British settlers began arriving in the 18th century, and eventually claimed the territory as an official colony of the Crown. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed to establish and guide the relationship between the Crown in New Zealand and Māori. However, the process of colonisation caused widespread violence and dispossessed many Māori of their land, fracturing and marginalising communities and cultural identities.

Since the colonisation of New Zealand, mass immigration has dramatically changed the social demographics of the population and established a western European cultural mainstream. The following cultural profile depicts this newly dominant culture – a Western society and value system influenced by continual migration over the last 200 years.

• Dependability
• Inventiveness
• Sensitivity
• Global-mindedness
• Egalitarianism
• Open-mindedness

New Zealand is a Pacific Island nation that has blended Oceanian, Polynesian and European traditions into its modern culture. New Zealanders (also known as Kiwis) are often viewed as being friendly, inventive, outgoing and welcoming people. They are generally calm and may initially seem slightly more reserved and polite in comparison to other English-speakers. However, their culture is still highly informal and relaxed. The 2015 Global Peace Index identified the country as the fourth safest in the world. A strong sense of security combined with relative social and economic prosperity has provided many New Zealanders with an optimistic outlook on the freedom and possibilities around them.

There is a strong individualistic streak that underpins New Zealand’s culture. The do-it-yourself spirit encourages self-reliance, inventiveness and bravery. Many national narratives celebrate courageous Kiwis overcoming adverse odds. However, the idolisation of achievement is tempered by the love of the underdog. Those who excel too much or show arrogance are likely to be resented and swiftly cut down with ridicule. This phenomenon, commonly known as tall poppy syndrome , leads humility to be highly valued in social interaction. As such, New Zealanders tend to be modest about their accomplishments and often self-deprecate to avoid seeming pretentious.

New Zealand is geographically isolated in the Pacific Ocean, and this can provide a sense of removal from pressing global political issues. Nevertheless, its people are very globally minded and most have a strong aspiration to travel. It has become almost a rite of passage for people to gain overseas experience, with many taking advantage of easy migration opportunities to the UK or Australia. As of 2016, it is estimated over one million or 14.1% of New Zealand's native-born population were living abroad, giving it the second highest diaspora in the OECD . 1

New Zealanders generally see themselves as being open-minded towards new ideas, difference and change. Most Kiwis are proud of their country’s historically prevailing liberal social attitudes (for example, New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote). Largely, New Zealanders try to be accepting and tolerant of most differences. Society is underpinned by strong egalitarian beliefs that everyone should have the equal opportunity to better their circumstances regardless of their background. People who are financially successful are not viewed as being better than anyone else – rather, those who are privileged are simply acknowledged as better off than others. As such, whilst there are social stratifications among the wealthy, the middle-income earners and the poor, there is no formal class structure in society. A person’s level of education and wealth does not necessarily earn them status or respect; instead it is simply acknowledged that they have an advantage or a ‘leg up in life’. Thus, people from different social brackets tend to interact quite easily with each other.

Visible social differences in society generally correlate with ethnicity ; the indigenous people of New Zealand (Māori) and Pacific Islanders are still significantly disadvantaged compared to the white majority. People who identify as Māori are more likely to earn less, have poorer health standards and economic standards of living. Māori and Pacific Islanders also make up a disproportionate amount of the imprisoned population. The majority of non-Māori Pacific Islanders came from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau and Fiji. They tend to live in or around the main cities and usually migrate for employment or family reasons. Another significant ethnic population in New Zealand is the Asian population (mainly from specific countries such as China and India) that has steadily migrated – mostly for economic reasons.

One may argue that racial tensions are less pronounced in New Zealand than Australia because the indigenous/non-indigenous relationship developed slightly differently. It should be noted, unlike the Aboriginal population of Australia, the Māori people share the same language and have relatively similar customs. This is not to say their culture is homogenous, but different tribes had enough collective similarities to allow them to maintain a relatively solid sense of their history and cultural knowledge despite the fracturing caused by colonisation . Hence, indigenous culture has been integrated more visibly into New Zealand's mainstream society than it has in Australia. For example, the Māori language is an official language of the country and is taught within the school curriculum. New Zealand English contains many Māori words that are in common use.

Mainstream society has developed a degree of reverence, acceptance and understanding of the indigenous heritage of the country. Most New Zealanders of all backgrounds feel moved and proud when they see their nation represented by Māori on the global stage. Furthermore, this has encouraged more Māori to feel pride and honour in their identity, and to recognise that disadvantages associated with their ethnicity are externally caused. Sociologists have argued that Māori’s pride in their culture and history has made New Zealanders of European descent less assertive and entitled (in comparison to Australians).

Something that unites New Zealanders is their love of the natural beauty of their land. Foreigners are usually struck by how proud they are of their country’s incredible landscape and environment. There is a strong social and political will to preserve the natural environment. Influenced by the indigenous world view, some New Zealanders believe that all aspects of the ecosystem have a mauri (life force) and damage to this mauri – by attempts to dominate or extort the land – causes the land and its people to lose energy and vitality.

A second common bond in society is through the pride of place in the public imagination that the national rugby team (the All Blacks) command. The New Zealand team are statistically the most successful team to have ever played rugby, and the nation comes to a virtual standstill when important matches are underway. The contribution of Māori players to the success of the national team is undeniable and the haka , a ritual Māori challenge undertaken by the team at the start of the game, is a defining cultural symbol for New Zealanders.

Māori Culture

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, making up almost 15% of the total population. Traditionally, the Māori have a warrior-like identity and a very strong connection with their spirituality. While Māori have been influenced by Europeans, modernised with the technological age and also Christianised, many keep their culture alive. The traditional language is still widely spoken throughout New Zealand and ceremonies are celebrated by the nation. Some core concepts of Māori culture are mana , tapu and utu .

• Mana is the Māori concept that represents power and prestige. It can be gained through demonstration of authority (i.e. winning a contested piece of land), age, association (i.e. being the grandson of someone prestigious) or by having a wealth of resources that you can use to influence others. Respect of mana drives hierarchical relationships. Traditionally, Māori proudly defended their mana through their actions or would try to enhance it through grandiose responses to situations.
• Tapu is a Polynesian concept that refers to something being so sacred it is untouchable. Something that is tapu should not be used, interfered with, or in some cases even spoken of. For example, a tribe that holds a particular belief in a lake they grew up around may consider it tapu and prevent people from fishing it. There are many places and things in New Zealand under this spiritual protection that one should be aware of. Burial grounds are particularly sacred.
• Utu is loosely defined as revenge but is traditionally much more. It is the notion of reciprocation and balanced exchange that Māori follow. Historically, they often gave gifts or demanded items as compensation for past events. Today, it continues as the cultural idea that everything has to be put right.

Many traditional cultural concepts are still understood and practised by Māori today – however, usually in a modified, modern form. For example, relationships were once particularly hierarchical with a strongly patriarchal culture. This has changed as gender equality is acknowledged and respect of female authority and opinion has become the expectation. Māori women commonly hold positions of power. However, women’s involvement in traditionally male-only ceremonies is still determined between members of those tribes.

The younger generation of Māori have become more aware of their culture as the New Zealand government has encouraged funding to maintain the language and culture. Non-Māori may have difficulty comprehending the culture and traditional spirituality as it is very holistic and many tenets are based on legends that have flexible notions of time (hard for Westerners to conceptualise).

Māori often like to come together in the greater community to strengthen and maintain links to cultural traditions. Generally, they are a more collectivistic people than other New Zealanders as their culture places a high value on loyalty and belonging to their tribe. As a result, they tend to be very family-oriented. In Australia, Māori who are separated from their family overseas tend to adopt other Māori who are not directly related and become ‘one big family’. Traditional Māori would define themselves first by their family ( whānau ), then by their sub-tribe ( hapu ), and then by the larger tribe ( iwi ) and its geographical territory.

Generally, the Māori are more reserved than other New Zealanders in their demeanour. They are often recognised as being hard-working, calm, patient and good-humoured people. Traditional or older Māori may be less likely to verbalise their feelings, tending to internalise things towards a spiritual understanding of situations. Māori are also usually very hospitable. Largely, they are exceptionally generous and accommodating to their guests, often trying very hard to mask the inconvenience of doing so.

For some Māori living in Australia and other countries, the homesickness of moving to and living in a new country heightens their sense of Māori identity and ignites a desire to embrace their roots and culture. However, some have also reported that living in Australia presents a cultural challenge, as indigenous identity is not as widely celebrated in Australian society.

1 Forbes, 2019

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• Publications and resources
• The Social Report 2016 – Te pūrongo oranga tangata
• General information
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Introduction
• Reporting approaches used for indicators
• Social wellbeing at a glance
• Life expectancy at birth
• Health expectancy
• Self-rated health
• Psychological distress
• Cigarette smoking
• Potentially hazardous drinking
• Participation in physical activity
• Participation in early childhood education
• School leavers with higher qualifications
• Participation in tertiary education
• Educational attainment of the adult population
• Adult literacy and numeracy skills
• Unemployment
• Median hourly earnings
• Work-related injury
• Job satisfaction
• Satisfaction with work-life balance
• Market income per person
• Income inequality
• Population with low incomes
• Material hardship
• Housing affordability
• Household crowding
• Voter turnout
• Representation of women in government
• Representation of ethnic groups in government
• Perceived discrimination
• Acceptance of diversity
• Perceived corruption
• Local content programming on New Zealand television
• Māori language speakers
• Language retention
• Ability to be yourself in New Zealand
• Satisfaction with leisure time
• Participation in arts and cultural activities
• Criminal victimisation
• Fear of crime
• Assault mortality
• Road casualties
• Telephone and internet access in the household
• Contact with family and friends
• Contact between young people and their parents
• Trust in others
• Voluntary work
• Overall life satisfaction
• Recent-change and medium-term-change
• Comparisons with OECD countries
• Summary table
• Social wellbeing outcomes for Māori
• Changes in social wellbeing for Māori
• Social wellbeing outcomes for Pacific peoples
• Changes in social wellbeing for Pacific peoples
• Social wellbeing outcomes for the Asian ethnic group
• Changes in social wellbeing for the Asian ethnic group
• Social wellbeing outcomes for females relative to males
• Sex differences in social wellbeing outcomes
• Social wellbeing outcomes at different ages
• Bibliography
• Appendix 1: The Social Report framework
• Appendix 2: Changes to The Social Report 2016
• Appendix 3: Technical notes
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Previous reports
• Web PDF (2.98MB PDF)

Cultural identity

Desired outcomes.

New Zealanders have a strong national identity and a sense of belonging, and value cultural diversity. Everybody is able to pass their cultural traditions on to future generations. Māori culture is valued, practised and protected.

Introduction Top

Culture refers to the customs, practices, languages, values and world views that define social groups such as those based on nationality, ethnicity, region or common interests. Cultural identity is important for people’s sense of self and how they relate to others. A strong cultural identity can contribute to people’s overall wellbeing.

Cultural identity based on ethnicity is not necessarily exclusive. People may identify themselves as New Zealanders in some circumstances and as part of a particular culture (eg Māori, Chinese or Scottish) in other circumstances. They may also identify with more than one culture.

The desired outcomes statement recognises the importance of a shared national identity and sense of belonging, and the value of cultural, social and ethnic diversity. It recognises New Zealand is a multicultural society, while also acknowledging that Māori culture has a unique place. For example, under the Treaty of Waitangi, the Crown has an obligation to protect the Māori language.

Defining a national identity is not simple. New Zealand is a diverse nation, made up of many cultural groups, with many different customs and traditions. While people may describe themselves as “New Zealanders”, how they define their “New Zealand-ness” will vary from person to person. For example, some people might see a New Zealand identity in aspects of New Zealand history or in New Zealand achievements in sporting, artistic or other endeavours, while others might see it through a sense of national characteristics or traits, or through national symbols and icons. Māori culture may form one aspect of national identity, since it is both unique to New Zealand and a part of its identity in the outside world.

Cultural identity is an important contributor to people’s wellbeing. Identifying with a particular culture helps people feel they belong and gives them a sense of security. An established cultural identity has also been linked with positive outcomes in areas such as health and education. It provides access to social networks, which provide support and shared values and aspirations. Social networks can help to break down barriers and build a sense of trust between people – a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “social capital”.

However, strong cultural identity expressed in the wrong way can contribute to barriers between groups. Members of smaller cultural groups can feel excluded from society if others obstruct, or are intolerant of, their cultural practices.

Indicators Top

Four headline indicators are used in this report to provide a snapshot of the health of New Zealand’s cultural identity. They are local content programming on New Zealand television; Māori language speakers; language retention; and the ability to be yourself in New Zealand.

The first indicator is the share of New Zealand content programming on free-to-air television. Since television is the dominant cultural medium for many New Zealanders, it has a strong influence on how New Zealanders see themselves.

The second indicator measures the health of the Māori language. Language is a central component of culture and a necessary skill for full participation in Māori society.

The proportion of people who can speak the first language (other than English and Māori) of their ethnic group is an indicator of the degree to which people are able to retain their culture and traditions, and to pass them on to subsequent generations.

The final indicator measures people’s ability to be themselves in New Zealand. This subjective indicator looks at the ease with which people feel they can express their own identity in New Zealand society.

Domain summary Top

Cultural Identity domain outcomes are generally declining.

The proportion of local content programming on New Zealand television broadcast during prime-time hours has remained stable over the last few years ( recent-change ), but has fallen since 2006 ( medium-term-change ).

The proportion of Māori who could speak te reo Māori dropped between 2001 and 2013, driven largely by a decline in Māori language speakers among the older age groups. Proportions of people who can speak the first language of their ethnic group (other than Māori) also appear to be declining since 2001, particularly for those in Pacific and European ethnic groups.

Most people found it very easy or easy to be themselves in New Zealand in 2014, though Pacific peoples, those in the Asian ethnic group, and those in lower socio-economic groups were less likely than others to say this.

The Māori Culture of New Zealand Essay

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• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Maori is the name of the people who historically inhabited New Zealand and are of Polynesian origin; they arrived there about a thousand years ago. Their culture is rich and comprises whakairo (carving), raranga (plaiting), kapa haka (performing), whaikōrero (oratory), and tā moko (tattooing). These arts record Māori beliefs and whakapapa, that is, genealogy. The Māori language is called Te Reo Māori, abbreviated to Te Reo. Many Māori are making efforts to preserve their traditional culture, and in recent years, Māori language teaching has been introduced in some schools.

The word Māori stands for ordinary or natural, which is how Māori mythology refers to mortal human beings as opposed to deities and spirits. There is a Māori legend about how they came to New Zealand in seven canoes from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. Modern research shows that the then-uninhabited New Zealand was settled by Polynesians around 1280 AD (Kleiner, 2016). By that time, all present-day human settlements were already inhabited. The ancestral home of the Māori and all Polynesians is the island of Taiwan near mainland China. People came to New Zealand directly from the islands of East Polynesia. Today Māori are actively involved in contemporary life and contribute significantly to the cultural development of New Zealand. Among them, one can find not only simple toilers but also talented engineers, designers, inventors, athletes, and politicians.

One of the critical ideas of Māori philosophy is the unity of man and nature. Māori explain it this way — every creation has a particle of life force (mauri). Due to Mauri, everything that exists in the world is interconnected. Since every part depends on everything else, neglecting to care for the world would be detrimental to the individual. Māori culture and religion in its classic form require the observance of many rituals designed to minimize the potential harm that can be done to all of nature in general and to humans in particular (Kleiner, 2016). The Māori explanation of why it is necessary not to harm wildlife is fascinating. They think that for every action, whether hunting an animal or cutting down a tree, a good reason is needed, and it is necessary to ask the gods’ permission by special ritual.

Visual Māori art objects have one characteristic feature, which is the unity of form and function. That is to say, the items created were of not only aesthetic but also practical value. In the creation of objects were used mainly natural materials such as wood, linen, and stone. However, European colonization changed the nature of art and its functions. Through their art, the Māori began to protest against change. This culminated in the 1984 Te Māori exhibition, which was shown to the New York City public at the Museum of Art (Kleiner, 2016). It helped to make many people aware of the talent of Māori artists.

Myths of the indigenous peoples of Oceania often become the subjects of murals, which is an example of cultural renewal. A school of New Zealand artists inspired by Māori heritage, for example, is developing. Wood carving is a traditional craft that Aboriginal people have practiced for many years (Kleiner, 2016). One of the most famous murals depicts events from the Māori creation myth. The artist Cliff Whiting depicts the god of the winds struggling to control the children of the four winds (Figure 1). The winds are represented in the form of blue spiral shapes. In the fresco the gods of Māori culture can be seen — Ra, Marama, Ranginui and Papatuanuku (Figure 1). The mural’s author supports the idea that Māori culture must be saved and sustained. He believed that not only continuity in the arts is necessary, but also the education of young people in the spirit of indigenous peoples of Oceania values.

The Māori people have many beautiful legends, some of which can still be heard today as told by Māori oral storytellers. One of the main themes of the myths has to do with the sea and fishing. It was one of the main occupations of the Māori, who many years ago learned to sail on the open sea in special canoes called Waka (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2022). One legend tells how the god Maui went fishing on the North Island (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2022). This story describes the creation of three islands, North Island, Waipounamu, and Kaikōura.

However, according to another myth, the universe began as nothingness from which darkness arose. Rangi and Papa are two primordial figures who emerged from this darkness. The six sons of Rangi and Papa later populated the world with all kinds of creatures and became gods (Grainger, 2022). Cliff Whiting decided to capture this story in one of his sculptures (Figure 2). It depicts these six gods trying to divide Rangi and Papa, as the legend implies. (Figure 2). Cliff Whiting’s attention to mythological subjects stems from his desire to remind the Māori people of their origins and their unity. In order to keep the audience interested in the work, the artist chose to use modern aesthetic techniques.

Māori poetry was sung or chanted, and its key difference from prose was that it was based on musical rhythms. In this kind of poetry, rhyme does not play a significant role. It is characterized by the repetition of keywords and the use of synonyms. It is accompanied by the presence of atypical grammatical constructions, which are not usually found in prose (Cowan, 1930). Contemporary poets of this trend include Hone Tūwhare, Jacquie Sturm, and Robert Sullivan. Māori poetry has many references to religious and mythological subjects. It is interesting to note that even Old-World poets found inspiration in the works of primitive people. They were struck by the way the Mari authors described the beauty of wildlife (Cowan, 1930). This is not surprising since the Aborigines have always lived in union with nature, and therefore, they learned how to skillfully tell stories about its greatness.

Hone Tuwhare was the first indigenous New Zealand poet to be translated into English. He was the recipient of several prestigious literary awards and was a strong advocate for the recognition of Māori culture. Hone Tuwhare and Ralph Hotere were two creators who were united by friendship and the struggle for human rights. Ralph Hotere used Tuware’s poems in several of his paintings. He also designed the covers for several volumes of the poet’s poems (Figure 3). Hotere is the title of a poem in which Hone Tuwhare reflected on the importance of art and the role of the artist. It is worth noting, however, that a close interaction between individual poets and sculptors or people engaged in woodcarving was uncommon.

In general, traditional Māori art is very much in harmony with modern realities. On the streets of New Zealand cities, one can see quite a few New Zealanders and tourists wearing traditional jewelry. The Māori tā moko motifs are becoming increasingly popular among people who want to get a tattoo. This tattoo culture is spreading to places where little is known about other aspects of Māori. Their traditions inspire fashion designers, and even such giants of the fashion industry as Jean Paul Gaultier use Māori style elements in his collections. Among contemporary Māori artists, it is worth noting Warren Pohatu. His drawings are, in a sense, a modern interpretation of traditional, although very close to real, authentic Māori art. This artist illustrated several books of Māori myths and legends — that is why his drawings often feature folkloric characters and well-known plots of traditional Maori myths.

Cowan, J. (1930). The Maori: Yesterday and today . Whitcombe and Tombs Limited.

Grainger, A. (2022). Polynesian creation myths: Ever wondered how Hawai’i was created? The Collector. Web.

Hotere, R. (1972). Drawings for Hone Tuwhare’s sapwood and milk [Painting]. Dunedin Public Art Gallery, New Zeeland.

Kleiner, F. S. (2016). Gardner’s art through the ages: A global history (15 th ed.). Cengage.

New Zealand Tourism Guide. (2022). Māori stories and legends: The story of He Ika A Mau .

Whiting, C. (1984). Tawhiri-Matea (God of the Winds) [Mural]. Meteorological Service of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zeeland.

Whiting, C. (1969-1976). The separation of Rangi and Papa [Sculpture]. National Library of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.

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What Western Society Can Learn From Indigenous Communities

By Rachel Cernansky

Ms. Cernansky is a freelance journalist and the sustainability editor at Vogue Business. She writes frequently about the environment and social justice issues.

Nearly two decades ago, when the New Zealand highway authority was planning the Waikato Expressway, people from the Māori tribe Ngāti Naho objected. The highway would encroach on an area that, in Māori tradition, was governed by a water-dwelling creature, a taniwha.

The authorities took those concerns into account and rerouted the road to circumvent the area in question. As a result, a year later, when the area was hit by a major flood, the road was unharmed.

“I’m still waiting for the headline, ‘Mythical Creature Saves the Taxpayer Millions,’” said Dan Hikuroa, a senior lecturer in Māori studies at the University of Auckland and member of the Ngāti Maniapoto tribe. He has often wondered if, once the flood hit, the technical team later said, “Why didn’t you just say it’s a flood risk area?”

Like many Indigenous peoples around the world, the Māori have developed their understanding of their environment through close observation of the landscape and its behaviors over the course of many generations. Now the New Zealand Environmental Protection Agency regularly looks for ways to integrate traditional Māori knowledge, or mātauranga, into its decision-making. Mr. Hikuroa has been appointed the culture commissioner for UNESCO New Zealand, a role he said is centered on integrating Māori knowledge into UNESCO’s work.

Western-trained researchers and governments are increasingly recognizing the wealth of knowledge that Indigenous communities have amassed to coexist with and protect their environments over hundreds or even thousands of years. Peer-reviewed scientific journals have published studies demonstrating that around the world, Indigenous-managed lands have far more biodiversity intact than other lands, even those set aside for conservation.

Embracing Indigenous knowledge, as New Zealand is trying to do, can improve how federal governments manage ecosystems and natural resources. It can also deepen Western scientists’ understanding of their own research, potentially, by providing alternative perspectives and approaches to understanding their field of work. This is ever more urgent, particularly as the climate crisis unfolds. “It is Indigenous resilience and worldview that every government, country and community can learn from, so that we manage our lands, waters and resources not just across budget years, but across generations,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and America’s first Native American cabinet secretary, said in remarks to the United Nations .

Indigenous scholars warn, though, that while traditional knowledge can be used to benefit the world, it can also be mishandled or exploited. Dominique David Chavez, a descendant of the Arawak Taíno in the Caribbean, and a research fellow at the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona and the National Science Foundation, says that, as Western scientists, “we are trained to go into communities, get that knowledge and go back to our institutions and disseminate it in academic journals.” That can be disruptive to traditional knowledge sharing, from one generation to another, she says, which should be the priority — ensuring that Indigenous knowledge systems are preserved in and supportive of the communities that developed them. In Puerto Rico, known by its Indigenous people as Borikén, Ms. Chavez is studying ways to restore the connections and traditional knowledge transmission patterns between elders and youth.

Bridging Indigenous and Western science also means respecting the ecosystem of values in which the knowledge systems are embedded. For instance, the practice of planting a diversity of crops and building healthy soil for water retention — today known as “regenerative agriculture” — has existed in Indigenous communities around the world throughout history. Yet the growing push to adopt regenerative agriculture practices elsewhere is often selective, using industrial pesticides, for example, or leaving out the well-being of people who farm the land.

“In Indigenous sciences, it’s not possible to separate the knowledge from the ethics of the responsibility for that knowledge — whereas in Western science, we do that all the time,” said Robin Wall Kimmerer, the director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York in Syracuse and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The scientific method is designed to be indifferent to morals or values, she adds. “Indigenous knowledge puts them back in.”

Ideally, the shared use of Indigenous knowledge can help mend broken relationships between Indigenous and Western communities.

In upstate New York, Ms. Kimmerer points to sweetgrass, a native plant used for traditional basketry. She was approached by a tribe concerned about the decline of the plant and looking for a solution.

Government regulations had already restricted its harvest. “One thing people often think about is, is it being overharvested?” Ms. Kimmerer said. She helped to conduct studies that ultimately showed that harvesting sweetgrass, following Indigenous protocols, is the very thing that will help it to thrive. “If you just leave it alone, it starts to decline.”

For her, that speaks to a core flaw in Western approaches to land management: the belief that human interaction is necessarily harmful to ecosystems. “That’s one of the reasons Native people were systematically removed from what are today’s national parks, because of this idea that people and nature can’t coexist in a good way.” But Indigenous knowledge, Ms. Kimmerer said, is really all about, ‘Oh yes we can, and we cultivate practices for how that is possible,’” she said.

While combating wildfires last year, Australian authorities turned to Aboriginal practices . While researchers have connected the severity of the fires to climate change, Ms. Kimmerer added that how Australia’s land has been managed in the modern era may have also played a role. Aboriginal people had “been managing that land in a fire landscape for millenniums, ” she said. “The fact that Indigenous science has been ignored is a contributing factor to the fires there.”

As the world increasingly recognizes the accomplishments of many Indigenous communities that successfully coexist with ecosystems , there is much for Western society to learn.

“We have this notion that Western science is the pathway to truth. We don’t really even entertain the possibility that it could come from somewhere else,” said Ms. Kimmerer. “Resource managers, land managers need to understand that there are multiple ways of knowing.”

Rachel Cernansky is a freelance journalist and the sustainability editor at Vogue Business. She writes frequently about the environment and social justice issues.

This article is part of Fixes, a series that explores solutions to major social problems. To receive email alerts for Fixes columns, sign up here .

Culture of Maori People of New Zealand

Maori People are the native Polynesian culture of continental New Zealand. The Maori People originated from East Polynesia with settlers, arriving in mainland New Zealand through several waves by voyages (in canoes) between the 1320s and 1350s. With many centuries existing in isolation, the settling immigrants developed a distinct cultural identity, whose etymological, mythology, performing and visual arts, and crafts evolved independently compared to former Polynesian cultures in East Asia (where they migrated from) (Lilley, 2019). Some of the early Maori arrivals in New Zealand settled in the Chatham Islands, where their progenies became the Moriori, the other native Polynesian ethnic culture of New Zealand. Early contact between Maori indigenous people and Europeans, beginning in the eighteenth century, was characterized by various activities ranging from violent wars to beneficial trade; Maori culture actively embraced many new technologies from these contact with Europeans (Holmes, 2018).

With the signing of the 1840 Waitangi Treaty, the European and Maori cultures concurred for several generations before conflict broke out. Increasing tensions because of land disputes resulted in conflicts during the 1850s, and extensive land confiscation, to which the Maori people responded with vicious war confrontation. Following the declaration of the non-abidance to the 1877 Treaty, the Maori people in New Zealand were influenced to assimilate their culture with other key features of Western culture and civilizations (Lilley, 2019). Social epidemics and upheavals resulted in illnesses that had a devastating impact on the Maori population, with a dramatic fall in population numbers. The inauguration of the twentieth era saw the population of Maori people begins to recover following efforts made focusing on the Waitangi Treaty to enhance their political influence in broader New Zealand society and ensure social justice.

Traditional indigenous Maori people have thus enjoyed a noteworthy revitalization, which has further been bolstered by different Maori awareness movements that emerged during the 1960s different cultural independence and recognition periods (Holmes, 2018). Nonetheless, disproportionate population numbers of Maori populations face significant social and economic problems and experience lower life expectancy and income levels compared to other New

The traditional history of the New Zealand Maori people describes their origin with regards to their waves of migrating that resulted in their arrival and settlement of their great fleet from Hawaiki in the fourteenth century, a fabulous terrestrial commonly denoted as Tahiti. The historical description offers the foundation for traditional Maori social culture structure. It has been reinforced by various archaeological findings, which illuminate them as arriving in New Zealand during the 1300s (Holmes, 2018). The most commonly identified Maori cultural group is the hapu culture (the main sub-tribe), which denoted the main land-holding cultural group in which matrimonial association was favored.

The Maori culture’s visual arts consist mainly of 4 primary forms: painting, weaving, tattooing (ta moko), and carvings. These visual forms of art were rarely utilized for purely decorative intentions; traditional Maori visual art intentions were highly spiritually motivated and, during the pre – European contact era were utilized by the Maori culture to convey information concerning ancestry, spiritual issues, and other ethnically important subjects (Neha et al., 2020). The construction of visual artifacts was overseen by the tapu regulations with visual artistic styles varying between different regions developing independently: the styles now from time to time perceived as ‘norm of Maori culture’ in fact originate from the TeArawa branch, who preserve a strong continuity in how they practice their visual artistic traditions owing to their early engagements with expressing their traditions to tourists (Lilley, 2019). Most traditional Maori visual art pieces were highly stylized, featuring motifs like the koru, the chevron, and the spiral to express their Oral Legends, Poetry, and Other Literary information to other generations.

The Maori people of New Zealand employed songs, dance, chants, and poetry to express their oral legends, poetry, and other literary information to other generations. Maori cultural performance of poetry (poetry), chants (tauparapara), dance (haka), and songs (waiata) are employed by the Maori culture to pass and express understanding and knowledge relating to their communities, history, and relationships. For instance, the Haka Kapa denotes a Maori dance performance that began in 1880 as visual performance art to tourists (Neha et al., 2020). Some sets extend past New Zealand borders to perform the art. Kapa Haka dance performances as visual art were utilized during World War as an entertainment art to raise funds for Māori warriors participating in the war.

The Maori people of New Zealand employed carvings to express their oral legends, poetry, and other literary information to other generations. Carvings were undertaken in three media forms: stone, bone, and wood (Lilley, 2019). Carvings of wood artifacts were used in decoration of objects, taiaha, containers, and fence poles bearing information of poems, legends, and myths of a particular community. The most common type of wood and ornament carving was pounamu carving, a soft wood carving, but other types of material carvings were also employed, particularly in other mainland regions where pounamu art was not extensively practical (Neha et al., 2020). With European contact, carvings of Maori culture evolved to be more intricate, expressing more detailed oral literature, poems, and art information through decorative approaches.

The Maori people of New Zealand employed Ta moko, a traditional Maori tattooing carving, in expressing their oral legends, poetry, and other literary information to other generations. Ta moko is undertaken using a chisel bearing poetic or religious significance (Holmes, 2018). Men are tattooed extensively on their bodies compared to women: women are tattooed on their chin and lips, with men bearing tattoos on parts such as thighs, and faces. In large part, Ta moko tattoos convey an individual’s ancestry (Holmes, 2018). Even though modern Tamoko reflects traditional attitudes, the process is undertaken by modern tattooing equipment.

The Maori people of New Zealand employed painting and weaving in expressing their oral legends, poetry, and other literary information to other generations. Even though the oldest visual types of Maori art pieces are visible stone paintings, painting does not stand out as central in’ classical’ Maori arts. The painting was majorly utilized as a decorative approach in house aesthetics to tell stories or reflect position (Lilley, 2019). The contact with European culture allowed Maori paintings to become more intricate in depicting Maori oral legends in rocks, with different colors applied to reflect more intricate details of tales encompassed. The process of weaving was majorly done by women producing artifacts that reflected a particular view point of the culture.

Discover Māori culture in New Zealand | 100% Pure New Zealand. Web.

Neha, T., Reese, E., Schaughency, E., & Taumoepeau, M. (2020). The role of whānau (New Zealand Māori families) for Māori children’s early learning. Developmental Psychology , 56 (8), 1518. Web.

Holmes, J. (2018). Negotiating the culture order in New Zealand workplaces. Language in Society , 47 (1), 33-56. Web.

Lilley, S. (2019). Developing Māori collections. Collection and Curation . Web.

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Toolkit > Student Experience Information > Understand New Zealand’s Cultural Values

Understand New Zealand’s Cultural Values

To understand New Zealanders, speaking English is not enough. International students also need an understanding of the culture and how it influences Kiwi thinking and behaviour. Knowing about the core cultural values presented in this project will help students be more successful in their interactions with New Zealanders in their daily life and study.

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1. It’s not just about language - Understanding New Zealand culture

International students are usually keenly aware of the English language challenge that awaits them in New Zealand. Many take preparatory English courses before going overseas. What some are not aware of and consequently do not prepare for are the cultural differences they will encounter in their host country. 

Cultural differences can affect how well students understand and adjust to the academic environment, and they can also affect their ability to make friends and have a satisfying social life. Both are important for students’ study success and their happiness during their time in New Zealand (Skyrme, 2007) . 

In this project, we look at core cultural values that affect how many New Zealanders behave in their daily lives. Learning about these values will help you support your students as they prepare for their time in New Zealand. 

What are important Kiwi values? 

New Zealand has developed its own Kiwi culture different from other English-speaking countries, with distinct traditions, attitudes, and beliefs. These have their roots in the country’s bicultural character and the contributions of different groups of immigrants that have arrived over time. It may be helpful to think of the Treaty of Waitangi Te Tiriti o Waitangi providing the bicultural soil for Aotearoa’s diverse society. Here, we will look at some cultural values that international students encounter in educational institutions: individualism and self-reliance, egalitarianism, humility, open-mindedness, and kindness . 

These values are relevant to all areas of New Zealand society and provide a set of lenses through which many New Zealanders interpret the world and evaluate their own and other people’s behaviour. Naturally, these values also define education. In other words, they affect how teachers teach, how learners learn, and what teachers and students expect from each other. 

2. Individualism – Many Kiwis value independence and self-reliance

Case study: kimiko from japan - ‘ i don’t know how to make friends’ .

Kimiko is in her first semester at a New Zealand university. She notices that students have to participate in many group discussions in class. The professors ask questions that students should discuss, and then they let the students find their own discussion groups. Kimiko feels left out. Her classmates usually do not invite her to join their groups. She often sits alone or ends up with another international student who also seems to be unpopular. 

In addition, Kimiko wonders how she can befriend students who are not Japanese. She says: “I don’t know how to make friends with people who are not in the Japanese Student Organisation. My English isn’t very good, and I don’t want to annoy people, so I wait for my classmates to talk to me – but they don’t. I think they don’t like international students.” At home, in the apartment Kimiko shares with two Kiwi students, things are also not always easy. The flatmates take turns cleaning, but in Japan Kimiko never had to clean the kitchen or the bathroom. She doesn’t quite know how to do it well, and she is afraid the Kiwis might think that she is too lazy to do a good job.

Back to you: Is Kimiko really “unpopular”? What could she do to make friends with Kiwis and other nationalities? How could she find a discussion group more easily in class? What can she do about the cleaning? You will find answers to these questions in the text below.

Even though New Zealand is a proud “team of five million”, many experts consider the country to have individualistic values. In individualistic societies, people tend to focus on being unique individuals rather than on being a member of a family, tribe, or group. They emphasise independence and personal responsibility for their decisions and actions. They want to express their individual talents and reach their own goals rather than group goals. European/Pākehā New Zealanders, who are the largest ethnic group, are more likely to express this value. 

An individualistic orientation contrasts with collectivistic cultures, where people tend to feel a stronger sense of belonging and duty to a group and strive for collective goals over personal goals. Good social relationships, harmony within the group, and loyalty to the group and family are very important. Countries that tend to be seen as having more collectivist societies include China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.  

Please note that people from more individualistic cultures aren’t selfish and only “out for themselves”, just like people from more collectivistic cultures aren’t simply thoughtless sheep in a large herd.

What does New Zealand’s individualism mean for international students?

As many New Zealanders have a more individualistic view on life, they appreciate independence, creativity, and critical thinking. Depending on their cultural background, some international students – especially those from more collectivistic cultures – might encounter challenges in New Zealand in their everyday life, their social life, and their studies. Let’s look at a few areas where students have reported challenges:

Students are expected to have life skills like cleaning and cooking

Children in New Zealand are raised to be self-reliant and to “stand on their own feet”. While they live with their parents, they are expected to do chores in the household. When they leave home to study at a tertiary institution, they must take care of themselves, which includes cooking, cleaning, paying bills, getting a part-time job, and doing laundry. Tertiary students often live in shared flats, where all flatmates take turns doing housework. International students like Kimiko are expected to do their fair share. Students who are not used to doing housework should practice before they arrive. If they encounter problems in New Zealand, they can ask someone, for example a flatmate, to show them how to do it (see point 3 below).

Friendships might feel different and not as close

People from individualistic cultures tend to leave more room for independence, even in close friendships. They don’t necessarily get involved in all aspects of their friends’ lives and may not intervene unless they are asked to. This might feel cold and unfriendly to students who are used to more involved friendships. In class, students should not wait for others to approach them. Instead, we recommend that international students make the first move and ask. Kimiko from the case study above could ask: “Is there still room in your group?” Some international students report feeling too shy to approach others. They should note that many Kiwi students feel equally shy, despite their outward appearance of confidence. 

Like Kimiko above, some international students report that locals are not as interested in making friends as they are. This is true everywhere in the world and has nothing to do with the “popularity” of overseas students. Local students haven’t left their home country. Unlike international students, they might not feel alone and in need of new friendships. They often still have family and old friends nearby. So it is not uncommon for international students to first find friends amongst other newly arrived internationals in need of a new social network. For advice on how international students can improve their social life, take a look at the project “ Be aware of emergent issues and solutions ” .

“He who does not ask, does not get.” - Students are expected to speak up

In New Zealand, students are expected to manage their own studies. They are expected to identify issues or gaps by themselves and ask for help. Some international university students report feeling that nobody takes care of them and that they have to do everything by themselves. In fact, lecturers and tutors in New Zealand are usually happy to help, but students need to ask, for example by sending an email, coming to the office hour, or talking to teachers after class. New Zealand universities also offer a wide range of support services, from counselling to workshops on study skills (time management, effective reading, etc.), learning support, and pre-reading services. These are services-in-waiting. That means, students need to take the initiative and make active use of them. Please see the project “ Understand New Zealand student service s” for more information on support services available to international students.

Students should develop learner autonomy and independent thinking.

A goal of New Zealand education is to help students become independent from their teachers in their learning and thinking. This starts in secondary education, where the focus is on key competencies like self-management, self-motivation, and creative, critical thinking. Some international students are more used to teachers supervising all aspects of the learning process. These students might feel confused by the level of independence and responsibility expected of them, especially in tertiary education. For more insight about key competencies that students acquire in secondary and tertiary education, please read the project “ Understand New Zealand’s education system ” . 

Initially, my Vietnamese friends and I didn’t tell the tutor when we didn’t understand something, so we missed out on quite a lot of material at the beginning. I didn’t want to bother my tutors. And I didn’t want them to think that I am not smart and that I don’t belong here. I thought they might say: ‘Why is she here at university?’ Ha, nursing student from Vietnam

We have pointed out above that individualism does not equal a “me first!” attitude. This is particularly true in New Zealand where people also value equality and fairness. 

3. Many Kiwis value equality and fairness

Case study: “in new zealand, students call teachers by their first names”.

Lilly from China has recently started her undergraduate studies at a New Zealand university. Several things puzzle her: first of all, students call professors by their first names. Professors often laugh and joke with their students and share personal stories. Last week, one lecturer even said in class: “I don’t know everything. Please tell me, when you notice that I made a mistake.” 

Lilly also struggles a bit with the class format and the teaching. Some lecturers don’t give lectures at all. Instead, lessons often include group work and class debates. Lecturers ask the students: “What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the author of this article? Why or why not?” The domestic students debate and give their opinions freely. They even tell the professors that they disagree with them! Recently, Lilly asked: “But what is the correct answer?” The professor said: “In this case, there is not just one correct answer. I accept different answers if you present good, convincing evidence.” This frustrates Lilly. How will she know how to answer a similar question in the next exam?

Back to you: What aspects of New Zealand culture do you notice in Lilly’s report? What is education like in New Zealand? How do students and teachers interact? How might that be different from Lilly’s experience in China? What advice would you give her, so she can adjust to the Kiwi culture and teaching style? You will find answers to these questions in the text below.

New Zealanders value equality in society. In other words, they find it important that everybody gets treated the same, whether they are a student or a professor, an employee or a manager. The rich and powerful are not seen as “better”; they are simply seen as “better off”, that is, as having an advantage, which, however, doesn’t make them deserving of more respect or privileges.

In New Zealand, high-ranking people like professors can and should still be criticised, and they must justify their opinions rather than relying on their authority or status alone. Owning up to mistakes and gaps in knowledge is acceptable because “nobody is perfect”. At the same time, all Kiwis expect to be treated with respect, regardless of their position in society. Individuals, including students, are judged by their own character, behaviour, and the quality of their work – not by their own or their family’s status or wealth. Everybody deserves a “fair go”. Take as an example the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, whose parents worked as a police officer and a school cafeteria assistant (see Women’s Weekly ). 

What does Kiwi equality mean for international students?

Depending on their cultural background, international students might need time to adjust to the following (please click on items 1 to 3 for further details):

Teacher-student relationships are more informal.

Teachers in New Zealand are still authorities, but their relationship with students is often more informal and friendlier than in cultures with a greater emphasis on hierarchy. Lilly from the case study above is not used to talking to authority figures in an informal way, and she might find this even a bit rude, but in New Zealand this is not a sign of disrespect. Please see the project “ Kiwi-isms ” for more information about how New Zealanders communicate.

A Kiwi teacher is “a guide on the side” rather than “a sage on the stage”

Kiwi teachers don’t just want to give students information to memorise. Instead, they want students to become independent thinkers. They put the students at the centre of the class and encourage “learning by doing”. This learner-centred teaching style includes group work and discussions. Teachers often behave more like guides that help students to work things out for themselves. This can be somewhat challenging for students like Lilly who are used to more teacher-centred education with the teacher making all decisions and providing “the right answers” to students. However, many international students later report that the best part of a Kiwi education is that they have become independent researchers and thinkers. Please also see our project “ Understand New Zealand’s education system ” to learn more about teaching and learning styles in New Zealand.

Teachers focus on students’ opinions and critical thinking.

In New Zealand, students are expected to express their own opinions in class and in their assignments. Especially in tertiary education, students are expected to show critical thinking skills. They shouldn’t just repeat memorised information; instead, they should also assess and evaluate it. They should explain whether the information is, for example, relevant, sufficient, correct, or incorrect. Like our case-study student Lilly above, Linda Yu, a PhD student at Auckland University, noticed the importance of critical thinking when she wrote her first literature review: “[My supervisor] said I did a very good literature review but I wasn’t showing my own opinion about what I had researched – there was no critical thinking being displayed, and I needed to justify why I went with one choice over another.” You can read more about Linda’s experiences here: Navigating Chinese students’ culture shock . For more information about the New Zealand education system, its goals and values, please see “ Understand New Zealand’s education system ” .

Now, let’s take a look at what happens when individualism meets egalitarianism.

4. Kiwis value humility and understatement

Case study: “nobody seems interested in talking to me”.

Bryan from the USA has just started his PhD studies at a New Zealand university. He wants to make friends with his three Kiwi office mates and repeatedly tries to start conversations. On one occasion, Bryan shares that he lived in Japan for several years. He assumes that this will be an interesting topic to start a conversation. He pulls a Japanese magazine out of his backpack with a photo of himself on the cover. “I was the hacky sack champion in Japan for two years in a row”, he explains. His office mates show little interest. One asks: “Oh, is that a thing?” Another inquires: “Do you always carry that magazine around?” Then they decide to go to lunch.

On another occasion, an office mate shouts out in frustration: “I will never finish my PhD! It’s been over three years now, and I am still writing!” Bryan gets involved. He announces: “I’ll finish my PhD in three years. I hear that some people take four years, but that’s too long for me. You gotta be tough, and you gotta want it.” His statement is met with silence from two of his office mates. One says, “Yeah, sure. Good on ya”, before turning back to her computer screen. 

Bryan is frustrated. How can he break the ice and get a conversation started, if nobody seems interested in a conversation?

Back to you: Are Bryan’s office mates really uninterested in getting to know Bryan? What intercultural problem could cause the unenthusiastic response from the Kiwis to Bryan’s attempts to start a conversation? What would be a good way of starting a conversation? You will find answers to these questions in the text below.

Some ‘individualistic’ cultures like (parts of) the USA accept outspoken self-promotion as an acceptable way to stand out from the crowd and to get ahead in a competitive society. In contrast, many New Zealanders value humility and understatement .

Understatement describes "the practice of making things seem less impressive, important, serious, etc. than they really are". (OLD -- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/understatement?q=understatement )

Kiwis often dislike it when someone draws attention to their own achievements or their high status in life. Showing off is taboo. As the culture guide Culture Smart! New Zealand (Butler & Baird, 2017) points out: “[A Kiwi] certainly does not want to hear from you how successful, rich, or whatever else you might be.” In particular, many New Zealanders dislike bragging about intended successes that have not (yet) been achieved and that are not supported by evidence –as in Bryan’s claim that he will finish his PhD in three years in the case study above. Instead, New Zealanders tend to downplay individual achievements or, if possible, ascribe them to a team effort. This behaviour is well explained in an episode of the animated series Lifeswap by Steffen Kreft and Connor Williams: Group Effort (also available on Vimeo).

This Kiwi value of humility draws on the Māori principle of whakaiti , a word used to describe Māori leadership. It means that good leaders remain humble, work behind the scenes, do not promote themselves but enable others to step up.

Tall poppy syndrome

A strong expectation of humility can sometimes lead to what is known as the “tall poppy syndrome”. This term uses the idea of cutting back a poppy that is taller than the rest of the flowers, until it is the same height as the other poppies in the field. This picture illustrates that successful people who are seen as arrogant, boastful, or ungrateful might feel the consequences and be ridiculed and “put in their place”. 

Self-deprecating humour

Humility also comes through in Kiwi humour, which is often self-deprecating, which means that the speaker belittles and undervalues their own achievements, skills, or importance. 

Pop Culture Tip: Kiwi Humour 

Comedian and “just a typical Kiwi dad”  Jordan Watson gives parenting advice on his YouTube channel: How to Dad . In true Kiwi fashion, he attributes the popularity of his videos to baby Alba: “It’s definitely 99 per cent her, 1 percent me” ( The Guardian ).

How can international students talk to humble Kiwis?

Here are a few guidelines that international students can follow when talking to humble Kiwis. Please click on points 1 to 3 for further details.

Don’t show off.

Don’t brag about your status, achievements, or skills. If you must mention them, do so casually and without drawing too much attention to them. Bryan in the case study can tell that he likes playing hacky sack, but he shouldn’t highlight that he was hacky sack champion. This might come up later, when Bryan and his office mates are friends already.

Don’t agree with self-deprecating humour.

Bryan could use self-deprecating humour when talking about his achievements as hacky sack champion. He could say that the other players must have had a bad day. However, when international students hear a Kiwi use self-deprecating humour, they shouldn’t agree with the speaker. For example, when a Kiwi wins an award and announces that they were “just lucky”, it’s better to disagree by saying “I think you deserve it” rather than to agree by saying “Yes, I guess it was luck, not skill”.

Don’t criticise New Zealand.

While New Zealanders might belittle their own country during small talk, overseas visitors should avoid criticising New Zealand in casual conversation.

5. Kiwis value open-mindedness and diversity

New Zealand is a multicultural country that can overall be described as very accepting of ethnic, cultural, religious, and gender diversity. It was the first nation to give women the right to vote in 1893, and it was the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalise same-sex marriage in 2013. On a global scale, New Zealand ranks third among the countries “most accepting of migrants” ( Gallup, 2019 ). It is described as having “some of the lowest levels of government restrictions on religion in the world”, and a 2012-survey showed that the vast majority of New Zealanders are open to neighbours of different faiths or nationalities ( Pew Research Centre ). Students can find out more about practicing their faith in New Zealand on NauMai NZ: NauMai NZ – Religious freedom in New Zealand .

Kiwis have a “live and let live” attitude. You can do whatever you like to do, but you must also accept that other people do “their thing”. This open-mindedness goes hand in hand with other values discussed in this project, like individualism, equality, and humility. Most New Zealanders see other people as equally deserving of respect, regardless of their wealth or status. This includes respect for individual differences, including different everyday choices such as, for example, clothes. If they do object to someone’s fashion or behaviour, they typically keep this to themselves.

6. Kiwis value hospitality and kindness also to strangers

New Zealand is a remote island nation with only around five million inhabitants. The roughly 2,000 km distance to its closest neighbour Australia can only be travelled by plane or ship. Owing to its remoteness, all New Zealanders have had to trust and rely on their neighbours throughout the country’s history. Owing to the country’s small size, many people share family or friendship connections or can at least expect to “cross paths” again in the future. As a consequence, New Zealanders have developed a culture of trust and kindness also towards strangers. 

Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, have greatly influenced this focus on kindness. They speak of manaakitanga , a principle of showing mutual respect, generosity, hospitality, and aroha (love) to others. Kindness builds up the receiver, but it also builds up the giver. Francis and Kaiora Tipene write: “ Manaakitanga is very much an everyday thing. It is not just a special occasion thing. You don’t just practise it when you have guests. It must be ingrained and extended everywhere you go.” (Tipene & Tipene, 2021) 

Valuing kindness means that Kiwis often go out of their way to help others. A lost tourist with a puzzled expression holding a map is often offered assistance without having to ask for it. With a high level of public trust and societal solidarity, New Zealand has been found to be the second safest country in the world ( 2021 Global Peace Index ). 

I was on my way to New Zealand and on my last flight from Auckland to Palmerston North. I told my Kiwi seat neighbour that I would study there to get a Master’s degree but that I didn’t know anyone in the city. She gave me her sister Gillian’s phone number. I was a bit reluctant but then I actually sent Gillian a text message. On the weekend, Gillian picked me up and took me to their farm outside town. I had lunch with the family, and they showed me their cows, the bees, and the vegetable garden. At night, Gillian drove me back home, with my backpack full of cheese, honey, and fresh vegetables. I can’t believe how kind this family is! Franziska, postgraduate student from Austria

Can kindness create intercultural mis-understanding?

How can kindness ever produce problems? Let’s look at two issues that can arise in intercultural (mis-)communication.

Are we best friends?

Kiwis are very open and friendly to everyone, including strangers. They want to create a safe society where everyone is kind and helpful. This unreserved warmth might lead students from more reserved cultures to believe that a close friendship has developed, when this is not necessarily the case. They might feel rejected when the friendship is not as intimate as they assumed.

Could this be love?

Sometimes, international students can misread the general openness and kindness of Kiwis as romantic interest. They should be a little cautious in this regard and try to observe the New Zealand culture and context. Meeting up alone for a coffee is not a romantic commitment in New Zealand, and doesn’t have to lead to “more”. This is also true for international students: They are always free to say “no” to further advances. If students have more questions about love and dating in New Zealand, they can explore NauMai NZ’s website: NauMai NZ – Dating, relationships, and sex in New Zealand . You can also find further information in our project “ Be aware of emerging issues and solutions ” . 

“In Germany, when you call someone a ‘friend’, then you are really friends. In New Zealand, sometimes I think that I have found a friend, but they don’t feel the same way, it seems. They are just ‘friendly’. That said, I have now made some great real friends in the unicycling club and the chess club.” Arne, high school student from Germany

Now we will bring it all together and look at resources that will help students put these cultural values into action.

7. Cultural values in action: What to do and not to do in New Zealand

Just like every other group, New Zealanders have their own ideas of what is considered good manners and what is considered inappropriate or even offensive. Here you can find a brief guide (in PDF format) to cultural expectations New Zealand: Worksheet: Cultural Values in Action . It is based on the topics discussed above. You can print and share it easily with students who are wondering how they can fit in better. Students can also find further information about Kiwi culture on NauMai NZ – NauMai NZ – New Zealand culture – and on the Immigration New Zealand website: INZ – Customs & communication . For Māori cultural values and customs, please see our project “ New Zealand – A country with more than one culture ” . For further information on typical problems and helpful solutions, have a look at our project ” Be aware of emergent issues and solutions ”.

8. Test your knowledge: A case study

Here is a case study to test your knowledge. It is based on the experiences and questions of real international students in New Zealand. However, names and photos are fictional. In some cases, we have combined stories reported by several students to create one relevant case study. 

Before looking at the suggested answer, please think about what advice you would give the student. Then compare your answer with the provided response. Please note that there are many ways of solving the described issues and that the answer provided here is just one of many possible responses.

Case Study: “My professors don’t care about me!”

Soriyah, a business student from Cambodia in her first semester at a New Zealand university, needs your help:

“I am really unhappy with my courses! I feel so alone! My professors don’t help me. I feel like I should already know everything! They keep asking me questions in class – but I am a student! I should be learning, and the teachers should be teaching! And we often discuss things in class with all students contributing their point of view. I have paid a lot of money, so I shouldn’t be talking in class. The teacher should be talking! 

I also have to work alone in the library a lot. For an assignment, I have to write an essay. I have to pick my own topic, and it must be different from the topics of all other students. I even have to find my own books and articles. I think the lecturers should tell me about the best readings for the topic. They also expect me to know how to write an essay, how to do references, how to quote correctly, and so on. Nobody has shown me how to do that! I want to ask in class, but there is never enough time. 

Often, I don’t do my homework because the readings are so difficult. And sometimes I forget because there was a film or a party at the student centre or I went on a weekend trip with the International Club. When the professors notice that I don’t know the readings and can’t give any answers in class, they just look disappointed and then ask another student. I think professors should be like parents a little bit. They should be strict and punish me, and they should worry about my progress in class. Most of the professors here in New Zealand are just lazy, I think. They don’t care about me! They don’t ask me how I am doing. If I fail my course, I will lose a lot of money and time.”

What advice would you give Soriyah?

Suggested answer:

Soriyah, it’s great that you ask questions in class. You are being very proactive. And it is wonderful to hear that you have an active social life and that you are  involved with the International Club.  

Let’s take a look at the study methods that teachers use in New Zealand. If you understand how Kiwi teachers teach and what is expected of students, you will likely be happier with your university experience and more successful in your interactions with your teachers. 

Firstly, in New Zealand, education is based on collaboration and discussion. The idea is that students learn and remember things better if they discuss ideas, if they have to develop their own point of view, and if they have to listen to other opinions – and then agree or disagree.  When teachers ask you to engage in a discussion, they are not “lazy”. They have thought carefully about the questions, and they think that a discussion is the best way for you to develop your knowledge about the topic.

Secondly, a teacher is more a guide on the side, not a sage on the stage. Teachers are like football coaches on the side of the field. They give you assistance and tips on strategy, but you yourself are the football player and have to play the game. The goal of New Zealand education is to help students become independent learners who can manage their own work and who can find and evaluate information alone. That’s why they want you to pick your own topic and find your own materials. It’s a way for you to become an independent researcher and be prepared for your professional future after graduation. 

As an independent learner, you are expected to be self-motivated. At university in New Zealand, lecturers no longer see the need to act like a parent who might punish you if you don’t do your homework. They think that you are an independent adult who wants to be at university and who will do all that is required to be successful in their studies. 

However, this doesn’t mean that you should do everything alone. Part of becoming an independent learner is to know when to ask. It is not impolite or embarrassing to ask for help in New Zealand. In fact, it is expected. Asking right after class can be tricky though. Often, lecturers have another class right after yours. One idea is to send an email to your lecturer or tutor. You can ask your questions in the email or you can request a meeting in their office. Remember: you can always ask for help and advice.

Thirdly, there are academic skills – like essay writing or doing research – that many international students haven’t developed yet. The best thing is to take a course on academic thinking and writing. Right now, however, we need a quick fix for you. You could take a workshop on essay writing and research skills. You could also use the self-study materials provided by your university. You can go to learning support services. They can assist you and also point out more resources. Let’s look at your university’s website and check out these different options.

In this project, we have discussed some of the central cultural values that many New Zealanders hold. These values influence how Kiwis behave in everyday life, at school, and at work. It is important for international students to understand some of these cultural beliefs and how they might differ from their own. 

We looked at the Kiwi values of individualism, egalitarianism, open-mindedness, humility/ whakaiti , and kindness/ manaakitanga . We discussed that New Zealanders value self-reliance and that they expect everyone to look after and speak up for themselves. Kiwis like to treat everyone as equals, regardless of how rich or poor or powerful a person is. They value humility and don’t appreciate it if someone is showing off their power, wealth, or achievements too much. We highlighted that New Zealanders are open-minded towards people who are different from themselves, and they expect others to be equally tolerant. They show hospitality and kindness even to complete strangers. 

We introduced some helpful resources and tips for you and your students on what Kiwis think and believe, and we provided some advice on what students should and shouldn’t do to “find their feet” in New Zealand. Finally, we provided a longer case study for you to test your knowledge on how you could help your students when they struggle with the Kiwi culture in education and everyday life. 

Heoi anō tāku mō nāianei - that’s all for now!

10. References

Butler, S. & Ortolja-Baird, L. (2017). Culture Smart! New Zealand (pp. 54-55). Kuperard.

Neuliep, J. W. (2012). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach . Sage Publications.

Skyrme, G. (2007). Entering the university: The differentiated experience of two Chinese international students in a New Zealand university. Studies in Higher Education, 32 (3), 357-372.

Tipene, F. & Tipene, K. (2021). Tikanga: Living with the traditions of te ao Māori . Harper Collins.

• New Zealand
• The Story Of Colonisation In...

The Story of Colonisation in New Zealand

New Zealand was one of the last habitable land masses in the world to be settled. Archaeological records indicate that the country received its first set of East Polynesian migrants at around 1250-1300 AD, well before European colonisers set sights onto this stretch of the Pacific.

First arrivals.

The ancestors of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people are said to have arrived from an East Polynesian region known as Hawaiki. But historians and archaeologists believe that the country’s original migrants came from several locations – DNA evidence indicates that the first round of settlers arrived from places like Society Island and Cook Islands. In Maori tradition, Kupe was the first navigator to reach New Zealand’s shores. Tribal narratives tell us that, after several challenges, battles and memorable feats, Kupe successfully managed to fend off his enemies to cross the Cook Strait and arrive to the North Island (then dubbed Aotearoa , the land of the long white cloud).

European settlement

Abel Tasman was the first European explorer to come to New Zealand in 1642. The Dutch navigator anchored at the northern end of the South Island in Golden Bay and was the first to sketch a map of the both islands’ west coasts. Tasman’s New Zealand expedition was cut short after he was attacked by Maori; he subsequently sailed northward to Tonga. Tasman’s maps were a huge influence in the country’s name. The voyager originally called the newly discovered islands Staten Landt, after the States General of the Netherlands (his homeland’s bicameral legislative body) and the name appeared on the first maps of New Zealand. Dutch cartographers renamed the country in 1645 to the Latin Nova Zeelandia, derived from Niew Zeeland, which is a nod to the Dutch province of Zeeland.

A good 127 years passed before any other Europeans visited this stretch of the Pacific. It wasn’t until 1769 that Captain James Cook made the first of his three expeditions to New Zealand and its surrounds. Whalers and sealers started making regular visits to New Zealand from then onwards. Trading ensued and by the 1830s, the British government had decided it was time to curb the lawlessness of the land and officially make it a colony. Time was a serious concern for the British Crown as the island nation was already under the watchful eye of French explorers. Soon after, the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took place. On February 6, 1840, New Zealand’s first Governor, William Hobson, invited Maori chiefs to sign what is now considered to have been the country’s founding document. More than 500 tribal chiefs, from the North and the South Islands alike, were present that day.

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The aftermath of colonisation

The Treaty of Waitangi is a highly contentious document that still carries a lot of weight in present-day politics. Briefly, both the English and Maori versions stipulated different things: the former mandated that the Crown would have full control over New Zealand’s territories, while the latter indicated that Maori would have full sovereignty over their tribal lands. These deviations led to a series of conflicts (collectively known as the New Zealand Wars ); forceful land grabs by the British also inspired one of the world’s very first examples of peaceful resistance .

At the same time, the South Island was experiencing massive growth and prosperity. The Canterbury region had become the country’s wealthiest province thanks to its burgeoning sheep farming operations. A gold rush culminated in the South Island’s Otago region in the 1860s, helping transform Dunedin into the country’s largest city. Gold was also found on the West Coast not much later. Thousands of British settlers began to arrive in New Zealand in the 1870s and the government began investing in the expansions of towns and railways in order to accommodate the country’s newest residents. In 1882, the first shipment of frozen meat reached England – thus solidifying New Zealand’s status as a key exporter of meat, dairy and agricultural goods. In fact, refrigerated shipping became the basis of New Zealand’s economy until the 1970s, while agriculture is believed to have helped New Zealand maintain its high standard of living.

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New Zealand Cinema by Alistair Fox LAST REVIEWED: 11 January 2024 LAST MODIFIED: 11 January 2024 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199791286-0227

New Zealand cinema, despite the relatively small number of feature films produced, has received much international attention, acquiring a reputation as often punching above its weight. Since A Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (directed by Sam Neill and Judy Rymer, 1995), it has frequently been viewed as distinguished by dark undertones; the representation of perturbed states of mind; the depiction of familial, social, and political dysfunction; and the privileging of a Gothic mode, and genres such as the psychodrama, crime film, and horror that undermine the myth of New Zealand as “God’s own country.” In this article, “New Zealand films” are defined as those made primarily by New Zealanders, in New Zealand, and on New Zealand subjects, rather than the runaway productions, funded from the United States but shot in New Zealand, that have become increasingly prominent in the film industry’s landscape since 2000, with the encouragement of the New Zealand government. While documentary filmmaking has been strongly represented since 1898, fiction films began to be made in significant numbers only after the late 1970s, in what has become known as the New Zealand New Wave, which saw the emergence of filmmakers such as Roger Donaldson, Geoff Murphy, and Vincent Ward, who would go on to have successful international careers. It also witnessed the appearance of a cycle of films about and for women, and of female filmmakers such as Alison Maclean and Gaylene Preston. This initial flowering was followed in the 1990s by a Second Wave, in which directors came to prominence who are now considered major filmmakers in the international stage: not only Peter Jackson, who, while remaining based in New Zealand, has brought Hollywood to “Wellywood” with The Lord of the Rings and subsequent films, but also Jane Campion, regarded as one of the world’s most significant woman filmmakers. The rise of fiction filmmaking also saw the emergence of Maori filmmakers such as Barry Barclay and Merata Mita, whose work constituted some of the earliest features anywhere to be made by members of an indigenous minority, from an indigenous perspective. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, New Zealand filmmaking has witnessed an expansion to address the presence of other significant ethnic minorities, reflecting New Zealand’s increasingly multicultural social composition. Critical writing on New Zealand cinema is still in its infancy, with many films and filmmakers having received, so far, little or no scholarly attention.

The indispensable guide to all aspects of New Zealand cinema is Pivac, et al. 2011 , the encyclopedia published by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, while the most convenient and fully detailed listing of individual films is the pioneering Martin and Edwards 1997 , although this stops at 1996. NZ on Screen , a free online site, provides the fullest information on people connected with the film and television industries. Babington 2007 gives an extensive critical analysis of feature films, and Dunleavy 2005 provides a comprehensive account of TV drama features and series. Introductory overviews of a number of prominent New Wave and Second Wave filmmakers can be found in the pioneering collection of essays in Conrich and Murray 2007 , while Petrie 2007 gives an appraisal of some key New Zealand cinematographers, and Petrie and Stuart 2008 provides some preliminary observations about the reception of New Zealand films.

Babington, Bruce. A History of the New Zealand Fiction Feature Film . New York: Manchester University Press, 2007.

The most comprehensive introduction to fiction features made in New Zealand, offering critical interpretations of the major fiction films and filmmakers from the silent period to the present.

Conrich, Ian, and Stuart Murray, eds. New Zealand Filmmakers . Contemporary Approaches to Film and Television. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2007.

A series of introductory essays, with filmographies, on the most-significant New Zealand filmmakers from Rudall Hayward in the 1920s to the end of the twentieth century, emphasizing directors in the New Zealand New Wave of the 1970s and 1980s. Includes useful chapters on less well-known directors.

Dunleavy, Trisha. Ourselves in Primetime: A History of New Zealand Television Drama . Auckland, NZ: Auckland University Press, 2005.

Analyzes over forty years of New Zealand–made television drama programs, and the institutional and policy contexts in which they were created, together with detailed considerations of such notable series as The Governor, Pioneer Women, Hanlon, An Angel at My Table (Jane Campion), and Bread and Roses (Gaylene Preston).

Martin, Helen, and Sam Edwards. New Zealand Film, 1912–1996 . Auckland, NZ: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Provides a chronological listing of New Zealand feature films from 1913 through 1996, with illustrations, along with production information and cast lists. Still very useful for its detailed plot summaries, interpretive suggestions, and accounts of the initial reception of each film.

NZ on Screen .

An online site fully funded by NZ on Air (the state media funding agency) and launched in 2008, which is governed by an independent charitable trust. An indispensable resource that provides comprehensive, authoritative information about directors, producers, and actors, as well as a videoblog with interviews with people from the television and film industry, and copious visual material.

Petrie, Duncan. Shot in New Zealand: The Art and Craft of the Kiwi Cinematographer . Auckland, NZ: Random House, 2007.

Gives an overview of the evolution of cinematography in New Zealand and analyzes the creative career and aesthetic practices of twelve cinematographers, including such leading figures as Alun Bollinger, Stuart Dryburgh, and Leon Narbey.

Petrie, Duncan, and Duncan Stuart. A Coming of Age: Thirty Years of New Zealand Film . Auckland, NZ: Random House, 2008.

Contains six essays and an illustrated filmography that cumulatively provide a useful appraisal of the flowering of New Zealand filmmaking, covering such topics as viewing practices and the international response to, and reputation of, New Zealand films at Cannes and elsewhere. Useful for information derived from audience surveys concerning reception.

Pivac, Diane, Frank Stark, and Lawrence McDonald, eds. New Zealand Film: An Illustrated History . Wellington, NZ: Te Papa, 2011.

Currently the most comprehensive and detailed history of New Zealand film, containing a painstaking description, decade by decade, both of fiction films and nonfiction films, illustrated extensively with visual and printed material from the New Zealand Film Archive. Also provides sustained attention to the industrial circumstances surrounding issues such as funding, production, and the influence of state policies.

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Home / Essay Samples / World / New Zealand

New Zealand Essay Examples

Maori health and the treaty of waitangi.

During the period of the late 1830s, it was noted that there was an increasing population of British immigrants entering and settling in New Zealand. As a result of the substantial influx of British migrants, there was a great demand for land in order to...

The Treaty of Waitangi as a Fundamental Document for Maori People

Although New Zealand was originally discovered by a Dutch navigator, Abel Tasman in 1642, his crew were shortly killed by the native Maori warriors seeing the intrusion as an attack. It was not until 1840 that British naval captain, William Hobson, formally annexed the Bay...

Proposed Solution of the Plastic Problem by New Zealand

Plastic waste pollution, without any doubt, is a pressing matter of importance. It poses a huge danger to the environment, the results will have execrable effects on marine life. A country within Asia-Pacific, New Zealand is classed as a developed country with one the highest...

The Benefits of Immigration for New Zealand

With the recent terrorist attack at a mosque in Christchurch, more than 40 people were killed, and another 50 people were injured. This is known as one of the biggest threads of national peace and security, and the first terrorist attack for us, New Zealand,...

Neurological Healthcare Services in Australia & New Zeland

Neurological conditions are the principal cause of long-term disability globally. However, for most patients worldwide, the existing neurological healthcare services are poor. In low-income countries, most people do not have access to appropriate neurological care, whereas in developed countries, distance and disability hinder such services...

Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Education in New Zealand

In this discussion I have explained about myself, my hobbies and the strategies I have used for learning te reo Māori. I have also brought out an understanding about karakia and its importance in the Māori world. I believe my discussion has provided a few...

Maori Socio-political Organization in Pre-colonial Period

Precolonial Maori thought elevated land and geographical features as divine, with an individual gaining identity and empowerment from their turangawaewae, literally ‘the place one puts their feet’. Maori creation myths and cosmological belief centre on the birth of man at the union of the ‘earth...

Drug Trafficking in New Zealand

In the first six months of 2019, there were $1 billion dollars worth of drugs seized in New Zealand. Drug trafficking is a social sin. Sinaloa cartel how has been connected to meth trafficking in New Zealand from their super lab in Mexican. Drug trafficking...

Seeing Switzerland: a Cross Cultural Conversation

This article notes how like New Zealand, Switzerland as a country, is portrayed as being a clean and pure country in terms of its landscape, laden with picturesque mountains. Such an image also extends for the Swiss legal and political environment, leading many to adopt...

The Impact of the Treaty of Waitangi on Healthcare in New Zealand

Present-day New Zealand is being shaped by the Treaty of Waitangi, signed on 6 February 1840 by more than 500 Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown, named after the place called “Waitangi” in the heart of the bay of islands, where it was...

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