The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #92760   Message #1790631
Posted By: Lil' Kiwi
23-Jul-06 - 09:36 AM
Thread Name: BS: Ban on 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'
Subject: RE: BS: Ban on 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'
The Maori mostly have been treated equal, nowadays of course they completely are.

I think they even had the right to vote before women in a lot of countries. It certainly hasn't been perfect over the years but there is the 'Waitangi Tribunal' that is tying the loose ends up of any grievences that some Iwi (tribes) still have. That's basically a court especially for Maori affairs arising from the treaty. I might add that this treaty was actually signed by Maori chiefs and taken up and down the country for them all to consider. The Maoris leaders, NZ government and opposition are all working towards everything sorted out within the next several years at the latest (a timeframe has been offcially set but that date escapes me right now).

The cultures have integrated/assimilated and there's never really been a Maori vs. European issue as such (aside from the Land Wars I may have previously mentioned). Maori words and place names are common. Basically every major official even has Maori content with a specific protocol. Even orientation at university for example has a Maori ceremony to welcome all new students.

Our key sports teams perform the Haka before games particularly The All Blacks for example (I'm not at all a rugby fan unlike most NZers), most of us have no problems singing the Maori part of our anthem, and many Maori chose to fight in all major conflict that we have been involved in from WW1 to the present.

There's also Maori taught in schools as well as schools that are completely Maori and Maori radio stations and tv channels.

And that's all I can think of right now at 1:30am. Off to try to sleep.
Have a grand week everyone!
Lil' Kiwi x.