Pacifika

Many people think of New Zealand as a country composed of two major ethnic groups, the Maori who originally settled New Zealand and the decedents of European colonizers. Today we leaned about another major cultural group represented in New Zealand, the Polynesians, who include people from places like Samoa, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Tahiti. With over 6% and growing of the entire New Zealand population and nearly 11% of Auckland’s population, Polynesians represent a major cultural and linguistic influence in New Zealand. Our day started with a trip to a farmer’s market that specializes in Maori and Pacifika produce including taro root. Later, we went to The Pacific Arts Centre where we not only received a very warm welcome, but were also given instruction by the center’s “Mamas” in traditional art forms from Pacifika including dance, music and weaving. In this video clip, you can see traditional dance and music. The swaying of the hips corresponds to the rhythms of the ocean waves and the island breezes. The music was played on drums made from lead wood and a ukulele. We had a chance to try our hands at dancing and playing the drums but I’m afraid we didn’t do justice to these beautiful art forms.