When someone says New Zealand, what comes to mind? Ok, besides rolling green hills and your typical western towns?
What other image pops into your head? What do the people look like? What types of clothes do they wear? What kind of food do the people eat? What kind of music do they sing or play?
Not surprisingly, I think of people who are descendants of Brits, with light colored, sun-sensitive skin. I picture western-style clothing. I taste fish and chips and roast and potatoes. I hear European or American pop music.
The reality is a little different. Much of the country is tropical.
And the people, well, the pre-colonial people are not unlike the other people of the South Pacific, in their looks, their clothing, their food, and their music!
The cultural similarities to Tahiti and Hawaii and Fiji and Somao are not surprising, not when you think about it, given the geographical proximity. But I was surprised at my own stereotypes. And surprised that I was surprised!
My reflexive images and ideas of the country are a good example of the strength of the colonial history and the power of the current dominant culture...
Nadia
Rolling green hills in the central part of the North Island
A church in Napier, North Island, New Zealand
A beautiful art deco building in Napier, North Island, New Zealand
What other image pops into your head? What do the people look like? What types of clothes do they wear? What kind of food do the people eat? What kind of music do they sing or play?
Not surprisingly, I think of people who are descendants of Brits, with light colored, sun-sensitive skin. I picture western-style clothing. I taste fish and chips and roast and potatoes. I hear European or American pop music.
The reality is a little different. Much of the country is tropical.
A reserve on Cooks Bay, North Island, New Zealand
And the people, well, the pre-colonial people are not unlike the other people of the South Pacific, in their looks, their clothing, their food, and their music!
An amazing Maori singer in Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand
A powerful haka performance in Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand
The cultural similarities to Tahiti and Hawaii and Fiji and Somao are not surprising, not when you think about it, given the geographical proximity. But I was surprised at my own stereotypes. And surprised that I was surprised!
My reflexive images and ideas of the country are a good example of the strength of the colonial history and the power of the current dominant culture...
Nadia
