Mercy+-+CD+-+SP13

We, the Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand who make up 14% of New Zealand’s population today. Our culture has a strong focus of community, family and relationships. We start by greeting each other with a nose-to-nose greeting called hongi. We often meet in the Marae, a meeting house and religious facility which is the center of the community. Our strong emphasis on family can be seen in the architecture of the marae, which is carved with the carver’s ancestral lineage. We do not tend to verbalize our feelings, but rather demonstrate them openly and honestly. A focus on the relationships of and place in society of an object is important to us. Among one another, we have a bond of kinship, trust and respect. We have a saying which reflects this: “My strength is not in my individualism but in my family”. As a goodwill ambassador, I will take these values of my culture and put them into practice. I, and my people, are strong advocates of the idea that we are all brothers and sisters, and should treat one another in that manner. This idea is embodied in article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and I, and my fellow Maori will work hard to promote it. We also understand the need for a sustainable world for all mankind and the environment. Our island of Aotearoa (New Zealand) is precious to us, and we recognize that our environment needs to be protected for our descendents, so they can see the towering trees and smell the sea too. The world is not ours to take, but to care for. I, as a goodwill ambassador will work to promote good stewardship of our beloved earth for future generations. As with any culture, we, the Maori, have problems. As many indigenous people have experienced, drugs unknown to us before colonizations have given us grief. Alcohol and drug abuse is much higher among Maori than other New Zealanders: one study shows we are twice as likely to develop an addiction. Sadly, some of us have chosen a path of violence as well. The “black power” and “mongrel mob” gangs are primarily Maori in membership. The latter of the two is New Zealand’s largest gang, involved in several murders in recent years, uses Nazi imagery as propaganda. “Black power” has been involved in various types of crime, but most notably drug dealing.
 * 1. Name: Aroha, meaning love mercy, pity, compassion, and poor **
 * 2. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. **
 * 3. Culture: **
 * We as Maori are connected to the land. We are close to the forests, which are a source of many myths and tools for our survival. We are caretakers of the land and are entrusted to watch over it. We would no more sell our land than our grandmother-- the land is part of us. **
 * 4. Culturally-related challenges: **
 * 5. Other Cultural Aspects **
 * - Tattooing, or ta moko, is integral to our culture **
 * - We have not been in New Zealand for a long time. Archaeological evidence suggests the first settlements were around 1280 AD, originating from Polynesia, and before that, China **


 * WORKS CITED **

"Cultural and Heritage Values." Forestry Insights. Forestry Insights, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Dances of Life. Youtube. Youtube, 19 Apr. 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2013

Dorling, Kindersley, Bryan Alexander, and Dena Freeman. How People Live. New York: DK Pub., 2003. Print.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Gangs in New Zealand." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maori Culture Mini Doco. Youtube. Youtube, 16 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Maoris." The Maori Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Maori 'twice as Likely' to Develop Drug Addiction." The New Zealand Herald. APN Holdings <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> NZ Limited, 21 Nov. 2006. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Molloy, Nicola. "Maroi Culture in New Zealand." Maori Culture. Angelfire, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.