New Zealand Literature Review, 1st Draft

Running Head: NEW ZEALAND






The community, language, and culture of New Zealand: A literature review

Bradley W. Moser
For Erika Hasebe-Ludt
The University of Lethbridge

Introduction
New Zealand (NZ) is a country situated in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006). It is geographically isolated from other nations, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea by about 2000 kilometers. The closest neighbours are New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga, all located north of the country. New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island form what anthropologists term the Triangle of Polynesia. NZ comprises 2 large islands, North Island and South Island, surrounded by many smaller islands including Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Cook Islands, and Niue. The latter two islands (Cook and Niue), are self-governing and separate from NZ, but in free association (Wikipedia, 2006).
The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a). The current total population is about 4.1 million (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006; New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m; Wikipedia, 2006). It is one of the world's least crowded countries (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f). The total land area is 268,680 square kilometers - slighly less than that of Italy and Japan and slightly more than the United Kingdom (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006). NZ is ccomparable in size and shape to Great Britain, Colorado, and Japan (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f).
People from all over the world praise New Zealand for its amazingly beautiful physical landscape (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f; Wikipedia, 2006). Many are in awe of its vast mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, deeply indented fiords, and lush rainforests (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f). The most spectacular sights to see are Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Rotorua thermal area, Fjordland Nat'l Park, Mt. Cook, and Wellington. (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a). In addition, the sunrise over Mount Hikurangi on the East Coast is one of the first places in the world where the sun is visible on a daily basis (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, q). No wonder NZ is a hotspot for the filming of movies and television series. Movies including The Lord of Rings trilogy, The Last Samurai, King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Heavenly Creatures, along with various Indian movies, and television shows including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: The Warrior Princess, and The Tribe have been filmed in New Zealand (Wikipedia, 2006).
New Zealand is located with the Southern Temperate Zone, making it neither excessively hot nor cold. The weather is mild with mostly cool to warm temperatures (Wikipedia, 2006). The temperature in NZ rarely falls below 0 degrees Celsius or above 30 degrees Celsius (Wikipedia, 2006). It is a temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, f). Essentially, seasons are reversed from the North Hemisphere (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a). The sunniest spots in New Zealand are Nelson and Blenheim – areas near the top of the South Island (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, e).
In the political realm, NZ is governed by a constitutional monarch with parliamentary democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m; Wikipedia, 2006). In the Queen’s absence, the non-partisan Governor-General represents as soverign. Although she is accepted as the Head of State, the Queen holds no real political influence. Political power is held by the democratically-elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister who is the Head of Government (Wikipedia, 2006).
Diplomats of New Zealand boast the nation as the only country in the world in which all the highest offices in the land have been occupied simultaneously by women. Between March 2005 and August 2006, Queen Elizabeth II, Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright; Prime Minister Helen Clark; Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Margaret Wilson; and Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias represented New Zealand government (Wikipedia, 2006).
Economy-wise, New Zealand is recently on a high stepping stone. The Gross Demestic Product (GDP) is $101.685 billion, as of 2005 (Wikipedia, 2006). NZ boasts a high standard of living with GDP per capita, sitting at $26,400. This is growing at an exponential rate and becoming comparable to those of the same with Australia ($31,900) and USA ($41,800) (Wikipedia, 2006). The unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$) (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, k). Coins have values of 10, 20 and 50 cents, and $1 and $2 (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, k). Notes have values of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, k). A 12.5 Goods and Services Tax (GST) is posed on the displayed prices of all goods and services (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, a; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, k).
Listed above are the basic facts of New Zealand including its geography, physical features, population, politics, and economy. This paper will examine the features of community, language, and culture more thoroughly. The purpose for the reader is to gain a comprehensive knowledge of New Zealand and its peoples.
Community
New Zealanders pride themselves with living in a healthy community. NZ was rated one of least corrupt countries in the world according to the Transparency International (TI) rankinga. The nation received high ratings in the categories of Political freedoms, Press freedoms, GDP per capita, Human Development Index, Literacy Rate, Unemployment Rate, Lack of Corruption, and Economic Freedom (Wikipedia, 2006). This section will outline the characteristics of New Zealand that help it attain a healthy, striving community, including the ethnic backgrounds, immigration policy, and religions that make up the country.
Ethnicity
The majority of the population (roughly 80%) is of European descent (Wikipedia, 2006). Most with a European background are of British or Irish ancestry, while fewer others are have Dutch, South Slav, and Italian origins. The indigenous group, Maori, make up the largest minority (14.7% of the total population are full or part-Maori ancestry). Pakeha, a word from the Maori language, is what people of Maori use when referring to all non-Maori New Zealanders (Wikipedia, 2006).
To the native Māori, New Zealand is home land (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006). Over 1,000 years ago, the Maori first arrived to New Zealand in waka hourua (voyaging canoes) from Hawaiki - their ancestral homeland (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, n; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, i; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j). The Maori first reffered to New Zealand as Aotearoa – translated as Land of the Long White Cloud (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, n; Wikipedia, 2006).
Two other significant minorities are people of Polynesian and Asian descent, and they reside particulaly in the cities of New Zealand (Wikipedia, 2006).
Immigration Policy
New Zealand holds an open immigration policy because the government is committed to increasing its population by about 1% annually. The majority of immigrants (roughly 30&) come from the United Kingdom (Wikipedia, 2006). Other large immigrant groups come from East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), Southeast Asia, and India (Wikipedia, 2006).
Religion
The religions and churches within New Zealand are alive and well. Christianity is the predominant religion, making up 75% of all churches in NZ (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006) (Wikipedia, 2006). The Christian denominations represented are Anglicanism, Roman Cathocalism, Presbyterianism, and Methodism (Wikipedia, 2006).
Significant minority religions include Pentecostal, Baptist, The Church of Latter Day Saints, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Ratana – the religion unique to the Maori (Wikipedia, 2006).
Language
The two main languages spoken in New Zealand are English and Maori. English is the common, everyday language, and it has been since European colonization (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, h). Despite colonization, however, the Maori have kept their language alive and running (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, b). In 1840, Queen Victoria promised the Maori that their language would be protected from the Treaty of Waitangi (New Zealand Tourism Online, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006). Maori then became an official language in 1987 (New Zealand Tourism Online, 2006). Maori language is unique to NZ – it is only spoken in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world (New Zealand Tourism Online, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006). The Maori people keep using their language and try not to let it go extinct. A recent survey by the New Zealand government shows that about 130,000 people speak some Maori (New Zealand Tourism Online, 2006). This section will describe the Maori language; how it is maintained in the institution of education and basic phonetics of the language.
Maori Language
The Maori language is commonly used in the media and at school (New Zealand Tourism Online, 2006). Some subjects are taught in Maori and English (bilingual education), while some are taught in Maori (immersion education) (Te Puni Kokiri, 2000). However, the language is most often taught as a separate subject (Te Puni Kokiri, 2000). Preschool children are encouraged to speak in Māori. Primary and secondary schools build on this early immersion by including Māori in the curriculum (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l). Due to the implementation of the Maori language medium in schools, a Maori television channel was created as a nation-wide channel, sometimes with sub-titles in English (Wikipedia, 2006).
Essentially, the Maori language is similar to that of English, with a few minor differnces in phonetics. As in English, Maori has five vowel sounds: a e i o u, but some are pronounced differently. ‘A’ is pronounced as in ‘car’, ‘e’ as in ‘egg’, ‘i’ like the ‘ee’ in ‘tee’, ‘o’ as in ‘four’, and ‘u’ like an ‘o’ in ‘to’. The eight consonants in Māori are similar to those in English — ‘h’, ‘k’, ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘p’, ‘r’, ‘t’, and ‘w’, but there are two different consonants — ‘wh’ and ‘ng’. Many Māori pronounce the ‘wh’ sound similar to our ‘f’. ‘Ng’ is similar to our own ‘ng’ sound in a word like ‘sing’, except that in Māori, words can start with ‘ng’ (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j).
Now that the basics are covered, listed below are some common words and phrases:
Kia ora — Hello
Kia ora tatou — Hello everyone
Tena koe — Greetings to you (said to one person)
Tena koutou — Greeting to you all
Haere mai — Welcome
Nau mai — Welcome
Kei te pehea koe? — How’s it going?
Kei te pai — Good
Tino pai — Really good
Haere ra — Farewell
Ka kite ano — Until I see you again (Bye)
Hei konei ra — See you later (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j). According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the longest geographical name in the world belongs to the Maori language:
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (Wikipedia, 2006). This is the name of a hill in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island in New Zealand.
Culture
New Zealand thrives as a multi-cultural nation, with influences from the English, Scottish, Irish, Maori (Samoan, Tongan, Tokelaun, Niueuan, Cook Islands Maori, Tahitian, Hawaiian), Polynesian, Southern Asian (Indian), Southeast Asian (Filipino, Malaysian, Cambodian, Vietnamese), and East Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese) (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, b; Wikipedia, 2006). Cultural ties between NZ and the UK were maintained through common language and migration (Wikipedia, 2006). This final section of the paper will introduce famous inventions, fascinations with the word Kiwi, the economy, technology, and industries on national and global levels, sports and sportsmanship, art, music, fashion, food, and specific traditions of Maori culture.
Knack for Inventions
To start with, New Zealanders are known globally as having unique characteristics, including quiet but rugged individualism, self-reliant, resourceful and a genius for invention (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). New Zealanders knack for discovering and inventing things is often referred to as ‘Kiwi ingenuity’ (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p, ¶ 2). Their most famous inventions include frozen meat, the Hamilton Jet boat, and the bungy jump. Other famous inventions include, the tranquilizer gun, seismic ‘base’ isolators (rubber and lead blocks which minimize earthquake damage), electric fences, the fastest motorbike in the world, freezer vacuum pumps, stamp vending machines, wide-toothed shearing combs, and the electronic petrol pump, among others (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p).
Kiwiana
Going along with New Zealander unique sense of ingenuity and creativity is a trend known as Kiwiana. Essentially, this refers to the weird and quirky things from years gone by that contribute to New Zealanders’ sense of nationhood — their kiwi or national identity (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, g). Major Kiwiana icons include Gumboots, ‘Buzzy Bee’ toys, marching girls, a meringue dessert, shell ashtrays, and a cookbook (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, g). The word Kiwi has special significance to New Zealanders, in a number of ways. Firstly, kiwi is a lightless, nocturnal native bird ¾ the national bird of New Zealand. The Kiwi has a long beak with nostrils on the end. It wanders about at night feeding on small insects (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, g). Another use of the term is the kiwifruit. Kiwifruit is of Chinese origin but it grows throughout New Zealand. This fruit was originally called a ‘Chinese Gooseberry’ by New Zealanders because of its roots with China. It was called “kiwifruit” once NZ started exporting it. Kiwifruit branded ‘Zespri’ are exported all over the world and come from NZ (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, g; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m). Historically, New Zealanders have become known as ‘Kiwis’ as well. Referring to New Zealanders as Kiwis probably dates back to the First World War, when New Zealand soldiers first acquired this nickname (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m). Kiwiana means the things that contribute to New Zealanders’ sense of being Kiwi. In addition, the New Zealand dollar is frequently called ’the kiwi’, as it features a kiwi bird on one side (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, m). Another common characteristic of New Zealanders is their independent mentalilty or sense of humour ¾ a ‘do-it-yourself’ attitude (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, g).
Global Economy and Industry
Recently, New Zealand has shifted dramatically in the areas of global economy and industry. NZ has followed suit in adopting trends in technology, globalism, and urbanization (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). In fact, per head of population, New Zealanders are some of the highest mobile phone and Internet users in the world! They also read the most newspapers (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p).
National Economy and Industry
New Zealand’s rural population us vast and farming is a major export earner. Recently, the farming sector has diversified and embraced technology, making New Zealand one of the most productive and efficient agricultural producers in the world. Exports of wool, meat, and dairy products have traditionally been very strong and remain strong today (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). Other major industries include the processing of a variety of different foods, wood and paper products, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, and tourism (Global Hotel Reservations, 2006). More recent exports such as flowers, fruit, biotechnology, and wine are on the rise (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p).
NZ remains heavily dependent on trade, particularly agricultural trade (Wikipedia, 2006). Roughly 20% of what is produced is exported (Wikipedia, 2006). Major export industries are argriculture, horticulture, fishing, and forestry (Wikipedia, 2006). The work force in New Zealand is one of the most accountable in all the world. The unemployment rate is now the second lowest in the world (Wikipedia, 2006). This advantage does not come without challenges, however. The nation’s current economic challenges are a net export of educated youth, slow development of non-commodity exports, indifferent attitudes of labor productivity, and a relatively high poverty rate – roughly 20% (Wikipedia, 2006).
Sports and Sportsmanship
New Zealanders are unique from the rest of the world in holding strong egalitarian values and a sense of fair play and teamwork. This sense of co-operation is a structure of Maori society – the structure of the extended family, or ‘whanau’ in Maori terms. Upon European colonization, many European immigrants came to New Zealand to escape the class system. NZ is one of the earliest countries to grant women the right to vote and has a strong trade union tradition (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). After two world wars, the concept of ‘mateship’ become a prized social value in NZ (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p).
Mateship is clearly evident in NZ sports. Rugby football is the most popular spectator sport in New Zealand, and is in fact, the national sport (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). The nation’s team that competes in the World Rugby Cup, the legendary All Blacks have won the World Cup once and been a finalist twice (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). Other popular sports include cricket, netball, lawn bowling, soccer, golf, tennis, cycling, softball, surfing, sailing, whitewater kayaking, surf lifesaving sills, rowing, skiing, snowboarding, equestrian (Wikipedia, 2006), hiking, and mountaineering. Calmer recreational activities include going for walks on the beach and bush walking (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). New Zealanders have been very successful in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, bearing a high medals-to-population ratio (Wikipedia, 2006). They have achieved many Olympic medals for yachting, windsurfing, kayaking, and rowing (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p)
Art
New Zealanders have a passion for dreaming things up, playing with ideas and interpreting the world in unexpected ways (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, c). This is apparent in their ingeniuity and knack for inventing and discovering things (as explained above), but also in the wide variety of art showcased in the country. The nation hosts a unique brand of creativity from a fusion of diverse societies, including Maori, English, Scottish, Irish, Polynesian and Asian. This unique blend of cultural influences creates a combination of controlled discipline of western culture with the emotive mysticism of the Pacific Rim region (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, c). NZ showcases its most famous art in galleries and museums throughout the country. Two of the most famous of those include, Wellington's Te Papa - the newest and most ground-breaking art museum, and the World of Wearable Art complex in Nelson – which includes a creative blend of wearable art exhibits and collectable motor vehicles (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, c).
Music
New Zealand’s musical genres come from a variety of cultural influences, including the Maori, immigrants from the Pacific region, and origins from British colonization – a blend of European and American influences. Local artists have combined the above styles (both local and colonized) into a unique New Zealand music style (Wikipedia, 2006). The World of Wearable Art complex in Nelson (introduced above), hosts an annual Awards show that combines textile art, fashion design, sculpture and storytelling into a magnificent live show. Another event that showcases creativity is Auckland’s Pasifika Festival, where traditional Polynesian music and dancing is juxtaposed with locally produced funk, soul and rap music (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, c). New Zealanders stand with pride when singing their national anthem, God Defend New Zealand at sports, arts, national, and other events (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, d). See the Appendix for the lyrics to the national anthem.
Fashion
New Zealand’s has dynamic and vibrant styles of fashion, deriving from a wide range of influences, including those of Maori and the Pacific Islands (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, a). New Zealand Fashion Week is a series of public events that showcase the unique and innovative clothing apparel. The different events are entitled, Exhibition, Best of Fashion Week, and Dunedin’s Fashion Week. Events takes place every March in the historic railway station (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, c).
Food, Restaurants, and Entertainment
The final look at New Zealand’s culture in general is a look at the wide assortment of food, restaurants, and entertainment spots around the country. Food influences come from a blend of Europian, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Polynesian, Japanese and Vietnamese (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). The country also serves food that are distinctly New Zealand style, including pure NZ lamb, pork, salmon, crayfish, Bluff oysters, paua (abalone), mussels and scallops; kumara (sweet potato); kiwifruit and tamarillo and pavlova (the national dessert). Pavlova is a tasty dessert of meringue and lashings of fresh whipped cream topped with fresh fruit or berries (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e).
NZ restaurants nowadays have improved in popularity immensely. In fact, Wellington has more restaurant seats per head than New York City (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, p). The country hosts some fine dining/elegant/silver-service establishments, but also the more popular - cafe-bar dining (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). The range of different food influences (as noted above) creates a flair of nternational food popularity, including specialied restaurants serving Japanese, Indian, Halal, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai food (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). The most popular international cuisine is Asian, for there is more than 900 Asian restaurants throughout New Zealand (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). NZ wines have received international praise, particularly whites wines including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. These two have achieved an international reputation for excellence, but red wines are also becoming popular (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e).
Not only have restaurants popular among New Zealanders and visitors, but so are night-life establishments: bars, lounges, pubs, night-clubs, concerts, and life performances. Most night-spots, restaurants, and cafes serve liquor seven days a week (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). NZ hosts four casinos, located in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). The national also hosts first-class concerts and shows, including those of theatre, orchestral concerts, ballet, rock and jazz (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e). The age of majority is 18 years old in NZ and all public places enforce non-smoking (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, e).
Maori Culture
The Maori have a rich and varied culture (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, n). This final sub-section will highlight the art, marae way of life, story-telling, and Powhiri ceremony of Maori life. Firstly, the Maori celebrate a combination of traditional and contemporary arts. Different forms of art include carving, weaving, kapa haka (a group performance), whaikorero (oratory), moko (tattoo) (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, n) art, film, television, poetry, theatre, and hip-hop music (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j); Tourism New Zealand, 2006, n). Maori art is now appreciated worldwide. A major event that helped increase its popularity occurred on August 4th, 2005, when Maori art officially arrived to America. On this date, art and artisans from New Zealand brought and showcased Maori art to San Francisco. The Ohlone tribe of California welcomed the fully-manned waka (canoe) Te Ika a Maui on the beach at San Francisco's Maritime Park (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, i). Although the event is now over, part of the exhibition continues to tour the United States (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, i).
The term marae brings special significance to the Maori people. Marae describes a communal plaza area that includes a wharenui (meeting house) and wharekai (dining room). The marae provides a focus for social, cultural and spiritual life for Maori people (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l). Maori people define themselves by their iwi (tribe), hapu (sub-tribe), maunga (mountain) and awa (river). Whanau is the name given to the family - the term embraces immediate family, in-laws and all those connected by blood ties (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l).
One of the most cherished traditions in Maori culture is the telling of stories, myths, or legends by elders. Traditional storytelling is essential for the survival of the Maori culture because it creates oral history (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l). This tradition continues today. The teaching of tribal lore, etiquette and genealogy forms the basis of Māori beliefs. One of the most famous is the Māori creation story. Essentially, the world was formed by the violent separation of Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, by their children. Many Māori carvings and artworks graphically depict this struggle. It is the combination of oral tellings and re-tellings of the story along with the carvings and artwork that make this story a legend for Maori (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j). Other famous stories include the story of How Maui Fished Up the North Island and the story of He Ika A Maui and How the Saddleback Got it's Name (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j). As described above, traditional wood carving carvers create intricate works that tell stories and keep history alive. Stories from carvings can be dictated by those who know how, and they do it by using or judging by shape of the heads, position of the body as well as the surface patterns work together to record and remember events. Although ancient Maori stories were originally disregarded by the European population, they are now understood and respected by NZ political leaders (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, l).
The Powhiri is a ceremony of welcome extended to visitors by Maori (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j; Tourism New Zealand, 2006, o). The purpose is to ward off evil spirits and unite both visitor and host in an environment of friendship and peace. In translation of the term Powhiri, “Po” means to venture into the "unknown" or a new experience, and “Whiri” is derived from the term Whiriwhiri, meaning the act or experience of exchanging information and knowledge. The ritual is explained thus:
A Powhiri (formal welcome) at a marae begins with wero (challenge) A warrior from the tangata whenua (hosts) will challenge the manuhiri (guests). He may carry a spear (taiaha) then lay down a token (often a small branch) that the manuhiri will pick up to show they come in peace. Some kuia (women) from the tangata whenua (hosts) will perform a karanga (call/chant) to the manuhiri. Women from the manuhiri will then respond as they move onto the marae in front of their men.
Once inside the wharenui (meeting house) on the marae, mihimihi (greetings) and whaikorero (speeches) are made. To reinforce the good wishes of the speeches, waiata (songs) may be sung. It is usual for the manuhiri then present a koha (gift) to the tangata whenua after greeting the hosts with a hongi — the ceremonial touching of noses. After the powhiri, kai (food) may be shared. (Tourism New Zealand, 2006, j, ¶ 10-11).







Summary
New Zealand is a country rich with a national uniqueness originating from influences both nationally and internationally. European colonization has helped NZ thrive to become a healthy community with a strong economy and industry base that remains competitive with other nations. However, this has not interrupted with the unique way of life that New Zealanders enjoy and others from all over the world enjoy with visiting the country. This includes the Maori culture, Kiwiana way of life, and New Zealander’s sense of ingenuity, sportsmanship, and good will toward all people.



References
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EDITING NOTE: There are **____** references in this paper.


Appendix
New Zealand National Anthem: God Defend New Zealand (New Zealand on the Web, 2006, d, ¶ 3)

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand

Men of ev'ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our Free Land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our State,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our Free Land.
Lord of battles in thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our Free Land.
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our Free Land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.