DAY 6: IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCES

Today the group finally started their performing - although not in the places they expected!

The day began early - very early - when we all got up at about 4:30 AM to catch our train to Wellington.We lugged our bags down to the station, only to find it was locked when we got there! It turned out not to be open until 7:00 AM instead of the 6:00 we had thought. It gave us time to find things to eat however!
We had a reserved block of seats on the train, and boarding went very smoothly. Trains are a lot more comfortable than planes!It was great to leave the city and watch the countryside roll by - it's a very beautiful country, with rolling green hills, mountains, and a lot of ancient volcanoes.
The trip from Auckland to Wellington, the capital, normally takes 12 hours. It stopped at noon at a national park and the students couldn't resist getting their drums from the baggage car and putting on an impromptu performance for the other passengers on the train.Once the train started up again, several students then went into a car carrying mostly senior citizens and gave them a performance of singing and throat singing. The passengers were fascinated, and appreciative of this unexpected cultural treat.
We hadn't gone far in the last leg of the journey when the engine died and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere! They told us it would take 3-4 hours for a replacement locomotive to get to us, so we all settled in to wait. The students, however, couldn't pass up yet another opportunity to perform - this time, beside the tracks in the New Zealand wilderness.
In the end, we rolled into Wellington about 11 PM, went straight to our hostel, and got settled in to prepare for our busy day tomorrow.

DAY 7: WELLINGTON - WOW!!

Wellington is the capital of NZ. It's located at the southern end of the North Island, and has a population of several hundred thousand people. It is the home of many organizations as well as the government itself.
CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION
Our first stop on this very busy day was to Canada's High Commission (a.k.a. embassy). There, we were given a briefing by the Acting High Commissioner, Pamela Deacon. She talked about what a High Commission does, and gave an overview of Canada-NZ relations. She also talked about the recent "Eskimo lolly" controversy.The High Commissioner and her staff did much of the work to set up meetings and events for us during our two-day stop in Wellington, so before leaving, we presented her with a wall hanging for her office, a pair of hand-made mitts for herself, and a package of information materials about Inuit and Nunavut for the High Commission's library.
TE PAPA NATIONAL MUSEUM
After the High Commission, we walked over to the Te Papa national museum. We expected to get a regular tour, but instead had an altogether - and unforgettable - experience. It began when we were met at the door by a Maori woman, Hema Tehara, who is in charge of all the protocols associated with the handling, storage, and presentation of Maori artifacts and belongings. She guided us into the non-public storage and work areas where thousands of artifacts are stored and maintained. There we received a formal welcoming from Arapata Hakiwai, Director Matauranga Maori (a.k.a. the Maori exhibits), and his staff. It was our first experience of the Maori welcoming ritual and it had a huge emotional impact on all of us. Our hosts spoke about how the spirits of their Maori ancestors were present amidst the many, many artifacts being stored at the museum and many students said they could feel that as well. It was very emotional, and touched us all very deeply.
We were then given a group tour of the various types of artifacts and other materials that the museum has in its collections: it ranged from spears and clubs, to skirts and cloaks made from flax and/or feathers. Some of the clothing items were spectacular in their consruction and beautiful design. (We weren't allowed to take photos in this area, so Ithe following images from Te Papa's web site will provide a glimpse into the kind of things we saw) Before leaving, our hosts put on a lunch for us, and we ended our visit with a presentation of gifts to express our deep thanks for an unforgettable introduction to Maori history and culture.
TE PUNI KOKIRI
After the museum, we went over to Te Puni Kokiri (a.k.a., the Ministry of Maori Affairs), where we met with staff for about two hours. Like all meetings, it began with an exchange of speeches and songs, first from the hosts, and then from ourselves as guests. The students then put on a cultural presentation. The session ended with several of the government officials giving presentations about various aspects of the Department's work.
PIPITEA MARAE
Our last event of the long day was definitely worth the wait: it was a visit to the local marae (Maori meeting place). We arrived at 6:30 PM and were sung into the building by an Elder. We took our places across the room from 50-60 people of all ages who were there for their regular Monday evening dinner and cultural practice. This was the most formal of all the welcomings we had experienced to date, with several speeches being made to greet us. Their song was sung by the whole crowd, and it was AMAZING!! It was our first experience of the famous Maori haka, where the singers and dancers make loud sounds and intimidating faces to frighten the enemy into surrendering etc. It was unbelievably powerful in its effect.

DAY 8: ANOTHER BUSY DAY!

All indigenous rights issues in NZ relate back to the original Waitangi Treaty that was signed in 1840 between the British crown and the Maori. It guaranteed that Maori would retain possession of their lands and their governance systems over them, while at the same time accepting the sovereignty of the British crown. Of course, things don't always work out the way they should and the Maori lost much of their territory to settlers over the next century.

In 1975, the NZ government created the Waitangi Tribunal to investigate Maori claims that the principles of the Treaty had not been kept. Since then, it has received about 1900 claims, and has made recommendations to the government on about 500 of them.

During our visit, we were given a presentation about the history and purpose of the Tribunal by one of its judges and several staff people.We then showed them one of the segments of the Staking the Claim DVD, which is part of the new land claims curriculum being introduced into the Nunavut high schools this coming Fall. This was followed by a question and answer session and a cultural performance.Our visit ended with an exchange of gifts, with Nancy presenting our gifts to Tipene Chrisp, the Acting Director of the Tribunal

CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION
From the Tribunal offices, we went back to the High Commission, where we screened Staking the Claim again, put on a short performance, and then had a luncheon where we mingled with invited guests. It was a successful event for the High Commission.
JUSTICE JOSEPH WILLIAMS
Our final stop of the day proved to one of the most memorable: it was a visit to the NZ High Court (like Canada's Supreme Court) where we visited with Justice Joseph Williams. He had been the head of the Waitangi Tribunal, then a judge in the Maori Land Court (which deals with all matters relating to Maori lands), and now he is one of the judges in NZ's highest court — pretty impressive for a man in his mid-40s. Even more impressive, however, was his down-to-earth manner, and even though it was the end of the work day, he engaged the students in conversation about law, language and culture for an hour. He was a very inspriting and impressive individual.

DAY 9: TO THE SOUTH ISLAND!

We got up early on this rainy morning and caught a 7:30 Am ferry to the South Island. The weather was pretty bad as we left Wellington, but it cleared up by the time we had crossed the Cook Strait. We transferred to the train at Picton and headed down the coast to Christchurch, arriving about 6:30 PMWe were met in Christchurch by our hosts from the Ngai Tahu, the tribe that is dominant on the South Island. They took us to the "whare" (i.e. meeting house) of the Maori Students Association at the University of Canterbury. It's a place where Maori students can come to any time, to study, to meet, to eat, and even to sleep. We were given mattresses and sleeping bags and we camped out in the living room, and were fed two great meals. Totally welcoming!