Dear all,
As I mentioned Haunui Royal will be coming to our class although I'm unsure whether it will be at the beginning or the end of class.
I have thought of some questions generated by the Abel/Smith article which I thought was very interesting.
Have you watched Maori Television and what kind of programming have your watched?
What is the overall brief or kaupapa of Maori Television?
Can you make some links between the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori Television? First of all, in its inception and second, in its ongoing functioning?
What do Abel/Smith mean when they say that MTS could be a tool for "decolonizing the mind"?
For those of you new to Aotearoa/New Zealand do you feel an affinity for MTS or do you feel left out of an equation is offers up?
Why is MTS being claimed as the new (and only) true public broadcaster, and how could this be a mixed blessing for Maori?
See you Monday!
1. Yes. I watch Maori Television on a regular basis. It's a network which provides an assortment of programming which spans across different genres and cultures (predominately "minority" programming). According to the Maori Television website, "the aim of our channel is to play a major role in revitalising language and culture that is the birthright of every Māori and the heritage of every New Zealander." Programmes I watch include 'Native Affairs', 'Homai Te Pakipaki', 'Hyundai Code', boxing PPVs, and various documentaries and features which screen on a Sunday night.
ReplyDelete2. Maori Television's overall brief is "to make a significant contribution to the revitalisation of tikanga Māori and reo Māori by being an independent, secure and successful Māori Television broadcaster."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete3. According to the Treaty of Waitangi:
ReplyDeleteArticle 2:
In the Maori text, Maori were guaranteed 'te tino rangatiratanga' or the unqualified exercise of their chieftainship over their lands, villages, and all their property and treasures. Maori also agreed to give the Crown the right to buy their land if they wished to sell it. It is not certain if the Maori text clearly conveyed the implications of exclusive Crown purchase.
Article 3:
In the Maori text, the Crown gave an assurance that Maori would have the Queen's protection and all rights (tikanga) accorded to British subjects. This is considered a fair translation of the English. The Queen’s protection of Maori was emphasised here as it was in the preamble.
Article 2 in particular clearly states Maori were guaranteed te tino rangatiratanga over their lands, villages, and all their property and treasures. The Maori language is considered a "treasure" hence why Maori Television continues to operate in keeping the language alive and why the government will continue to support the network under the articles of the TOW.
4. What Abel/Smith mean by Maori Television being a possible tool for "decolonising the mind" is that the network gives New Zealanders a different perspective on issues and events (historical) surrounding colonisation. Maori Television do well to provide content (i.e. documentaries, interviews, films) which give viewers a Maori perspective on these historical events (i.e. the TOW) and issues hence can influence ones initial judgment on it. I firmly believe the content shown on Maori Television is fair and balanced and does particularly well to voice the opinions of the "minority".
ReplyDelete5. For me, Maori Television's full day coverage of ANZAC day makes the network the new and only true public broadcaster in New Zealand.
ReplyDeletei watch MTS because the Ruby live on there. So i think the content still the most important for the TV station. AS a public broadcast TV station, kids program seems not much. And the content should suitable for all the audience not just the Maori people.
ReplyDeleteI think that is the dilemma for MTS: Bin suggest the content should be suitable for all, but if MTS does address "all" is it complicit with, or at least covering over, structural inequities stemming from colonization?
ReplyDeleteVery detailed analysis, Sio.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I haven't watched any programmes on Maori TV. I've tried to, but it seems that I haven't found anything interests me. I'm aware of the live Rugby World Cup games on Maori TV, but usually I watch those games on sky sport channel with my flatmate.
To prepare for our class, I even tried to watch some episodes of Native Affairs, Hyundai Code and some other programmes on the website of Maori TV, but again, I'm not really interested in them. I'm asking myself why and try to find some answers.
I'm really into some programmes on TVNZ, Sky, etc., but interestingly feel "left out" for MTS. I'm neither Pākehā nor Tāngata whenua, and none of them share the same cultural background with me. But, as a result of globalisation (or "global westernisation"), I've been long exposed to tons of western films, TV shows, etc., whereas I had never encountered Maori culture before I came to NZ. Thus, Pākehā and their TV programmes are "intimate strangers" to me, while Tāngata whenua and Maori TV programmes are "complete strangers" to me.
That is to say, compare to mainstream western culture, there is a more critical distance and a more seemingly-unbridgeable gap between me and Maori culture. I think that's probably a significant reason why I fell "left over" for MTS.
I'm still thinking about this and trying to figure out some other reasons. Meanwhile, I'm not giving up searching for programmes which interest me on Maori TV and, hopefully, I could cross this "seemingly unbridgeable gap". Wish me luck :-)
Just add something.
ReplyDeleteHere what I'd like to do is to turn these "intimate strangers" into "acquaintances", and those "complete strangers" into intimate ones. I think that's an useful way in which a newcomer from a completely different culture could get over "culture shocks" and adapt to local life.
I've always thought that one of MTS drawing points was the diverse films/docos that they screen. I've found that they've harnessed a type of arthouse image as their movie nights are often foreign/festival/independently released films.
ReplyDeleteAgain, sport seems to be the "secret weapon" to also draw in more viewers.
I believe the only time I watched Maori Television was a few years ago when I had just arrived in this country. The programme may have been Ask Your Auntie, based on the description from the Smith and Abel article. I vaguely remember my attention being captured more by the Maori clothing being worn by the women and the moko on their faces than the topics being discussed. I also stumbled across another programme with a similar format but with men instead. I was ignorant to the issues being discussed on both programmes due to my short time in New Zealand, but I did not feel any sense of alienation. I never really gave Maori Television a chance. Perhaps because I was still adjusting to “kiwi” culture I felt Maori culture could wait. Unfortunately, now that I’ve been here awhile, I still haven’t taken the time to watch the channel, which is a shame because it seems like a great way to learn about the Maori identity.
ReplyDelete"I think that is the dilemma for MTS: Bin suggest the content should be suitable for all, but if MTS does address "all" is it complicit with, or at least covering over, structural inequities stemming from colonization?"
ReplyDeleteI was quite intrigued by the section of the Smith and Abel article detailing the Maori Television promotional advertisement which juxtaposed images of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. with Helen Clarke standing with Maori leaders. It definitely seems like a blatant attempt at glossing over Maori and Pakeha conflict, past and present.
To be honest, just like Wei， I haven't watched any programmes on Maori TV ，either. I think the tready can give Maori TV the proment from two different ways, on one hand, this tready is unfair for Maori people, so it can become one topic of what TV says about that ,in order to fight for the rights and gather the mass together; on the other hand, it can keep their authorities ,in that case, this can keep the development of independent culture of Maori.
ReplyDeleteI think MTS can be seen like NZFC or NZOA ，which can support the Maori culture's healthy growth, because the media can control or change the opinion of the mass, if Maori progame can broadcast some idea of progress or independent，the opinion of Maori people can changed，in that case， the "decolonizing the mind" will surely take effect.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, in the article, a lot of Maori worlds here and I cannot understand， is there some books to reference in order to know some simple Maori words or chunks？