2. Basic Views of Race Relations Eurocentric Balanced In the 19 th century Europeans, especially the British, considered other races to be inferior and based their cultural attitudes and interaction on that assumption. A modern view. When two cultures meet and mix, mutual understanding may be limited, each culture influences the other and to some extent learns from the other, and thus both change.

3. The Writing of NZ History The history of NZ was originally written from a eurocentric perspective. Over the last 20-30 years, historians have made the effort to understand and present the Maori perspective and to revise previous understandings. This is called Revisionist History. Revisionist Historians include: James Belich, Michael King, Ranganui Walker, Claudia Orange etc. A more balanced approach to NZ history has evolved which takes into account Maori, Pakeha and their interaction.

5. Activity: Possibilities of Early Race Relations There are a number of ways that Maori could have responded to European settlement and culture in the 19 th century. Discuss in groups and brainstorm as many of these as possible.

6. Fatal Impact- Eurocentrism Fatal Impact Theory is based on the assumption that indigenous people are passive and can do little in the face of an overwhelmingly superior European culture. The basic idea is that Europeans had a devastating, destructive impact on the indigenous population who after a generation or so were confused, dislocated and had no choice but to completely assimilate or die. This theory suggests that once contact occurred the end of the indigenous culture was inevitable. This theory is now discredited.

8. Acculturation The basis of this theory is that many aspects of Maori life changed as a result of contact with Europeans, but that these changes took place within a Maori cultural framework. Maori enthusiastically selected aspects of European culture and adapted the knowledge, goods and skills to enrich their own culture. This grafting of new aspects onto a culture is called acculturation. Therefore Maori did not experience dislocation but cultural continuity.

9. Activity: Arranging Key Terms Arrange the terms listed on the right into two flow diagrams. One explaining Fatal Impact Theory One explaining Acculturation Theory. Each flow diagram should contain four terms, and represent the correctly organised process. Terms: Acculturation Enthusiasm Selection Breakdown Dislocation Adaption Confusion Shock

10. Maori Culture Pre-Contact Pre-European Māori culture was oral, and based on small autonomous sub-tribes living in valleys, harbours and other localities. Technology was limited to tools made of naturally occurring materials such as pounamu (the South Island’s greenstone) and tūhua (obsidian); flax was used for weaving and other purposes. There was extensive trade in these goods, usually in the form of gift exchange.

11. The values of the society arose from its communal nature. Similarly there was a belief that humans were part of nature – the forests, seas and waterways. People saw themselves in a sacred relationship with the natural world and the exploitation of natural resources was conducted under strict regimes of Tapu (sacredness) and mana(spiritual authority) administered by tohunga (priests).