The indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand are the Maoris who lived and thrived in New
Zealand for centuries before the British invasion of the country. Alongwith India, New Zealand became independent of British rule in 1947 leaving behind the Whites of majorly British and Irish ancestry along with the Maoris as the new natives of the land. Later, there was also a lot immigration from Asian countries like China and India that continues till date. However, the people of New Zealand are still keeping the Maori language and culture alive
We have covered our trip to New Zealand in 5 Chapters from the lens of travelling from India, experiences to include in your itinerary, adventure activities to include in your travel plan, availability of vegetarian food in New Zealand and exploring the indigenous Maori culture with takeaways for our own wellbeing.
Chapter 4: A Vegetarian’s Food Guide to New Zealand
You are reading Chapter 5.
Table of Contents
Ancestor worship and nature worship
The foundation of the Maori culture like most other Polynesian cultures is to venerate their ancestors and they have a strong sense of belonging to their family land and native village. There is a word for this feeling of wellbeing called Turangawaewae which literally translates to a sense of identity and independence associated with having a particular home base. For most Maoris, they associate the natural elements like the hills and the lakes that dot the country near their ancestral villages. In some sense, this is very similar to the concept of native place or the Hindu concept of a Kuldevi/ Kuldevta that looks over a gotra or a clan that hails from a particular region in India.
Similarity with the Vedic world view
While most of our generation in India has lost our connection with the gods and goddesses that our ancestors prayed to after having migrated to cities, most Maoris still choose to obtain a sense of belongingness from their ancestors and ancestral deities as it is fundamental to their Maori identity. Turangawaewae is the sum total of all the life experiences and wisdom that is passed down by the ancestors, very similar to the way Vedic wisdom was passed down generation after generation back home. It shapes the way you think, your way of being, your priorities and values.
Impact of colonisation and the back to the roots
Like most British colonies, vital aspects of the indigenous local culture, language and even food are lost to history. But we see this trend among the Indian diaspora globally going back to their roots from consuming the Vedic scriptures to adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle as is evident with the manifold consumption of this content online, the demand for virtual and in-person yoga programmes and the flourishing Ayurvedic retreats worldwide. This makes them feel connected to their roots and gives them a feeling of home.
What is New Zealand ranked in world happiness?
New Zealand has been consistently ranked as one among the top 10 Happiest countries in the world as per the World Happiness Report. While most of the quantifiable factors that get the country this position are its overall GDP, per capita income, social security, health (in terms of life expectancy), freedom to travel and overall generosity of the people in their community. A few of these cultural nuances that seldom make it to the mainstream media globally also contribute to the overall levels of happiness and contentment of the Kiwis. Alongwith the people of Maori descent, the Whites in New Zealand have also adopted this culture with open arms.
Last word: Which brings me to this burning question.
Where is your Tūrangawaewae? When you close your eyes, is there a special place that comes to mind? What makes it special to you? Is it the natural beauty of the place or the people who fill it with their radiant energies?
If you do not have the answers to all or a few of these questions, then it's probably time to trace back the hometown of your grandparents and plan a trip. If that is too much to ask for then you can surely dig up some old photos and take a trip down the memory lane. It is important to talk about the past - family stories, family traditions with a parent or grandparent or an elderly relative. It gives you a sense of peace, some much needed perspective and immense grounding in this otherwise stress and anxiety filled world.
No wonder, most Eastern cultures celebrate age and wisdom as compared to the Western cultures that look at elongating your youth as much as possible. We all need to feel connected with our Turangawaewae once in a while when we feel lost and are looking for some direction while being burnt out and looking for a way to simplify our lives.
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