Tina Ngaroimata Fraser

Māori-Tūhoe Epistemology:

Stages of Sustaining Tribal Identity

Through Māori Performing Arts

Introduction

• Purpose

• Research Questions

• Theoretical Framework

• Maori Research Methodology

• Analysis and Findings

• Sustaining Tribal Identity –

Individual & Collective

• Identity Framework

•Contributions of my research

•Future Research

The Overarching Purpose

To articulate Māori-Tūhoe worldview as

communicated and expressed through the

medium of performing arts, specifically Te

Hui Ahurei ā Tūhoe (Unique Gathering of

Tūhoe); together these elements help to build

a sustainable and functional tribal identity.

Research Questions

•How is Maori-Tūhoe

epistemology transmitted

through traditional performing

arts?

•How does Te Hui Ahurei ā

Tūhoe (Performative arts)

sustain tribal identity?

Theoretical Framework

Waka(canoe)

Īwi(tribe)

Hapū(sub-tribe)

Whānau(family)

Wānanga(place of learning)

Marae(meeting place)

Hui(gathering)

Whanaungatanga(family kinship)

Whakapapa(genealogy)

Te Taiāo(the environment)

Nga Kōrero Pūrākau(tribal narratives)

Te Reo ā Īwi(tribal dialect)

Tikanga/Kawa(customs and protocols)

Sustaining

Tribal

Identity

WHO? HOW? WHAT? WHY?

Case Study

Structured and Semi-structured Questions

Values and Ethical

Guidelines

Site Selection

Maori Research MethodologyData collected from

Female focus group

(N=25) and Male

focus group

(N=24), as well as

4 female and 6 male

key knowledge holders.

59 participants in total.

State of Consciousness:

(Space and Time)

Experience:

(Involvement, Participation, Commitment)

Analysis:

(Theory)

Born and raiseddisconnected from the tribe.

A performer who observes tribal practices without becoming actively involved.

Being Tūhoe is determined by genealogy.

Born and raised away from the tribe but maintains regular contact with the tribe.

A leader who participates in tribal practices but does not generally question processes.

Being Tūhoe is determined by acknowledgement.

Born and raised within the tribe

An activist who challenges tribal practices with the intention of tribal development.

Being Tūhoe is determined by input.

Analysis and Findings

PHASE ONE

PHASE TWO

PHASE THREE

SUSTAINING TRIBAL

IDENTITY

REVISION

REFLECTION

Sustaining Tribal Identity:

Individual Development

RECLAMATION

Reflection – “Being Tūhoe is a right that is

inherited through the blood of the fore-fathers and

mothers”

Reclamation – “Maintaining the connection with

the community by attending cultural events, and

participating in cultural traditional practices.”

Revision – “People who are raised in Tūhoe ways

are the ‘movers’ and the ‘shifters’ of the tribe who

are more likely to challenge tribal identity with the

intent of developing it.”

Community Voices

SUSTAINING TRIBAL

IDENTITY

MĀRAMATANGA

Enlightenment

MĀTAURANGA

In-Depth Knowledge

MŌHIOTANGA

Knowing

Sustaining Tribal Identity:

Collective Development

Mōhiotanga – “Lessons that can be learned from, or

taught at, Te Hui Ahurei ā Tūhoe that are flexible in

nature.”

Mātauranga – “Knowledge that transpires between

people we encounter on a regular basis who are familiar to

us.”

Māramatanga – “A state of enlightenment; essentially the

process understanding how to attain, maintain and

sustain tribal identity. This is not a state of stagnation; it

is acknowledging that there will always be room for further

growth and development.”

Community Voices

Identity FrameworkTe Mana Motuhake ō

TūhoeTino Rangatiratanga

Wānanga

Waka

Iwi

Hapū

Marae

Whānau

Sustaining Tribal Identity

Develop

Implement

Experiment

Inquire

Participate

Observe

Rec

lam

atio

nR

evis

ion

Ref

lect

ion

Māram

atanga

Mātau

ranga

Mō

hio

tanga

Individual

Decision

Making

Collective

Decision

Making

Te Mana Motuhake

ō TūhoeTino Rangatiratanga

Wānanga

Waka

Iwi

Hapū

Marae

Whānau

Sustaining Tribal Identity

Develop

Implement

Experiment

Inquire

Participate

Observe

Rev

isio

nR

ecla

mat

ion

Ref

lect

ion

Māram

atanga

Mātau

ranga

Mō

hio

tanga

Individual

Decision Making

Collective

Decision Making

Identity Framework

Contributions of my research

Performing Arts is more than an “act”

it is the performativity of a peoples,

bringing us together, revitalizing, and

re-grounding us into what it means to

be Māori-Tūhoe

Future Research

Gather information from previous Tūhoe festivals/Te

Hui Ahurei ā Tūhoe for archives in publically available

formats (e.g., DVD, online, multi-media)

Utilize the themes from bi-annual Tūhoe festival,

composing/writing/performing for next festival – theme

to be compulsory.