By Sheree Trotter on The Tablet…
Despite what anti-Zionist ideologues might assume, the Jews of Israel are an inspiration for many M?ori.
In 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted on the island country of Aotearoa, now better known as New Zealand. It was so violent that the eruption was heard 300 kilometers away in Auckland. Some feared that the loud explosions were cannon fire and that the city was under assault from Russian warships.
Many of my people died in the Tarawera eruption. Most suffocated in the thick ash that descended upon the region. Destroyed, too, were our thriving tourist businesses. The Pink and White Terraces, till then considered an “eighth wonder” of the natural world, had attracted tourists from around the globe, and my people had built a strong local economy in their indigenous lands. Survivors of the catastrophe were taken in by nearby iwi (tribes) including Tapuika in the town of Te Puke. It was here that my mother and her family grew up.
For traditional M?ori, mountains and land are supremely important to identity. Indeed, when we formally introduce ourselves, we do so first by referencing our mountains, waterways, and tribal affiliations, and then our genealogy. Last of all we declare our own names. We are known as tangata whenua, people of the land. Our indigenous identity gives us a strong sense of connection to our ancestral lands.
Read the full article on The Tablet here.
