metimes the change is in the
This reminds me of our own personal moʻolelo. I had a conversation with one of my hoa from Keaukaha about Kamapuaʻa and how she had a different recollection of the moʻolelo from her other friend who was in the next town over, but the ending/moral of the story was still the same. It's interesting to see this play out in different cultures as well.
at Fla
I find this bit very funny. I was curious and decided to look up Robert Flaherty and what kind of movies he's done and out of the 24 movies he's created, according to Google, 5 of them are related to ʻōiwi peoples. Anyway, showing the main character as "uncivilized" by having Nanook bite the record to figure out what kind of material it is, is harmful to Inuit, and then to go around and to ask the same people you are making fun of to fix your equipment is a crazy concept. What do you gain from making fun of the same people, and in a way, calling them uncivilized, but then asking the same people to fix your own equipment? Are they uncivilized or not?
itional narratives categorized as myth are not regarded asuntrue by their native tellers. "A
Stories in ʻōiwi traditions are not made up, or just for entertainment. They come from real experiences and observations of the world and teaches people how to live, behave, and so on. These stories can hold knowledge about nature, relationships, history, community values, and more. When the West calls them "myths" it can make it seem less than what it actually is, maybe sometimes even untrue, even though they are actually really important ways of explaining what is going on.
Likewise, new media production by Aboriginal artists is transform-ative and transformational: a shapeshifter. It is an act of propri-etary self-definition and cultural self-determination.
This passage stood out to me as Aboriginal media highlights that language is not meant to be the same, it is proof of self determination, as mentioned. It is always evolving, shaping, and reflecting the cultural identity over time. The use of “shapeshifter” sticks out to me, I feel that it shows that no matter what happens over time, we are always going to be able to adapt to the times or situations no matter what, it reminds me of the true resilience that many people, especially ʻōiwi peoples have. It also shows how indigenous artists can use media to take back stories, control identities, and show our true selves.
Media cosmology” em-braces an Indigenous view of media and its attendant processesthat incorporates language, culture, technology, land, spirituality,and histories encompassed in the teachings of the four directions.
Media cosmology stood out to me. I like how it talks about how media is used as a connection to language, culture, land, spirit, history, and how it relates to balance, unity, cycle. The Western lens can see media as more of a machine, or a tool to use, whereas the Indigenous lens sees media as something that can be a living system.
By eschewing “Western” conceptions of media ecology, we posita unique new media landscape not predicated on Western founda-tional thought but rooted in our own world views. These theoriesdo not supersede or repudiate those of Western thought but canbe seen as distinct and in many ways complementary to otherdiscourses. But the differences are important and they point to afundamentally dichotomous view of Indigenous thought and as-sociation with that of “Western thought.” For Indigenous people the“media landscape” becomes just that: a landscape, replete with lifeand spirit, inclusive of beings, thought, prophecy, and the under-lying connectedness of all things – a space that mirrors, memorial-izes, and points to the structure of Indigenous thought.
I view this as how important it is to move beyond the Western frameworks when reviewing media, understanding that indigenous perspectives offer a different, yet complementary understanding. It is not better or worse, it’s just different. The big difference is that the Western world sees media as something that separates humans from nature/technology, an Indigenous perspective sees media the same way we view land, full of life, spirit, it connects everything. The indigenous worldview sees the whole thing, it’s not separate.
SNS have been and will continue to play an integral role and iwi, hapūand marae will be faced with the challenge of shifting values-basedpractices and rituals to the virtual space to empower their people withthe ability and access to participate and engage.
This passage has also stuck out to me as it is something that I thought about when reading this. Technology, even though it is made out to be something that can disconnect us, can actually unite us. Physical presence is increasingly difficult, with work, relocating, even illness, etc. Many Māori, just like kanaka, struggle to return home. With technology, it can connect us and make sure that diaspora kanaka are involved in the conversation. Instagram accounts like @hawaiiandiaspora aim to create inclusive spaces for kanaka who live outside of Hawaiʻi.
Dr Paratene Ngata from Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa was one of the first tolivestream his funeral to the Internet to enable those unable to make thetangihanga the opportunity to still be part of it.
This sentence really stuck out to me as the reader, it really showed how technology can be involved in supporting indigenous cultural practices. Livestreaming this event ensured that members who couldn’t attend in person, could still participate. It shows how Māori are using technology to maintain connection, uphold tradition, and more. It makes me think of how we can show up for lāhui using media.
SNS are assisting Māori users to access more information about theirwhakapapa, language, performing arts, marae, hapū and iwi. All ofthese areas that users are interested in and are engaging with is viewedas a positive aspect of cultural revitalisation and self-determination forMāori and where individual and collective identities are beingconstructed and formed.
Social networking sites are becoming valuable tools for Māori, and this I feel can also relate with a lot of indigenous peoples, as it can help Māori connect with their whakapapa, as well as a lot of kanaka, like myself research my own moʻokūʻauhau. As well as language, arts, etc. Media can be a great tool to build identity, and as well as engage with others, it is proof of self determination as well as cultural pride in the modern age.