Do you know "Maori?"
 

Half the people in my office have never heard of the Maori. This kind of stuff drives me batshit! Did everybody sleep through Social Studies but me? Shouldn't this be part of general, common knowledge?

I could google it, but it doesn't sound like something I'll use in day to day life so I'll just wait for someone here to explain it to me.

Cloud, you should have made it a public poll. So we could make fun of people 'n' stuff.

not that mean

:keys: "Maori . . ... I've just met a girl named Maori . . .. ."

You need to quit that job Cloud. You'll be reading People Magazine and watching NASCAR next.:thepain:

ah, but where else could I be accepted in all my arrogant nerdiness, laughing along with the good-natured teasing of my friends aka co-workers?

wisdom and knowledge drop as pearls from my lips . . . I stamp out ignorance in my wake . . .

AHHH! TAKE THAT IGNORANCE! BE GONE!

Yes, I do, but I never learned about them in school. I first learned of them from the movie "The Piano" and then later I learned a bit more when I visited New Zealand and visited a Maori church on the Otago Peninsula.

This is a tattoo question, isn't it?

So... Whats a maori? lol

not specifically. I learned about them in 6th grade, because I had a teacher from New Zealand.

Lookout's comment about not needing this knowledge in real life is typical of some of the responses I'm getting. This saddens me in a very personal way.

Shoulda been a social studies teacher. Do they even teach that anymore?

the answer
 

Maoris are the indigenous people of New Zealand. (or, at least, they were there when the Europeans came)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maori

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=maori&gbv=2

oh yeah, the Jimi Hendrix song: The Wind Cries Maori

Who are the Maori, not what.

Wait, hold on a minute... I'm all for edjumacation and stuff, but this sounds very random. If you had had a different teacher, from, say, Philadelphia, and he told stories about the Mummers, would you now know about the Maori? Would you care?

A bit random, yeah. But yes, even if I had a different teacher I would know--that was not the only context in which they have appeared in my life. And I would care.

yeah, but I didn't want to give too much away.

Why does this sadden you? You know a specific piece of information that someone else doesn't and that is wonderful. But step into the other position for a just a moment. Can you tell me the significance of Currahee without googling it?

It is one of those little factoids rattling around in my brain because it has a relationship to something I find fascinating therefore I've learned a bit about it. New Zealand has never grabbed my interest so I haven't spent any time learning about it. I don't find anything in that situation to be sad about.

Lookout, I'm not trying to single you out or even say this is applicable to you, but your response echoes other, similar responses I've gotten from people around me that I ask.

It saddens me because it seems that people become so narrow in their lives. They don't look beyond what they "need" to know in order to function in day-to-day life. No one can know everything, of course, but this world, the people in it, and the processes we contend with, its history, its science-- are so vast and amazing, and I think knowledge about it enriches one's life.

People say to me, why should I care?; How should I know that?; I was asleep in fourth grade; don't care, don't need it, don't care.

It's just sad.

I don't feel singled out or insulted I just find it amazing that you feel so strongly about this little bit of information that has exactly zero importance in the lives of 90% of the population. My point is that every single one of us has some knowledge that very few others we meet would know anything about. That's a good thing. If everyone in the cellar all had the same knowledge to fall back on then there wouldn't be much learning going on here. I don't find it sad in any way. I think it is pretty cool.

I don't think it is evidence of a narrowing of our lives but rather a widening. We know so many more bits and pieces about so many more things than previous generations did it is insane. I'd be willing to bet that the average dwellar has a much wider base of knowledge than previous generations. Previous generations did have access to info like we do and they didn't have as much down time to learn as we do. I don't know as much about carpentry as my grandfather did, but I know quite a bit more about a lot of things that he never even thought about.

I was saddened recently when nobody in my office remembered the cheesy single "More More More" by Andrea True Connection.

I think you make some good points. I shall have to ponder them . . .

I knew about the Maori (although more likely from the Discovery channel than school), but have no idea about Curahee.
Here's mine; what's the inscription on the Liberty Bell? Where is it from and what does it refer to? Partial credit awarded...

that's from National Treasure isn't it . . .

:p

No, it's from England, but its in Philadelphia. I didn't see Nation Treasure... looked like a DaVinci code ripoff.

You mean the Taco Liberty Bell?

The word looks familiar. . .

After reading the previous posts, I hope you will enlighten us as to why it's such a shame they aren't in the forefront of our minds.

it isn't. It's a shame they aren't lurking around there somewhere though . . .

it's like . . . never having heard of Hawaii or something, I don't know.

Ignorance is bliss, or so they say.

I guess I will remain ignorant of the Maori.

well, you can look at the links I posted. If you want.

uh . . . I have more, too!

Now I want to visit New Zealand, dammit!

I first learned of them when I read this book sometime as a teen, but they've come up other times as well.

Looks interesting. Tho, $20 for a 2-year old used paperback is a bit steep (you were a teen in 2006?*). From the review:

ETA: *the edition listed there was published in 2006--I guess the book was published before that. That's the only edition I can find on Amazon, though.

Having grown up surrounded by Maori people all my life it seems odd to me that some people don't know about them or where they're from and what their cultural significance is to the greater world around us, but I'm not sure I think it's sad. I do get what you're saying though Cloud. The world is becoming such a small place in some ways, but it seems to be becoming more insular in others also. People are more concerned with what directly affects them and not so much about knowing things just for the sake of it. Of course, I think people have been making these sorts of suggestions throughout the ages.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't know anything about americans - indigenous or otherwise - out there in the world, but none here have ever heard of them.

Different things are of different interest to different people for different reasons. I think that's all it really comes down to.

tell me what you know about the navajo.

well, I've heard of them, know they exist, and roughly what area of the country they lived in. Know there's a special chapter of WWII history devoted to them; have a (admittedly) vague idea of some of their customs.

Oh, wait. . . you were asking Ms. Aliantha, weren't you? :D

and then the Sami
followed by the Masai

well, I know of them. Don't know a lot about them, but again, I know they exist and roughly what area of the world they live in.

This is general knowledge. I'm a big fan of the concept of "cultural literacy." I'm not going to say I have in-depth knowledge of every cultural subgroup or indigenous people out there, because I certainly do not, but I think a general knowledge of the major countries and peoples of the world is required for educated people.

I know. I'm just a nerd.

My answer would be similar to Clouds. I know of them and where they come from and have a general understanding of lifestyle, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert. Then again, I'm not an expert on Maori traditions etc either, but I probably know more about them because of my familiarity.

Some people absorb knowledge like a sponge.

How lucky!

Says here that the youths are big into hip-hop.

Somehow I find that hilarious. But I am a cruel and bitter man.

Somehow I find that hilarious. But I am a cruel and bitter man.

the warrior tribes are still scaring their neighbors, obviously.

[other side of the coin]
Weird.... This from the lady who didn't know anything about cars. Yet, you drive one every day, you're surrounded by them every day. Don't you think you have a "need for this knowledge in real life"?

I can remember clearly being saddened as a child when I learned what a Renaissance Man was and that I probably couldn't be one. Someone who knew the most about everything (my childhood understanding, close, but no cigar). Now I can see quite clearly, especially in my professional field, technology, that I could *never ever* be the most knowledgeable in all fields. I can barely keep up with these freakin computers.

My point is that we all have to choose what to put into our heads. For those quick studies among us, they may have a chance to put in more and us slow learners have to be content with either less knowledge or less sleep. Sadly, I usually wind up with both booby prizes. :yawn:

I can't remember not knowing about the Maori, but then we have closer links with New Zealand in England. And one of my favourite children's authors is a Kiwi. As is my Aunt to be fair. And pretty much everyone here knows about the haka, even if they couldn't name it precisely, because the All Blacks do it before every game. Oh and there's a pretty well known clip of a young Prince Charles meeting the Maoris.

I could go on and on, but I was just trying to justify what otherwise might have sounded boastful.

I have never heard of currahee. Sounds like a variation of Karachi maybe? In which case I know a fair amount, but I think that might be too obscure.

I know where the Navajo are from, and a few snippets about them. I know more about the Sami but again, I'm European and the Masai - well I do have a friend who lives in Kenya after all.

ETA - I know very little about cars! But then I've only ever been an intermittant driver and don't currently own one.

I think it's far easier to pick up general knowledge than it is specific mechanics/ technology. But then maybe it's the way my mind works.

oh, absolutely, which is why I ask for help in filling the gaps in my knowledge, and actively research those issues which come up.

Why is it hilarious?

Because in the midst of preserving the heritage of an indigenous people, the youngsters said ah fuggit and took their own cultural notes from halfway around the world; and then took the militant notes about it and made it their own militancy. The youth culture will always rebel; the kids always have crappy music and dress funny. And now while we're supposed to remember this honorable and unique indigenous culture, their kids are kind of abandoning it because it's not cool enough.

I guess the loss of cultural integrity is what many indigenous groups are concerned about among their youth.

There are a lot of maori and islander boys here who are well and truly wrapped up in 'gangsta' culture which is quite funny in one respect, but in another, it's incredibly sad. The Maori people have a rich heritage full of tradition and culture. It is a source of great distress to most elders I've met.

When the local American kids engage in "gangsta" culture, you may rest assured that their parents do not look at it as a preservation of their own adult culture. It's not indigenous vs. Western, it's old vs. young. Always has been, always will be.

Over here it's about the clothes and music mostly and also a way of behaviour, but it's not as violent as it seems to be in the US. It's interesting to note that most islander kids are very respectful of their parents but they compete heavily among their peers for respect and control of the group. There's not so much gang culture here although there's more of it than there was when I was young. In a lot of ways, they're little 'gangstas' without the gang if that makes any sense.

makes sense to me. they emulate the current "warrior" culture because there's really no place for their own anymore.

I never heard about the Maori in school, but National Geographic has covered them more than once, and of course TV takes us everywhere in the world and beyond.

The haka that SG mentioned, has been adopted by some US college and high school teams, much to the consternation of some parents and educators that feel it's bad sportsmanship.

Do you know "Maori?"
 

That would be Mr. Connie Chung; though, he changed the way he spells his name for show business purposes. :rolleyes:

It makes sense that people focus on knowlege that is immediately useful to them like the state of Connie Chung's marriage. My concern with a lack of background in culture and geography focuses somewhat on international businesspeople but mostly on our political class. The world just isn't that big any more. Our imperialism, being cultural, economic, and military, would seem to be much more dangerous when lead by disinterested non-readers. If our foreign policy were Radaresque, we could afford cultural illiteracy in government. Businesspeople learn culture because good relationships smooth exchanges in goods and services. A government official deals in force restrained or driven forward by the election cycle back home. With the right publicity at home, there is little in the system to put him out of business when he fails to understand the impact of his actions.

Got fed up and googled currahee.
Okay, had NO idea. But I will read now and will have.

Although I counter they're modern culture. Which (again imo) isn't as easy to pick up as something centuries old that permeates literature, art, diaries, popular fiction etc etc

I'm not saying that knowing one thing is better than another. I'm just saying that the longer something is in existence, the easier it is to get wind of it.

Amused myself yesterday watching Youtube videos of haka and poi dancing.

BTW, sure The Cellar has heard of Maori 'cause I remember talking about it when I was talking about the poi dancing.

Funnily enough we were talking about poi today at work. There's a Project Manager you can't mention poi in front of. Something to do with a lost bid to a group of poi dancers who then put on what was widely recognised as a lousy performance.

And yet despite the sensitive personalities of people who work in the arts it seems to come up every other week ;)

Has anyone ever heard of Negritos? How about a Radaresque foreign policy?

They're like Fritos, only better.

Coincidentally, Natl Geo. aired an episode of "Taboo" tonight which showed a young woman getting the traditional moko, or Maori chin tattoo. Very interesting.

A Kiwi chap told me that the movie Once Were Warriors is pretty realistic .

From my personal experience I would say it is.