How Aotearoa has Shaped Pop Culture

Whakairo, a traditional art form. Source: Diego Rabin / Pexels.  

Aotearoa has a unique grasp on the rest of the world. To some it’s a small island often mistaken for Australia, and to others we’re simply forgotten. This was seen in the Paris Olympics – when we were left off a closing ceremony world map.  

While this isn’t news, that’s not to say we haven’t shaped pop-culture and left significant marks across media, language, and sport. 

One of the most integral aspects of Aotearoa that has framed how we’re viewed in international pop culture is that of history, and Māori. As a bicultural society, Aotearoa is shaped by the past and by being able to recognise and respect Māori ancestors and claims to the land.  

“Reflecting on New Zealand’s version of pop culture is quite different for what is and always has been Māori popular culture,” said Associate Professor at Aotahi School of Māori and Indigenous Studies, Jani Wilson.  

Wilson’s research demonstrates the move from performances and celebrations where alcohol is at the forefront, to more whānau-based activities like picnics, and settings where individuals are empowered through language and cultural values. 

With kapa haka being an important part of Māori identity dating back to before 1934 – the first year Waitangi Day was commemorated, Wilson commented: “it’s only been with the proliferation of social media over the last 10 years where rangatahi – and I’d say this is the case for Māori and non-Māori – have performed haka and sung in te reo, where there’s been a sense of a desire for a bicultural popular culture.” 

“We have incredible stories and talents right here; we have access to the technology like everyone else. But our strength, really is in our people who are born and raised in the creative arts, music, performance, and making things… But this is part of our collective mentality and culture. Family over everything. And to be fair, our Pākehā are increasingly enjoying these Kaupapa too. So, this isn’t a trend as such, but a return to our Pacific values.” 

A lot of our filmography features depictions of violence and masculinity masquerading in different forms. Cultural Studies graduate Dorian Ghosh, gave Once Were Warriors and Power of the Dog as examples.  

“[Aotearoa] has traditionally been constructed as masculine, rugged and to a certain extent, violent. The image of the pioneering man (often Pākehā) traversing through the rough unyielding terrain,” Ghosh said.  

Another, perhaps more surprising admission, is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which Ghosh described as “one of New Zealand’s biggest cultural imports.” 

When it comes to sport, there is no doubting that the All Blacks have changed rugby forever, and according to what is distributed online – on the official website for the All Blacks, they are the most successful men’s rugby side - internationally.  

“Often when I speak to my family in India, they will bring up two things: Rugby and the Haka, both of which are linked due to the performance of Ka Mate by the All Blacks,” Ghosh said, who considers the image and overall culture of rugby one that has prioritised a sense of masculinity in its national identity.  

While influencing pop culture ourselves, it is also in how we interact with it that dictates how we present ourselves internationally. 

“It is important that we engage with pop culture, with it being a good indication of the direction our culture is taking. Our Queer and BIPOC young people will remember what side of history we were on through how we interacted with popular culture, how we used it to tell the stories of people who couldn’t,” Ghosh said. 

“I am excited to see where popular culture in Aotearoa is headed. The motifs in our pop culture are starting to diversify, with Te Ao Māori and Queer theory informed pieces becoming a part of the cultural zeitgeist.” 

Aotearoa has always been a beautiful country. Across the world, people wish to visit because we are the home of adventure and thrilling activities, the Real Middleearth™, and have some of the most wonderous wildlife and scenic views. But it is through culture, language and values that we need to be known for most; as a country that connects with its bicultural uniqueness.   

We need to be having uncomfortable conversations about how to endorse cultural appreciation and awareness, without appropriation taking control. 

On Aotearoa’s next steps, Wilson told Canta: “This means challenging the status quo and deciding on what we can do to adapt what is perceived as our popular culture and what we would like it to be, moving forward.”