NZ Report: Present Life of Maori

I’ll explain about present life of Maori. In the past, Maori’s life was inconvenient, but then, how about now? I will introduce present Maori life with three points, compare with past life, problem of life, and crimes.

First, Let us compare with past and present life. Before, Maori wore traditional costume made by fur or something from animal. Now, they are wearing clothes like european for example jeans, T-shirts, and jackets. So in NZ, if you see the Maori, you cannot notice them because they have any differences to other New Zealanders; for example, European, Asian and all people living in New Zealand. But some Maori still have great tattoos, it represent their fore father, family, sometimes appeals to their forth. If a person has great tattoos, perhaps you may notice that they are Maori.
In the past, Maori lived the house made by wood but now living normal house made by concrete. All their buildings include the hall which Maori’s meeting is hold is also all made by concrete now. Even during the meeting of elder, they wear normal clothes and the meeting is hold at the hall made by concrete. Elders use forks and knives when they eat traditional food, in spite of during the meeting, and almost elders come to the hall by plane or their own car. Now they use gas, electricity, and use money as same as us.
But Maori are not still run out of their greeting manner and culture in their mind. It is impossible for other races like Hawaiian to remain traditional culture. Even now when Maori meet, there are no relationships that person is man or woman, young or old, wearing costume or not. They always greet with touch their noses each other, and it’s called Hongi.

Next, I’ll tell you some problems of Maori. In the past, Maori lived as self-sufficient life, but recently the rate of self-sufficiency is decreasing. It means Maori have to depend on using money. So they earn money to live by farming, agriculture, and fishing, called primary industry, but they cannot do it because Maori have contracted with white people as Treaty of Waitangi. So Maori have no places to work as farmer. Fortunately, if they have wide place, but milk is so cheap in NZ and sheep is trade as almost prime cost. So young Maori go to city to earn money, but they cannot take a good job, because Maori could not take enough education. They can only work for the places which belong to the working class or part time job for example, cheap salary plant or convenience store. They cannot earn much money if they go to city.

At last I will talk about Maori’s crime. In the city, young Maori who couldn’t earn much money or fried their job become delinquent and commit a crime, for example theft or robber. Now in New Zealand, half of all prisoners are Maori people and 45% of crimes are caused by Maori. Maori is only 15% of all population, this is a too much number.

In my conclusion, Maori culture and people are very important part of New Zealand but now they have a lot of problems. I think these problems are decline traditional culture. I think New Zealand solve the problems, and also should reduce crimes of Maori to save their important culture and life.