PS From Waka to Weta: Approaching New Zealand Cultural History

From a European perspective Aotearoa/New Zealand, the final major landmass to be settled by humans, is still commonly viewed as a remote, peaceful Pacific paradise known for its unspoilt nature and breath-taking landscapes that attract film-makers, tourists, and wealthy expats alike. This seminar sets out to look both at and beyond the nation’s (colonial) myths and narratives and seeks to critically explore the small country’s brief history and cultural formation. Following a roughly chronological order for the first half of the term, the course will cover major events from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers in the 13th century, and its British colonisation in the 19th century, to the challenges of today’s pluralistic society tragically testified to by the Christchurch mosque attacks last year.
The participants’ understanding of Aoteaoroa/ New Zealand contexts will be advanced by selected readings that include excerpts from historical sources, legal documents, and literary works as well as secondary and theoretical texts on New Zealand history, culture and literature and (post)colonialism in general. The second part of the seminar will proceed thematically by looking into e. g. the role of Māori culture and language today, the nation’s relationship with nature, and how New Zealand compares to other former British dominions like Australia or Canada.