Anthropos: Anthropos, 90.1995

Anthropos, 90.1995

Bibliographic Data

Journal

Structure Type:: Journal

Works URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

Persistent identifier:: BV043334262

Title:: Anthropos

Place of Publication:: Fribourg

Publisher:: Ed. St. Paul

Year of Publication:: 1906

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Domain:: Social and cultural anthropology > General overview

Journal Volume

Structure Type:: Journal Volume

Works URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711884

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711884

Persistent identifier:: 1513767960782

Title:: Anthropos, 90.1995

Year of Publication:: 1995

Call Number:: LA 1118

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Journal Issue

Structure Type:: Journal Issue

Title:: Bd. 90, 1995, Heft 1-3

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Anthropos 90.1995: 1-16 Redefining Ideology in Time Maori Crossroads between a Timeless Past and a New Future Toon van Meijl Abstract. - In this article it is argued that a broadening of classic notions of ideology as false consciousness does not necessarily have to take place at the expense of the concept’s critical connotations if ideology is conceived of as a generative and dynamic dimension of social practice, the multiple values of which are continuously being manipulated to serve political and other strategic interests. The value of the theoretical ap proach advocated in this article will be demonstrated by means of an ethnographic analysis of the “reinvention” of tradition among the New Zealand Maori and its political and ideological goal of justifying demands for Maori self-determination in the future. For the Maori the past serves as a symbol of survival and continuity, but with the aim of discontinuing and transforming their present predicament through the implementation of tribal development programmes. The paradoxical coexistence of a discourse of tradition and a discourse of development may be resolved in terms of their common ideological matrix. [New Zealand, Maori, ideology, signs, politics of tradition] Toon van Meijl holds a B. A. (Hons.) and an M. A. (Hons.) from the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and a Ph. D. from the Australian National University. He conducted field work among the Tainui Maori people in New Zealand from October 1982 until August 1983, and from September 1987 until December 1988. At present he is holding a postdoctoral research fellowship of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, while he is also Academic Secretary of the Centre for Pacific Studies. - Publications: cf. References Cited. Over the past two decades the New Zealand Maori people have revived, if not “reinvented,” many dimensions of their traditional culture, particularly its expressive aspects, such as language, ceremo nies, crafts, songs, and dances, but also forms of political organization. At the same time, the in digenous people of New Zealand have launched large-scale development programmes in order to improve their living standards and, ultimately, to attain in the future statistical equality with the dominant population of European New Zealanders. New Zealanders of European origin often argue that Maori traditions constitute an insurmountable impediment to the modern goal of development. In consequence, it is widely believed in New Zealand that Maori people have to make a choice between their - primitive - past and a - civilized - future, but although Maori concerns with both the past and the future might initially seem paradoxical, Maori discourses of tradition cannot be seen in isolation of Maori discourses of development. After a decade of scholarship on the “politics of tradition” in the Pacific (e.g., Keesing and Ton- kinson 1982; Linnekin and Poyer 1990; Jolly and Thomas 1992; White and Lindstrom 1993; van der Grijp and van Meijl 1993; Otto 1994), the political implications of the revitalization and reconstruc tion of Maori traditions have become obvious: traditional culture is particularly reconstituted in order to justify growing demands for autonomous Maori development programmes and, ultimately, for the recognition of Maori sovereignty (van Meijl 1990). The main aim of Maori aspirations to Maori self-determination is to regain in the future the political, economic, and cultural autonomy which the indigenous people of New Zealand lost in the course of colonial history. The strategy for achiev ing an independent future, however, is justified as well as outlined in terms of Maori traditions. This is undoubtedly the result of Maori encapsu lation within the New Zealand liberal-democratic nation-state, which forces Maori people to vali date their pursuit of sovereignty in a culturally specific manner. Since the sharing of a common colonial past plays an important role in uniting Maori people from different tribal backgrounds vis-à-vis their European counterparts, the desire to manage their attempts to reacquire control of their own destiny is substantiated by means of a discourse of tradition. Interestingly, the relationship between the fu ture-oriented discourse of development and the past-oriented discourse of tradition is rather am biguous and evokes at least two paradoxes. Firstly, the need for an independent path into the future is justified on the basis of a different past, but views of the desired future state are largely based on the present condition of the European population of New Zealand, the only difference being control in

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