COMPREHENSION CHECK

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the aboriginal lifestyle called “primitive”? Do you think this is an appropriate term?

2. Describe the aboriginal way of obtaining food, their looks and social structure.

3. What are the aboriginal perceptions of nature and the Creation of the World?

4. What is involved in the “initiation” ceremony? Why does it have so much importance for any aboriginal boy and girl?

5. How are aboriginal marriage traditions different from those in the western culture?

6. What factors contributed to the wiping out of the Aborigines?

7. How has the state policy towards the Aborigines changed over the years?

VOCABULARY

Ex. 3. Find the Russian equivalents for the following:

Ice Age, to tame animals, edible, cult objects, sophisticated, forefather, to obey the law, sacred site, complicated rules of etiquette, landownership, massacre, survivor

FOLLOW UP

Ex. 5. Questions for discussion:

1. Do you think it is important to keep old cultural traditions alive in the modern globalized world? Why or why not?

2. Compare the current state of the Aborigines in Australia with that of the Native Americans in the USA. What is your opinion on the “reservation” policy? Has it delivered the final blow at the natives or has it been the last resort in an attempt to preserve the traditional lifestyle?

UNIT 5

WARM UP

Ex. 1. What words do you associate with New Zealand?

READING

Ex. 2. Read the following text and say what it adds to your knowledge:

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two main landmasses (commonly called the North Island and the South Island), and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing but in free association); Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).

New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation: it is situated about 2,000 km (1250 miles) southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, a number of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced.

The majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority. Asians and non-Māori Polynesians are also significant minority groups, especially in urban areas. The most commonly spoken language is English. New Zealand is a developed country in terms of quality of life, life expectancy, literacy, public education, peace, prosperity, economic freedom, ease of doing business, lack of corruption, press freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. Its cities also consistently rank among the world's most livable.

Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the country's head of state and is represented by a ceremonial Governor-General who holds reserve powers. The Queen has no real political influence, and her position is essentially symbolic. Political power is held by the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who is the head of government.

The first European name for New Zealand was Staten Landt, the name given to it by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European to see the islands. Tasman assumed it was part of a southern continent connected with land discovered in 1615 off the southern tip of South America by Jacob Le Maire, which had been named Staten Landt, meaning "Land of the (Dutch) States-General". The name New Zealand originated with Dutch cartographers, who called the islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. No one is certain exactly who first coined the term, but it first appeared in 1645 and may have been the choice of cartographer Johan Blaeu. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand.

History

New Zealand is one of the most recently settled major landmasses. The first known settlers were Eastern Polynesians who, according to most researchers, arrived by canoe in about AD 1250–1300. Some researchers have suggested an earlier wave of arrivals dating to as early as AD 50–150; these people then either died out or left the islands. Over the following centuries these settlers developed into a distinct culture now known as Māori.

The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, they are Polynesian and comprise about 14 percent of the country's population. Maoritanga is the native language which is related to Tahitian and Hawaiian. In 1840 representatives of Britain and Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty established British rule, granted the Maori British citizenship, and recognized Maori land rights. Today many of the treaty's provisions are disputed and there is an effort from the New Zealand Government to recompense Maori for land that was illegally confiscated. The present Maori population is around 600,000 or 14% of the population, and the Maori live in all parts of New Zealand, but predominately in the North Island where the climate is warmer.

Maori Traditions

Before the coming of the Pakeha (White Man) to New Zealand, all literature in Maori was orally passed onto succeeding generations. This included many legends and waiata (song). The most recognised tradition today is the "Haka" which is a war dance. The Haka was performed before the onset of war by the Maori last century, but has been immortalized by New Zealand's Rugby Team the All Blacks, who perform this dance before every game. The traditional Maori welcome is called a powhiri, this involves a hongi which is a greeting that involves pressing noses as opposed to a kiss. Another prominent feature of Maori culture is the striking tattoos that were worn. Full faced tattoos or "moko", amongst the Maori tribes was predominantly a male activity. Female forms of moko were restricted to the chin area, the upper lip, and the nostrils. Today the Moko still lives on as an increasing number of Maori who are opting to receive their Moko, in an effort to preserve their culture and identity. A traditional form of cooking called a Hangi is a feast cooked in the earth. Stones are heated in a fire in a dug out pit and covered in cabbage leaves or watercress to stop the food from burning. Mutton, pork, chicken, potatoes and Kumera (a sweet potato) are then unusually lowered into the pit in a basket. The food is covered with Mutton cloth or similar and traditionally with flax. Finally earth is placed on top to keep in the steam. The food takes about 3 hours to cook. The Hangi is still popular and is a viable alternative to a weekend barbecue. The unique taste of food cooked in a Hangi can best be described as steamed food with an earthen flavour.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1028