A critical analysis of indigenous events as expressions of empowerment

Abstract

This paper cultivates an approach to leisure scholarship which is more responsive to Indigenous peoples and responsibilities of translation. This study is grounded within kaupapa Māori, an Indigenous perspective specific to Aotearoa New Zealand that privileges Māori epistemology. We apply this to a longitudinal analysis of media representations of an Indigenous event (Puaka Matariki) held annually since 2004 in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand. We find te reo (Māori language) being used in a way that demonstrates its acceptance in the wider non-Māori community, a clear respect for Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) through the incorporation of identity and values, the manifestation of whanaungatanga (collectivity and social relationality), and the assertion of tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty). We conclude that events such as Puaka Matariki can act as expressions of empowerment for Indigenous communities traditionally marginalised through experiences of colonisation.