STEP Reflection
My STEP Signature Project is entitled “New Zealand: Sustainable Tourism & Human Impacts on the Environment.” The project consisted of travel throughout the South Island of New Zealand; educational experiences were centered around sustainable tourism and the Maori indigenous people.
New Zealand is a sustainability focused nation. The country prides itself on its natural capital, meaning that preserving that natural beauty is of high priority. Prior to my travel to New Zealand, I knew very little about the coexistent living of indigenous groups, European groups, and the environment. New Zealand takes great measures to preserve the natural environment and native species. The country’s Maori influence has allowed them to live with the environment, rather than using the environment for human gain. The widespread attitudes toward sustainability were very different than that of the United States.
New Zealand not only aims to sustain the environment, but they strive to preserve their indigenous culture. New Zealand practices a co-governance model, allowing both Western and Indigenous practices to thrive. I found the country’s preservation of the Maori indigenous culture very transformative. In person experiences with Maori individuals brought light to the injustice that Native Americans face. 17% of New Zealand’s population is indigenous, compared to the United States’ 2%. Indigenous culture is ingrained and embraced in New Zealand, which is shockingly different than the United States.
Part of our experience in Motueka, New Zealand included a visit to a marae, which is a sacred meeting place in Maori culture. Our group learned about the cultural significance and customs associated with the marae. We had the opportunity to enter the marae and meet an indigenous family of political importance to the region. During the greeting process, a young son in the Maori family was playing with a Buzz Light Year toy. The toy was talking and making noise throughout the prayer. This encounter brought the human side of indigenous groups to light; in the United States, indigenous groups are perceived to be different than most people. This comedic encounter in the marae emphasized the fact that indigenous groups consist of regular people, contrary to what the media portrays.
The people on the trip made the experience. The shared learning and exploring allowed the group to become cohesive and create lasting friendships. The program days were long and we spent every second of them together; however, after hours together, we spend evenings together. I enjoyed talking to everyone on the trip and forming relationships with people I otherwise never would have met. As one of the few people on the trip in the school of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, I met many people studying different things; I learned a lot from my peers and enjoyed it.
This experience was undeniably one of the most transformational in my life. There is only so much you can learn from books; eventually you need to get out and see the world for yourself. This experience allowed me to learn about Indigenous Maori culture and sustainability in another nation. Beyond this, the relationships formed through the three weeks on program persist and continue to be in my mind daily. As a student of Health Sciences, this environmentally focused program was completely foreign to me; I gained a deep appreciation for sustainability and indigenous culture. I continue to draw comparisons between New Zealand and the United States in my daily life.