When I told folks I was going to New Zealand, some told me about the adventure sports that I must do. Others warned me that I may just fall in love with the natural beauty and never come back home. But no one, not one person, told me how spiritually touched I would be by a single cultural interaction with the Māori community. 

I just came back from an evening spent with a native family who have preserved their culture and beliefs in such a beautiful manner, not just for themselves, but also making it their life’s mission to share it with the world. An evening of dances, songs, absolutely lip-smacking ‘hangi’ dinner cooked with volcanic hot rocks inside the soil, and an insight into the traditions and symbols that the Māori hold dear. 

The Māori originally hail from Polynesia, with cousins all the way from Hawaii around the Pacific all the way to Taiwan. Around 900AD, eight different chiefs found their way onto this land and made it their home. Over time, colonization of Polynesian islands happened and the Māori too had to share their land. However, unlike other nations like Australia, Canada and USA, where the natives were moved aside, New Zealand has (over time) preserved and maintained respect for the original inhabitants of this sacred land, the Māori. Today, 17% of the population is Māori, with representation in the parliament and in all important walks of life. 

The chief said something very poignant tonight. While welcoming everyone, he said,

“I don’t just welcome you, I welcome all your ancestors, everyone who has preceded you in your line, I welcome them all, as they are a part of you.” 

I loved how they all upheld and were proud of their heritage. As an expat, I often struggle with how much of my culture should I hold on to and what should I adopt to become a global citizen. But these people that I met today had no doubt. This is our land, they said. There is no other place in the world where we can say that. We are protectors of this land and this land protects us in turn. Preserve your language, they said. It is not merely a string of words. Rather, it holds metaphors and traditions that can not be explained in any other language. Without your language, you are not whole. Preserve it to understand where you come from and what holds you to this earth. 

This wonderful journey through New Zealand was made up of various awe-inspiring experiences. And though I will always remember the thrill of rafting through 60 rapids on a crazy white water river, the serenity of a soak in a hot water spring mineral pool, the exhilaration of ziplining down from the second-highest mountain on Waiheke Island down to the beach, and the undulating quiet beauty of lakeside walks every morning, what will stay with me in my heart and my soul is what I experienced today with the Māori. Their culture, their beliefs, their traditions, their legends, and their amazing hospitality. 

It is the people who make a nation. And if that is true, New Zealand is in fact a place unlike any other.