Te Papa bans pregnant women from exhibit

17 Oct 2010 12:47a.m.

GreatgranE wrote:

Thanks to Te Papa for listening to and respecting the kawa and tikanga of tangata whenua advisers who help make decisions at "Our Place," to use a trickle of our taxes to give everyone willing to learn in this national,educational building, an awareness of timing options and some of the ancient but still living Maori cultural safety practices based on Aroha for the survival and wellbeing of whanau and home environment,in regard to tapu/timely restrictions and noa/open participation in experiencing taonga.
More than 24 years ago during the return home of "Te Maori"
from USA,I was pregnant and happily chose to stay away from the national museum exhibition and moving rituals involving all iwi who welcomed the taonga home. My reason? To focus all my energy instead,on protecting my baby taonga, me and whanau from any potential danger of any kind,anywhere,at that time. No regrets. Plenty of time enjoyed later at Te Papa and other museums. The choice is yours. Be grateful.

12 Oct 2010 10:45p.m.

Danny wrote:

A museum us a place to learn and understand about the past, about culture and the ways of many people. That said, it is not a place we go to practice that which we study.

12 Oct 2010 08:42p.m.

CTRIsrael wrote:

After watching the item on Campbell Live tonight, articles in the local news papers today and reading several posts on this site - it is disappointing to see the lack of understanding from many New Zealanders or any attempt to see a perspective (or beliefs) other than from their own cultural viewpoint and knowledge. As a Maori male with a great love an appreciation for the practices and traditions of my ancestors - I find many of the comments/posts insulting, insensitive, bigoted, narrow-minded and ignorant. While not surprised - still disappointed. It is sad that so many would condemn the practices and beliefs of another culture simply because they don't understand them - can't or won't and therefore see them as wrong or backward. When I started writing this I had intended to maybe share some of the reasons both spiritual and practical (from the teachings that have been handed down to me) of why these things are done - but feel now that I should not - for these things are deep within our culture (Tikanga Atua), sacred in nature and can only be shared with the right spirit. The teachings within our culture practices are precious, sacred and a treasure - they do not take a person's mana (dignity - power) away from them (as many posts may suggest) but rather these traditions value, strengthen, honor and protect - the individual, the couple (Tane and Wahine) and the Whanau. I acknowledge Te Papa for their efforts to share these treasures and for honoring their comment to many Maori who have given these items from our past. I acknowledge those who attend the exhibit with a desire to learn more about the indigenous culture of this country - and as many (from all cultures) find for themselves, it often better to take the advice of generations who have gone before us.

12 Oct 2010 08:12p.m.

cj wrote:

What planet are these people from I am not going to visit Te Papa for some time this is so outrageous and backwoods

12 Oct 2010 07:59p.m.

jane wrote:

Re Te Papa warning to pregnant/menstruating women.....Why don't Maori acknowledge the real reason why menstruating bodies are tapu?...because, like in Christianity and other patriarchal cultures and belief systems, Maori have traditionally seen a woman's genitals/vagina as the source of evil...tragically, it seems nothing's changed...either within the Maori or the Christian world

12 Oct 2010 07:46p.m.

J McPhee wrote:

I thought we'd come a long way since the DARK AGES, but I was obviously wrong. I find the ban offensive and the very idea horrific. There is no room in our world for this discrimination for any reason. We are no longer living in the jungle and as far as I know man's knuckles no longer drag on the ground??? If the exhibition cannot be viewed by all it should be cancelled.

12 Oct 2010 07:19p.m.

Alice wrote:

I am a woman but don't identify as feminist and I respect Maori culture. If I was in a space, like those that Margaret Mutu lists, "the garden or on to the beach" in a Maori context I would be happy to respect the proscribed culture. However, the museum is a place for all people and paid for with tax payer dollars. Thus it is inappropriate for 'guidelines' to discriminate against any section of the public. It makes no difference whether that the public is invited, it is still discriminatory. Isolating menstruating women was a common practice amongst hunter-gatherer societies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_and_menstruation). We can acknowledge the historical and cultural significance of the 'holiday' that was afforded women in those days but it is no longer practical or widely observed in our nation in 2010. New Zealand has a long way to go in confronting the racism of our collective psyche but the idea that respecting sexist policy suggestions will assist in that process is shortsighted and a poor argument.

12 Oct 2010 06:58p.m.

Brick wrote:

There would be cries of sexism if a religious organisation made a similar announcement and protests that these ridiculous and archaic practices are allowed to take place in these times. Yet Te Papa is allowed.
Te Papa is a public organisation, funded by the tax payer. It was built with public money. It is an organisation that states it represents New Zealand and the people of New Zealand.
What type of New Zealand is being represented when decisions like this are made?
It is a farce to think that Te Papa is a museum. It is just one more thing that shows Te Papa is a PC amusement park.

12 Oct 2010 06:46p.m.

Paige wrote:

I don't see the big deal. They are simply asking that the cultural beliefs be respected. It may not be a modern belief, and unfortunately it does create an exclusion of a subset of women, but I really don't see what the fuss is about. It isn't like they are banning women in these conditions from the museum, they are simply asking them not to attend one specific exhibit out of respect.

12 Oct 2010 06:41p.m.

Ants wrote:

it is a very retarded idea. it has about as much logic as fishing up an island or slowing the sun, just retarded