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Fulbright New Zealand welcomed this year’s cohort of US grantees to New Zealand in February, with a week-long orientation programme held in Wellington. 16 new American Fulbright graduate students, scholars, Ian Axford Fellows, Eisenhower Fellows and their families were treated to a comprehensive range of activities as part of their crash course introduction to New Zealand history and culture.
After gathering for an informal dinner on the evening of their arrival in Wellington, the group spent the following day at the Fulbright office learning about the academic environment in New Zealand, culture shock and foreign views about Americans. Dr Jock Phillips, Fulbright alumnus, Fulbright New Zealand Board member and General Editor of Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, gave a snapshot of New Zealand history and culture before US Ambassador Bill McCormick joined the group for afternoon tea. Māori broadcaster and educator Piripi Walker gave an introductory lesson on Māori language and pronunciation, preparing the group also for their pōwhiri at Waiwhetu Marae the following day. For a truly unique and memorable experience which has become a tradition of Fulbright's orientation programme, the new arrivals were taken to Waiwhetu Marae for a noho marae (overnight stay). Welcomed onto the marae by their Te Atiawa hosts with a traditional pōwhiri, the group were given a comprehensive lecture on The Peopling of Polynesia by guest speaker Dr Peter Adds, Head of School of Maori Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. Alongside Fulbright's staff and their families, they slept the night within the wharenui (meeting house) appropriately named Arohanui ki te Tangata - "Goodwill to All Men".
The following morning the group were taken on tours of the marae's facilities.
They were shown its art and craft studios, the cultural centre housing
a waka and the studios of iwi radio station Atiawa Toa FM, and the Waiwhetu
Medical and Fitness Centres. US Senior Scholar John Louis told a local newspaper reporter "I'd been on a short visit to a marae before but this visit allowed us to really see how the community lives. People like us like to ask a lot of questions, so it was great to get a real understanding of the history and culture." Henry Streby, partner of US Graduate Student Jeanine Refsnider and one of 19 family members who took part in the orientation, described the marae visit as "a truly amazing time, that will stay with me as one of those 'must tell your grandchildren' stories." The orientation continued with a visit to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and further seminars on the Treaty of Waitangi, Pacific Island culture and New Zealand's political system, finishing with a guided tour of parliament and a debriefing at popular politicians' watering hole The Backbencher. Fulbright New Zealand hopes this extensive orientation programme provides our new US grantees with a strong foundation for their year of research in New Zealand. "It's a great pleasure to welcome another contingent of American Fulbrighters to New Zealand," says Executive Director Mele Wendt. "We hope they enjoyed their orientation events and wish them all the best for their academic pursuits this year." Our sincerest thanks to our gracious hosts at Waiwhetu Marae and all of the guest speakers who helped make this a once in a lifetime experience for all involved. |
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