TAIPEI (Taiwan News) –In New Zealand, some young Maori students are planning a trip to Taiwan this August to learn more about their own cultural heritage and to build cultural bridges between the two countries.

Ten young Maori students from Ngāti Manu will be visiting Taiwan for a 12 day trip for cultural exchanges with indigenous groups on the island. The trip is being promoted as a chance for the young students to visit their “ancestral land” and possibly catch a glimpse something familiar in the cultures of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.



The trip to Taiwan this summer is part of the larger Hawaiki Project, a proposed program aiming to educate young indigenous people about the ancient connections to other Polynesian peoples living along the ancient Hawaiki migration route, which stretches from Taiwan east into the central Pacific, and southward all the way to New Zealand.



The project director Marareia Hamilton is quoted as saying that many people believe that Maori and indigenous Taiwanese groups are cousins, and that “it all began” in Taiwan.



"The Polynesian migration pathway that started in Taiwan is something that our ancestors travelled, and it is something our iwi (Maori Community) want to explore and teach our children about," she was quoted by the NZ Herald.



The article notes that there is clear genetic evidence of a connection between Maori and the indigenous Taiwanese, which currently only account for about two percent of Taiwan’s total population.



Hamilton also notes that there also clear similarities in the languages, the songs they sing, and in their beliefs regarding the natural world and tribal structure.



The trip of the 10 young Maori and their chaperones is also being supported by Taiwan's Council of Indigenous People, which will take care of all the transportation and accommodation in Taiwan.



Organizers hope that the Hawaiki project will someday grow into a large cooperative network promoting cultural exchange and educational opportunities throughout the region, and that it will also serve to strengthen the indigenous identities of young Polynesians.



Currently the organizers are hoping to raise money to offset the cost of the plane tickets for the group coming in August. They have a Givealittle page set up where people can assist them with the August trip, and help to develop the Hawaiki Project for future generations.



From the Hawaiki Project's Givealittle page:

The Hawaiki Project is a social initiative founded through the collaboration of indigenous tribes along the Polynesian migration pathway from Taiwan to Aotearoa. The project aims to deliver authentic cultural tours which highlight the indigenous cultural connection through education.



Some of the Maori students visiting Taiwan in August (Image from Hawaiki Project FB page)