The national symbol of New Zealand is the Kiwi bird. They are pictured on the country’s postage stamps. New Zealanders call themselves “Kiwis”. The Kiwi fruit is a major horticultural export from New Zealand. The New Zealand dollar is even nicknamed “the...
Iraia Bailey, originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand), is currently working as a cultural ambassador for the Island of Aotearoa at the Polynesian Cultural Center (Center). He conveys his love for his culture to all he meets. After many years on the journey to...
The Maori whare tupuna or ancestral meeting house that dominates the Aotearoa Village is perhaps the most symbolic structure in the entire Polynesian Cultural Center. ‘These buildings memorialize great leaders’ Kim Makekau, Aotearoa Village manager, recently explained...
Doug Christy, a 37-year veteran Maori wood carver for the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) in Laie, Hawaii, learned his craft from his father, who also worked at the PCC for many years. Now he and the other senior carvers at the Center teach those same skills to a new...
Doug Christy, a Maori carver at the Polynesian Cultural Center for the past 37 years, is continuing the legacy of his father, the late Epanaia Whaanga Christy. The senior Christy, or “Uncle Barney”, worked at the Center until just a few months before he...
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