Focus on Modern Maori Life

Focus on modern Maori life 20 September 2006
By LYN HUMPHREYS New Plymouth photographer James Heremaia is on a mission to capture images of modern day Maori to showcase to the world.
Heremaia has been contracted by Tourism New Zealand to put together a portfolio of regional photos.
Once his project is completed, the tired, dated marae-concert-hangi experience, currently shown to the world to attract tourists, will be no more.
"The maiden-by-the-mud-pools, for instance, gets used over and over," he said.
TNZ had decided there was a need for the culturally authentic image for promotional tourism which could be used overseas after the Maori Regional Tourism Organisations pointed out the lack of good quality images to TNZ.
"As a photographer, it is an honour and a privilege for them to ask me to do it," Heremaia said. "I need to bring them kicking and screaming into the present day."
The photos will be aimed at attracting today's savvy interactive traveller who no longer wants to sit down and watch a Maori concert.
Instead, the tourist is keen to experience for themselves the lives that New Zealanders live.
"They want to go eeling and put the hangi down – not just eat it."
Therefore, the photos will be about Maori people doing the things they typically do in their everyday living and working environment.
And times have changed.
"Maori people run huge business corporations now," he said.
Heremaia has already completed the Taranaki images and started Wanganui's – but is not at liberty to reveal their content.
He leaves Taranaki this week and will be hosted by Maori Regional Tourist Organisations across New Zealand.
The portfolio is due to be completed by December.