Otago Museum

Listed as one of the top ten things to do in New Zealand, the Otago Museum was a great rainy afternoon activity this past weekend. The museum, while not very large, is packed full of every type of exhibit you could imagine. Especially interesting was the second floor, which was dedicated to the various Pacific cultures and their migration, which eventually brought the Maori to New Zealand. The top floor was also interesting as it was dedicated to the South Island of New Zealand. Everything from the geological formation of the island, to its mass extinctions, wildlife, human discovery and rediscovery, and industrialization were covered.

Back to the Maori exhibit- One item of note that I found particularly interesting was the description of the environmental practices of the Maori. While many people and groups would like believe that all indigenous peoples were/are model caretakers of Mother Earth, parts of this exhibit painted an entirely different picture. For example, Maori settlement of New Zealand led to the extinction of numerous birds they used as food sources. Introduced animals, such as the dog, contributed to these extinctions as many of the birds had become flightless in adaptation to the predator free land. Additionally, the farming practices of the Maori led to erosion and soil depletion as slash and burn techniques were employed to clear farmland. Finally, introduced plant species acted as invasive species and crowded out some of the indigenous plants.

I wonder if the Maori were the only indigenous culture that were not model citizens of Mother Earth.....