Post #315123 by Rattiki on Tue, Jun 26, 2007 6:49 PM

"New Zealand Maoris furious over plans for a themed apartment complex in Texas."

"A proposed Maori-themed apartment complex outside Dallas recently served as a platform for the New Zealand natives to proclaim their pride. In June, after California-based Legacy Partners announced plans to build a residential complex featuring Maori themes and folk art in suburban Plano, the company received dozens of emails charging the company with “cultural theft.” Complaints centered on the name of the complex, “Kiora Park,” taken from the Maori expression of welcome. The problem was that the phrase is properly transliterated as “Kia Ora.” "How many more mistakes will there be?" Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked. "We're all very proud of the culture and more than willing to share it with people who come here, but to have it transplanted into Dallas, that sounds a bit incredible," she said."

That is about the most self-rightous BS I've heard in awhile! :roll: I would bet there are at least one or two 'Howdy Partner' Texas style steakhouse in NZ (I've certainly seen more than a few around the world) and they don't pitch a fit in Dallas, TX over that! :lol: Maybe the Aussies should be upset about Outback? In my 3 years working in Australia as a chef the only thing I find Aussie about Outback is the maps on the wall! :roll: But they're not spittin' the dummy in Darwin Mate! :P

BTW unlike the Ab-originals who were in Australia 35-40,000 years before white men and the Native American 'Injuns' who were in the Americas 20-25,000 years before white men, the Maoris were in NZ only a few hundred years before anyone else. So no arguments about how much more long standing the Moaris culture is compared to the West please. :wink: :P