I’m under the impression that Maori is one of New Zealands two languages. I really don’t mind if I have to learn what a new Maori word means. Heck, I learn new words in English all the time.
If I learn a few new words some of the New Zealand place names might actually mean more than “water-something-something-something”…
ha! I was just thinking that.
Every community has its people that really know how to put their feet in their mouths (and i say feet becasue it was both)
I kinda liken this to some guy living in Canada complaining about all the French used everywhere…
Finally! I was considering renaming the forum “houkura” - which is Maori for peaceful.
You know I like quite a few of the names suggested.
I like Tuakoi because it sounds cool when you say it and I like the meaning.
I like The NZLARPer because it sounds like a little news letter.
I like Paper Faces again because it sounds cool and it makes you think a little.
Here are a few of my suggestions (none of which I like better than the above but I thought I would add anyway):
Play
Verse
Imagine (just straight imagine, no missing I)
Create
Lonely Pages
Actually, there are 3 official languages. English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language. NZSL was added in April 2006.
Cool, eh ?
In that case I suggest the name:
What’s the written translation?
Firstly I would like to apologise for my first post. I had been having a bad day and it does not accurately portray my thoughts and feelings on the subject. Ryan and Mike I appreciate your discussion on such a charged matter.
I would also firstly, when I refer to political correctness I refer in particular to an event when at a business meeting, a member of my family along with everyone else of European descent was required (at risk of losing their job if they didnt, I might add) to stand up and formally apologise to the maori members of the group for New Zealand’s colonial past. I don’t know how that makes anyone else feel, but I don’t think it’s right that people should be made to feel guilty and apologise for something they did not do. I realise events such as this are exceptions rather then the norm, I just want to point out that they do sometimes happen and I disagree with them when they do
Secondly, Maori is far from the only language in the world where an attempt has been made to systematically beat it out and at present there are more then 270 languages classified as endangered. My great Grandparents, both spoke Gaelic as their first language and at various points in their lives were punished for speaking it, and for a while the language was in danger of extinction. I am not mentioning this to belittle, or justify the suppression of maori culture, I am simply pointing out that it is a sad occurrence that happens the world over and something I have personal though indirect experience of, as my great Grandparents were the last Gaelic speakers in our family.
Thirdly, my claim that maori cullture was forced upon me comes from the fact that during intermediate and my first years of high school Maori studies were compulsory for all students. This was a subject I did not find personally relevant, not because I regarded the subject matter as boring or Trivial, but simply because I would have preferred to use the time to study my own roots and heritage. This is not to say that either topic is more intrinsically valuable or important then the other, simply that they have different levels of meaniong to me as Iam sure they do to you. I resented the fact I was not given a choice in the matter and regretably this has soured my desire to further study the subject. I should also note at this point that if I seem as though I am claiming that my culture is not represented adequately in N.Z. society, it is because I do not personally identify myself with Pakeha or NZ European culture. I think of myself as Gaelic in origin and as such do not find myself adequately represented within New Zealand Bi-Culturalism as I am invariably grouped with a culture I do not recognise as my own.
My objection to the use of a maori name for the newsletter was and remains simply that I do not feel it accurately reflects the content or purpose of the newsletter. The purpose being in my mind not just to inform members of the society about upcoming events and happenings within NZLARPs but also as a tool by which we can reach out to the broader community and gather new members into the fold. With this in mind, I just think a name like ‘Tuakoi’ is too distinct from the rest of NZLARPs’ branding to effectively fill this role.
As an aside, what Maori specific content would you like to see on Diatribe, Mike? I’m genuinely curious
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I’m happy with this.
It makes me feel like I’d like to know the rest of the story and the context.
Without wanting to wax too lyrical, I personally am quite sorry for many of the things that pakeha have done to Maori during colonial history, just as I’m sorry for Europeans wiping out or subjugating native peoples the world over, and sorry about how fucked up humans are in general.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the human race. We suck, and I’m very sorry about that. I promise to try not to make the suckitude any worse than it is.
I was just about to say I’m gonna vote for Tuakoi after this Anna’s post, but probably I’m the one who is to shut up now completely.
As I previously said, I didn’t like use of Maori name in this particular case as it seemed inappropriate from my personal point of view, and I listed some arguments there. Anna’s post totally changed my mind as she gave a perfect reason, but now it doesn’t matter as I’m not gonna continue participating in this discussion. Mike, I’m very sorry if I’ve been unpolite, I didn’t mean any offence neither to Maori culture in whole nor to you personally. I’ve probably been too presumptuous trying to fit myself into three cultures at the same time (including the one I came from), and definitely I can’t understand the whole idea of New Zealand political and historical context after living here for three years only. Ok, we Russians often look like freaks to the rest of the world even when don’t mean that.
Fucking off now, I still vote for Tuakoi as Anna is definitely right.
Cool, now that the name is sorted, can we discuss if we need a fanzine?
I think we don’t need one 
S’not a fanzine. It’s a society newletter on steroids.
And things are spiralling down into just the sort of bitter argument we want to avoid. As soon as people start to throw the f-word about you know that things have gone too far.
Nobody likes to have their culture rejected as irrelevant, unimportant, or undesirable.
Similarly noone likes to be held accountable for the actions of dead people who just happen to be of the same ethnic group.
-sigh-
We have had suggestions of names in English, Maori (is the correct term ‘Te Reo’?), French… theres no need to get upset by any of them. The ‘discussion’ is now moving away from the various relative merits of the different names and into a whole political thing, which should go off into a separate thread in my opinion so that I can avoid it.
Frankly, in my opinion you can call the magazine anything you like in any language you care to pick as long as it contains useful information, and we get to play LARPs. I’m here to play games - if I wanted to do politics I’d join a political society.
And I already get enough arguments - I’m married 
Steve
The tirades didn’t start with the mention of a Maori name on page 2. All discussion at that point was quite friendly.
So get some perspective, Brian. 3 pages of reasonable discussion followed the “mention of something Maori”, and then someone posted a form-letter tirade about how the Maori language is offensive to them in everyday use, to which some people took offense. Quite the opposite of the conclusion you drew.[/quote]
I wasn’t attacking anyone’s viewpoint, I was pointing out the litany of unfriendly and unnecessary argument that has to be sparked anytime an issue of this nature is brought up. I include the entire argument in the tirade, not just yours. As such, I am as the Watcher, recording and observing the affairs of humankind while maintaining a staunch vow not to intervene.
I agree, who first brought up the French anyway? 
As Craig pointed out earlier, the first issue cost lots of $$$$.
Regardless of what the publication is (newsletter, magazine, fanzine, journal…) unless it’s costing less than $5 per year it’s just pushing up the cost to larp.
If there is one, I’d suggest only using it as a calendar for larpers not on the internet.
My only comment to all of the above is:
'I still like The Paper Face"
Speak for yourself!
But seriously, I think it’s relevant to discuss people’s reasoning for rejecting a Maori name. It’s still discussing the name.
Personally, I felt and still feel that “Tuakoi” doesn’t have any immediate resonance for most people who will see the magazine. If it was an English word it might. Or a Maori word that had some familiar aspect to it. But then, I accept the point that Maori words don’t become familiar unless they’re used somewhere in the first place. . So I’m kinda on the fence about that name.
“Persona” is still my favourite name at the moment.
Derek, we’re looking at the mag being quarterly and finding ways of reducing the costs substantially. It will be supported by monthly emails. I think the mag should be a project of NZLARPS, and it should do up a project proposal and financial costing for the committee to decide on. I think the costs will be made manageable, and the advertising of events in the magazine will bring more people to the larps, which will pay for the costs of the magazine (so long as they’re not excessive). In other words, it’s a marketing cost.
If the mag is a project, that also answers the question of who decides the name of it. The creative direction of all NZLARPS projects is decided by the project team. In this case, that’s Nikki and Anna. In my opinion, we’re all just offering suggestions and arguments for them to consider.