Abstract
Aotearoa / New Zealand has a history of colonisation with a significant destructive impact on Mãori, the indigenous people. It is only in more recent decades that this history has become more widely ‘remembered’ by the non-Māori population, in large part due to efforts made by Māori activists, scholars and legislators. The growing awareness of this difficult history is often met with a mixture of bewilderment and anger. The authors have observed a growing readiness in themselves and others to look at the emerging truth of our history. We see the practice of pilgrimage as a powerful tool to amplify this awareness and provide a more positive vision of a bicultural future. The pilgrim, by being prepared to physically leave the familiar and move into an unfamiliar landscape in the company of others, is demonstrating an openness to hearing a more challenging narrative of our past and, in this liminal space, the possibility of movement towards a vision of reconciliation and a more just, shared future. As curators of pilgrimage, the authors seek to make visible what is hidden and give voice to what has been silent. Using the idea of directional movement, central in the notion of pilgrimage, there is the opportunity as we walk into the landscape and hear indigenous voices draw attention to these neglected stories of our past, to move to a different vantage point from which to view the present and to re-imagine the future. Helping identify and facilitate such transformation within ourselves, and the community of pilgrims, is part of the challenge of leading pilgrimages. This paper discusses ideas and practices that we have used in this regard with the hope of stimulating further creative thinking, dialogue and action.
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Recommended Citation
Bowden (Te Atiawa, Ngati Te Whiti), Peter and Bowden, Sarah
(2026)
"Pilgrimages in Aotearoa - Uncovering the Hidden, Giving Voice to the Silences,"
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage:
Vol. 14:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol14/iss1/5