title: Romeo and Tusi: An eclectically musical Samoan/Māori Romeo and Juliet from Aotearoa/New Zealand

authors: Houlahan, Mark

subjects: Romeo and Tusi

abstract: Is there a distinctive New Zealand Shakespeare? What ‘new’ approaches to Shakespeare have originated from New Zealand? This article explores the issue by contextualising a version of Romeo and Juliet staged successfully throughout New Zealand in the late 1990s. The production is set against the background of the history of Shakespeare in New Zealand, which goes back to the arrival of Captain Cook on the Endeavour in 1769.

Pacific Underground's Romeo and Tusi sought a looser and more populist kind of Shakespeare performance. They used the conceit of rehearsing the play at high school, where a Māori Romeo and a Samoan Juliet cross community boundaries. Drawing on several music genres, and performing outdoors, they generated a Shakespeare that audiences from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural communities could enjoy.

text: Romeo and Tusi: An eclectically musical Samoan/Māori Romeo and Juliet from Aotearoa/New Zealand Is there a distinctive New Zealand Shakespeare? What ‘new’ approaches to Shakespeare have originated from New Zealand? This article explores the issue by contextualising a version of Romeo and Juliet staged successfully throughout New Zealand in the late 1990s. The production is set against the background of the history of Shakespeare in New Zealand, which goes back to the arrival of Captain Cook on the Endeavour in 1769.

Pacific Underground's Romeo and Tusi sought a looser and more populist kind of Shakespeare performance. They used the conceit of rehearsing the play at high school, where a Māori Romeo and a Samoan Juliet cross community boundaries. Drawing on several music genres, and performing outdoors, they generated a Shakespeare that audiences from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural communities could enjoy.

year: 2009

title: Ka moemoeā o koutou kaumatua...

authors: Whitiaua, Ropitini

subjects: Ruatāhuna

abstract: Founded by the spiritual leader and prophet Te Kooti Te Turuki Arikirangi, the Ringatū faith came into existence in the 1870s during a very turbulent time for Māori. Struggling for survival many Māori tribes and communities accepted the teachings of Te Kooti and the principles of the Ringatū church as a means of maintaining their independence, beliefs and culture. A truly syncretic religion, the Ringatū church combines traditional Māori customs and beliefs with Christian scriptures forming a religious institution that fits within Christian doctrine while maintaining many important Māori philosophies. 
Throughout the latter stages of the 19th century and into the 20th century the Ringatū faith found fertile soil in many regions and grew in popularity and strength. Areas like the Bay of Plenty and sections of the East Coast became strongholds of the church and to this present day the Ringatū faith still functions within these areas. Therefore it is not surprising that Ruatāhuna, a small and isolated community located in the centre of Te Urewera has been part of the Ringatū movement since its inception. This community sheltered Te Kooti while he was being hunted by government forces, and the people became devout followers of the Ringatū faith. Therefore the proficies of Te Kooti and the principles of the church have become central in the identity and cultural practises of Tūhoe and the community of Ruatāhuna. 
For generations the Ringatū church has been the main spiritual institution within Ruatāhuna, with its gatherings being attended by the vast majority of the community. Its influence has permeated throughout every facet of Ruatāhuna life including spirituality, politics, social controls and even cultural practise. However in the past 30 years there has been a significant decline in the influence and popularity of the Ringatū church, and its tenants are now maintained by just a few families. This decline is most evident during the monthly gatherings of the Ringatū community in Ruatāhuna on the 12 of each month, ‘tekau-mā-rua’, where there are now only about 20 regular attendees. 

This thesis explores the Ringatū faith within Ruatāhuna from its origin, its development through the decades and current position. It examines the changing dynamics of the church in recent times in order to understand why its popularity and influence has shifted. Finally this study seeks a path forward for the Ringatū church in a modern world, looking at how the faith can respond to the needs of a new generation and to find a purpose in a new age.

text: Ka moemoeā o koutou kaumatua... Founded by the spiritual leader and prophet Te Kooti Te Turuki Arikirangi, the Ringatū faith came into existence in the 1870s during a very turbulent time for Māori. Struggling for survival many Māori tribes and communities accepted the teachings of Te Kooti and the principles of the Ringatū church as a means of maintaining their independence, beliefs and culture. A truly syncretic religion, the Ringatū church combines traditional Māori customs and beliefs with Christian scriptures forming a religious institution that fits within Christian doctrine while maintaining many important Māori philosophies. 
Throughout the latter stages of the 19th century and into the 20th century the Ringatū faith found fertile soil in many regions and grew in popularity and strength. Areas like the Bay of Plenty and sections of the East Coast became strongholds of the church and to this present day the Ringatū faith still functions within these areas. Therefore it is not surprising that Ruatāhuna, a small and isolated community located in the centre of Te Urewera has been part of the Ringatū movement since its inception. This community sheltered Te Kooti while he was being hunted by government forces, and the people became devout followers of the Ringatū faith. Therefore the proficies of Te Kooti and the principles of the church have become central in the identity and cultural practises of Tūhoe and the community of Ruatāhuna. 
For generations the Ringatū church has been the main spiritual institution within Ruatāhuna, with its gatherings being attended by the vast majority of the community. Its influence has permeated throughout every facet of Ruatāhuna life including spirituality, politics, social controls and even cultural practise. However in the past 30 years there has been a significant decline in the influence and popularity of the Ringatū church, and its tenants are now maintained by just a few families. This decline is most evident during the monthly gatherings of the Ringatū community in Ruatāhuna on the 12 of each month, ‘tekau-mā-rua’, where there are now only about 20 regular attendees. 

This thesis explores the Ringatū faith within Ruatāhuna from its origin, its development through the decades and current position. It examines the changing dynamics of the church in recent times in order to understand why its popularity and influence has shifted. Finally this study seeks a path forward for the Ringatū church in a modern world, looking at how the faith can respond to the needs of a new generation and to find a purpose in a new age.

year: 2015

title: Expression of Mitochondrial Stress Protein (Cpn60) in in vitro Cultured Neonatal Porcine Islet Cells

authors: Munif, Farina

subjects: Mitochondria

abstract: Xenotransplantation of neonatal porcine islets have been demonstrated to be a viable alternative to exogenous insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus. The use of liberase has gained much success in islet isolation but factors such as batch-to-batch variation and deterioration of a batch with storage time have hampered the quality and reproducibility of tissue dissociation. Islet culture aims to optimise islet survival and insulin release in response to glucose challenge. However, it is difficult to recover and preserve islets in vitro.

Mitochondria play a key role in the secretion of insulin from pancreatic   islet cells in response to glucose stimulation. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in the induction (at mRNA and protein levels) of a molecular stress protein/heat chock protein called Cpn60. Since mitochondrial impairment will have a significant effect on the ability of in vitro cultured islet cells to function properly (i.e. release insulin in response to glucose stimulation), the expression of Cpn60 was investigated as a function of exposing neonatal porcine islet cells to various growth conditions.

The best choice of media to culture neonatal porcine islet cells was found to be not heated activated serum which showed the least levels of Cpn60 expression at mRNA levels suggesting that the cells had low levels of mitochondrial stress. Neonatal porcine islet cells would be best digested in cells digested with new liberase (QC 1050) while in 2% not heat inactivated porcine serum (NPS) as this gave the lowest levels of Cpn60 expression suggesting low levels of mitochondrial stress.

Although expression of Cpn60 at mRNA levels seems to be modulated during the growth of the porcine islet cells in media supplemented with different serum, heat treatment of serum and liberase content, no firm conclusion can be made with regard to the effect of the different treatments on mitochondrial health status until the porcine Cpn60 protein can be unequivocally identified.

text: Expression of Mitochondrial Stress Protein (Cpn60) in in vitro Cultured Neonatal Porcine Islet Cells Xenotransplantation of neonatal porcine islets have been demonstrated to be a viable alternative to exogenous insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus. The use of liberase has gained much success in islet isolation but factors such as batch-to-batch variation and deterioration of a batch with storage time have hampered the quality and reproducibility of tissue dissociation. Islet culture aims to optimise islet survival and insulin release in response to glucose challenge. However, it is difficult to recover and preserve islets in vitro.

Mitochondria play a key role in the secretion of insulin from pancreatic   islet cells in response to glucose stimulation. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in the induction (at mRNA and protein levels) of a molecular stress protein/heat chock protein called Cpn60. Since mitochondrial impairment will have a significant effect on the ability of in vitro cultured islet cells to function properly (i.e. release insulin in response to glucose stimulation), the expression of Cpn60 was investigated as a function of exposing neonatal porcine islet cells to various growth conditions.

The best choice of media to culture neonatal porcine islet cells was found to be not heated activated serum which showed the least levels of Cpn60 expression at mRNA levels suggesting that the cells had low levels of mitochondrial stress. Neonatal porcine islet cells would be best digested in cells digested with new liberase (QC 1050) while in 2% not heat inactivated porcine serum (NPS) as this gave the lowest levels of Cpn60 expression suggesting low levels of mitochondrial stress.

Although expression of Cpn60 at mRNA levels seems to be modulated during the growth of the porcine islet cells in media supplemented with different serum, heat treatment of serum and liberase content, no firm conclusion can be made with regard to the effect of the different treatments on mitochondrial health status until the porcine Cpn60 protein can be unequivocally identified.

year: 2006