Abstract:
Rooted in the act of dance as ritual and using memoirs of ancestors, languages of dance, music, and art, this practice-based research presents a possible concept for restoring the polluted Omaru River in Glen Innes. Based on indigenous and western ethics of sustainability this thesis asks: How might the intergenerational, interdisciplinary, siteresponsive dance ritual Te Hononga raise awareness of environmental issues around the polluted Omaru River in Glen Innes, Aotearoa? Water is viewed to be essential for life on planet earth. Today, many rivers, lakes, and oceans are polluted. Here in Aotearoa, the New Zealand government recently changed the criteria for water quality, and rivers do not need to be clean enough for swimming or drinking anymore. Seeing how anthropocentric perspectives towards life have contributed to creating today’s environmental problems, I felt the urge to stand up for what I love and care for. The act of restoration and re-connecting people to the environment in the project Te Hononga had multiple layers. I engaged with tāngata whenua and decolonising theories to explore concepts of sustainability and kaitiakitanga in a site-specific somatic dance context. The creative praxis method included regular workshops on a weekly basis for 14 weeks, resulting in the dance ritual Te Hononga and the written thesis. One of the key findings of this research was that emotional bonds to nature could drive action towards environmental change. For future projects, I would seek to go one step further than raising awareness. Future research would endeavour to engage with the government and scientific community to find more effective ways of changing critical water contamination issues through creative and artistic practices.
