Read the text. Write A for Aborigines or M for Maoris.

Which people...

1. involve both females and males in a ritual?

2. are interested in ecology?

3. tried to symbolically unite their different groups?

4. might have problems understanding each other?

5. visually display their association with certain people?

6. expect teenagers to be able to look after themselves?

Anybody who is hoping to have new experiences when they visit Australia or New Zealand should meet the original inhabitants of these two countries, the Aborigines and the Maoris. However, while both cultures have experienced similar problems caused by the arrival of Europeans to their lands, the Aborigines and the Maoris are very different.

The Aborigines

The Aborigines have one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world. It is more than 60,000 years old, and during this period of time, they have formed hundreds of tribes that have developed different customs and around seven hundred different languages. In 1971, a flag was designed to represent all the Aborigine tribes and help unite them.

The Aborigines hold a lot of ceremonies to celebrate different events, but one of the most important to nearly all of the tribes is the 'walkabout'. It might seem like an adventure to people from other cultures, but the walkabout involves boys aged thirteen sleeping rough for as long as six months in the Australian desert. They spend the whole time alone and learning to hunt for food to survive. Once the walkabout period has finished, they are welcomed back by their village, which celebrates the arrival of a new man in the community.

The Maoris

The Maoris arrived in New Zealand from East Polynesia in the second half of the 12th century. The Maoris all speak the same language and share the same customs, and this has helped them to have a strong presence in modern New Zealand. Maori is one of the country's two official languages. Maoris believe that all natural things and living things are connected, and modern Maoris are very concerned about the protection of the environment.

One important aspect of Maori culture is Ta moko- tattooing. Both men and women can have tattoos on their bodies or their faces. The tattoos represent the family or tribe that they belong to. The designs are very intricate and are now inspiring a lot of the designs of tattoo artists around the world.