Being part Maori I decided to approach digital identity through cultural identity, looking specifically at expressing who we are using new technologies to recreate cultural stories with contemporary images in a digital context.
The creation myths are stories about the beginnings of time, of how things came to be. I focused on the legend of Ranginui and Papatuanuku. This story reflects my identity and culture. My name is derived from Ranginui and means sky, and the story has great significance within Maori beliefs, customs and values.
Maori myths and legends are important to our way of life, spirituality and cultural identity. There are themes and issues in all Maori myths and legends which reflect issues faced by today’s societies. This particular myth relates to the Maori and their spiritual connection with thier environment, especially Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother. The issue of sibling rivalry is also prevalent within the myth, and also loyalty. Standing up for your beliefs and revenge (utu) is also prevailent and shown through Tawhirimatea’s actions after the separation.
The images represent the main characters in the story. Showing modern interpretations of the
characters through digital photography and photographic techniques. The purpose is to create contemporary images to represent our ancient myth and through the images I endeavour to
portray Maori cultural identity through digital identities. I believe it to be important keep our
cultural history alive and moving forward with the technologies in the modern digital realm, recreating our ancestors stories through new artistic techniques and tools.
