Is the bestowing of power in Maori culture still patriarchal?
It is generally patriarchal and, in fact, the patriarchal condition is not just in Maori society. It is all around the world, even in western societies, despite the great inroads that women have made since the 1960s and 1970s. It is terrific to know that Condoleezza Rice, a black woman, can make it to the very top of the U.S. Government service, but she is just one black woman within that particular structure. It is also really important to realize that when Halle Berry won the Academy Award and that was a great triumph, but it was an isolated triumph. So for women in the world that whole condition of patriarchy is still something that is there, and while some of the doors are open, there still needs to be a constant critiquing of the power relationships that have already been established, that still deny women access.
