Indigenous song Pō Atarau, now in Ryan Gosling's film, reflects Māori cultural legacy and historical erasure
Original framing: “Her song features in Ryan Gosling’s hit movie, but Erima Maewa Kaihau was once a star too” — The Conversation - Global
The original framing omits the historical context of Māori music's suppression during colonial rule, the role of Kaihau as a cultural ambassador, and the broader contributions of Indigenous artists to global culture. It also lacks discussion of how Indigenous knowledge systems and music continue to be appropriated without credit or compensation.
High structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative is produced by a Western-centric media outlet, likely for an international audience, and serves to tokenize Māori culture as a novelty rather than a living, systemic part of global culture. The framing obscures the historical marginalization of Indigenous artists and the structural barriers they faced in gaining recognition. It also centers the Hollywood blockbuster as the cultural highlight, rather than the Indigenous origin of the song.
Māori songs like Pō Atarau are deeply embedded in cultural and spiritual practices, serving as vessels of knowledge, identity, and resistance. Kaihau's performance of the song represents a reclamation of Māori voice in a time when colonial systems sought to suppress Indigenous expression.
The inclusion of Pō Atarau in Ryan Gosling's film is a powerful example of how Indigenous cultural expressions can gain global recognition, but it also reveals the deep structural issues of cultural extraction and erasure.