Anthro grad student here: I'd say that you could use tourism, but maybe investigate if there is any sustainable/responsible/eco-tourism developing in NZ and yes, how it involves Maori. For example, are the Maori put on display as a kind of exotic people? Can people go to their villages and observe them? Something like that.
But you don't have to involve the Maori. Tou can observe cultural processes all around you; look for patterns in NZ that you wouldn't see anywhere else. Sure, it has a British colonial history, but how has it grown away from that? Does the environment have something to do with NZ's uniqueness in the world, in terms of how its population has developed? It sounds like your prof has at least some belief in environmental determinism (an anthro theory), which is that the environment determines culture. Of course, environment influences culture, but it is not the sole determinant (in my opinion). Still, you might look for some strong environmental influences on either mainstream NZ culture, or the marginalized Maori culture, and discuss the patterns you see.
Good luck.
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