This is a 5-star piece of writing. You are brave to put your head so far above the parapet, but you are only saying what many of us are thinking. I'm 76, and like many New Zealanders I'm of mixed pakeha and maori ancestry. I know my whakapapa and my lineage would fit me into the "maori elite" should I choose to join it. My grandmother's family (nine children) were split down the middle: they either looked completely one or the other. I'm one of the white ones and have suffered most of my adult life from feeling at a disadvantage when attempting to engage more with that part of my heritage. I'm saddened at the toxicity I see being enacted by Te Pati Maori, some Labour politicians and others in the critical theory cabal who are pushing the divisiveness. They seem incapable of seeing the long view and the damage they are fomenting, and inevitably it will come back and bite them on the bum.
Perhaps you could explain to me the mindset of those who have grabbed all that the pakeha colonialists have to offer, especially in education (including scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge), but who would now like to set a taper to it all and in the process disavow the letters after their names and the credentials this system have bestowed upon them. Atareta Poananga was featured on the cover of Metro magazine in the mid 80s, and I remember thinking "Oh my God, is this the presage of things to come?" Sadly, it was.
Tenakoe Aroha. I'm 5th gen kiwi both sides. I went through the alien gate when I visited England in the early 1970's. When the chips are down (war pandemic natural disaster) skin colour and anscestory become unimportant.
In a legal sense I support the ( ratapu?) programme started by Doug Graham / Bolger and a succession of Treaty Settlement Ministers since. All came to recognise and offer redress for the theft by colonists of turangawaewae. It was worldwide and the French are still at it today in Noumea. I expect Paul Goldsmith will take the same approach as his predecessors and will override the current crop of reactionary NZF and ACT.
My take is economic discrimination is worse than racial discrimination.
What worries me is the divisiveness now being promoted by ACT and NZF is reminiscent of the days of Muldoon
You're right about the turangawaewae theft, but I think the current divisiveness is being promoted most by those I mentioned at the end of my first paragraph.
Thanks Haimona for the “self indulgence” - it’s not easy to write about such personal stuff; I suspect there’ll be many other Pakeha like me who have mixed-blood partners nodding as the read your compelling insights.
I can hear your suffering and feel I have come to some understanding of your position. The people you rail against are the same people who have effectively insulted and maligned pakeha like me, if not all Pakeha. They spit in our collective faces. Your Maori foes and the MSM that glorify and encourage these entitled and attention seeking scum, to milk clicks and eyeballs, have effectively alienated the very people who were prepared to work with you.
After 6 or more years (still counting) of being labelled as racist, colonialist, having white privilege etc, etc, your Maori foes have succeeded in alienating a big chunk of the Pakeha electorate, to the point where Labour were absolutely drubbed at the last election.
You probably understand that a large chunk of that vote was influenced by Labour’s embrace of all things Maori, at the expense of all things that most Kiwis believe in.
As you have noted, the abuse from your own people (as a Maori) has continued unabated and championed by the MSM.
People I speak to, when they can speak and express an opinion openly and freely, have had a gutsful of the Maori antics and abuse, I expect that people will vote accordingly and the local body Maori seats will be abolished.
As you note, Maori need to sort out their own shit, or they will be forever divided.
I don’t think that change is coming any time soon.
Haimona you are a legend. You put in words feelings that I struggle to understand. I’m completely Pakeha in terms of my upbringing, biology and my ways but there’s something in my soul that is deeply touched by the coming together of Maori and Pakeha culture. At times it brings me close to tears. Over the years, in different ways have been lucky to be received in traditional Māori settings and been spiritually uplifted by my experiences. And then I get back to the nasty world where the media and others are trying to drive a wedge between us and it makes me both angry and sad. The only people benefiting are political elites, both Maori and Pakeha. It makes me ill. Please may we pull together and direct the help where it is needed, not lining the pockets of a selfish few.
Dont you think that children should be reared by their own race whenever possible, and not be relocated to other districts wherever possible, to avoid disruption for them ? Is that unrealistic under the circumstances and choices available ? Is being skin colour-blind always better ?
Your commentary goes to the heart of many social issues that we face. That is the most honest assessment I have read, and certainly helps my understanding of what is going on. I have many Maori friends, and none of them are like the Haraweras. I think a significant majority of NZers would agree with you about NZ society.
A great article thank you. I am a 69 year old "white" New Zealander from New Zealand born parents whose parents were New Zealand, Irish and Scottish. I was born in a small rural town and Maori were people just like me but their skin was a different colour, one of my early childhood heroes was an employee of my father and he was a Maori. One of my best employees (not one of the most capable productively) but with a great attitude was Maori so I have always struggled with the "race issue" and do not consider myself a New Zealand European
I have just found you after reading your article on The Platform. Wow, what an insightful article you have written here. We are all of mixed race essentially if you do a test, so sad that you were/are judged in this half caste way. If people stopped judging and really listened humanity would be a lot further along. Keep up your good work, we need perspectives like yours.
Thanks - a very courageous and powerful bit of writing. As an incidental aside, the Harawira family are apparently descended from the Anglican missionary Thomas Hadfield.
This is a 5-star piece of writing. You are brave to put your head so far above the parapet, but you are only saying what many of us are thinking. I'm 76, and like many New Zealanders I'm of mixed pakeha and maori ancestry. I know my whakapapa and my lineage would fit me into the "maori elite" should I choose to join it. My grandmother's family (nine children) were split down the middle: they either looked completely one or the other. I'm one of the white ones and have suffered most of my adult life from feeling at a disadvantage when attempting to engage more with that part of my heritage. I'm saddened at the toxicity I see being enacted by Te Pati Maori, some Labour politicians and others in the critical theory cabal who are pushing the divisiveness. They seem incapable of seeing the long view and the damage they are fomenting, and inevitably it will come back and bite them on the bum.
Perhaps you could explain to me the mindset of those who have grabbed all that the pakeha colonialists have to offer, especially in education (including scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge), but who would now like to set a taper to it all and in the process disavow the letters after their names and the credentials this system have bestowed upon them. Atareta Poananga was featured on the cover of Metro magazine in the mid 80s, and I remember thinking "Oh my God, is this the presage of things to come?" Sadly, it was.
Tenakoe Aroha. I'm 5th gen kiwi both sides. I went through the alien gate when I visited England in the early 1970's. When the chips are down (war pandemic natural disaster) skin colour and anscestory become unimportant.
In a legal sense I support the ( ratapu?) programme started by Doug Graham / Bolger and a succession of Treaty Settlement Ministers since. All came to recognise and offer redress for the theft by colonists of turangawaewae. It was worldwide and the French are still at it today in Noumea. I expect Paul Goldsmith will take the same approach as his predecessors and will override the current crop of reactionary NZF and ACT.
My take is economic discrimination is worse than racial discrimination.
What worries me is the divisiveness now being promoted by ACT and NZF is reminiscent of the days of Muldoon
You're right about the turangawaewae theft, but I think the current divisiveness is being promoted most by those I mentioned at the end of my first paragraph.
"Te Pati Maori, some Labour politicians and others in the critical theory cabal who are pushing the divisiveness.
Fair enough however promoting division is a
tactic employed by those who seek to
preserve their power. Witness George
Gray pitting iwi against iwi, Those in power at
the moment and their backers remind me of Muldoon and we are still suffering from his economic legacy
.
An excellent comment
Thanks Haimona for the “self indulgence” - it’s not easy to write about such personal stuff; I suspect there’ll be many other Pakeha like me who have mixed-blood partners nodding as the read your compelling insights.
As that partner I concur.
I can hear your suffering and feel I have come to some understanding of your position. The people you rail against are the same people who have effectively insulted and maligned pakeha like me, if not all Pakeha. They spit in our collective faces. Your Maori foes and the MSM that glorify and encourage these entitled and attention seeking scum, to milk clicks and eyeballs, have effectively alienated the very people who were prepared to work with you.
After 6 or more years (still counting) of being labelled as racist, colonialist, having white privilege etc, etc, your Maori foes have succeeded in alienating a big chunk of the Pakeha electorate, to the point where Labour were absolutely drubbed at the last election.
You probably understand that a large chunk of that vote was influenced by Labour’s embrace of all things Maori, at the expense of all things that most Kiwis believe in.
As you have noted, the abuse from your own people (as a Maori) has continued unabated and championed by the MSM.
People I speak to, when they can speak and express an opinion openly and freely, have had a gutsful of the Maori antics and abuse, I expect that people will vote accordingly and the local body Maori seats will be abolished.
As you note, Maori need to sort out their own shit, or they will be forever divided.
I don’t think that change is coming any time soon.
Good luck, and I mean it sincerely.
Haimona you are a legend. You put in words feelings that I struggle to understand. I’m completely Pakeha in terms of my upbringing, biology and my ways but there’s something in my soul that is deeply touched by the coming together of Maori and Pakeha culture. At times it brings me close to tears. Over the years, in different ways have been lucky to be received in traditional Māori settings and been spiritually uplifted by my experiences. And then I get back to the nasty world where the media and others are trying to drive a wedge between us and it makes me both angry and sad. The only people benefiting are political elites, both Maori and Pakeha. It makes me ill. Please may we pull together and direct the help where it is needed, not lining the pockets of a selfish few.
Beautifully honest piece. Thank you.
Dont you think that children should be reared by their own race whenever possible, and not be relocated to other districts wherever possible, to avoid disruption for them ? Is that unrealistic under the circumstances and choices available ? Is being skin colour-blind always better ?
Your commentary goes to the heart of many social issues that we face. That is the most honest assessment I have read, and certainly helps my understanding of what is going on. I have many Maori friends, and none of them are like the Haraweras. I think a significant majority of NZers would agree with you about NZ society.
A great article thank you. I am a 69 year old "white" New Zealander from New Zealand born parents whose parents were New Zealand, Irish and Scottish. I was born in a small rural town and Maori were people just like me but their skin was a different colour, one of my early childhood heroes was an employee of my father and he was a Maori. One of my best employees (not one of the most capable productively) but with a great attitude was Maori so I have always struggled with the "race issue" and do not consider myself a New Zealand European
I have just found you after reading your article on The Platform. Wow, what an insightful article you have written here. We are all of mixed race essentially if you do a test, so sad that you were/are judged in this half caste way. If people stopped judging and really listened humanity would be a lot further along. Keep up your good work, we need perspectives like yours.
Thanks - a very courageous and powerful bit of writing. As an incidental aside, the Harawira family are apparently descended from the Anglican missionary Thomas Hadfield.
I am writing new separate posts each time, but they are all getting linked up under Aroha. Maybe it will come right.
Excellent. Thanks so much. I'm better informed as a result.