There is a New Zealand myth that
racism against Maori has been overcome to the extent that Maori have more
opportunities and rights than non-Maori.
Why, people ask, is there no Pakeha television while
Maori Television continues for the sole purpose of furthering Maori culture?
Why are there more opportunities for Maori students to access support through scholarships
and Tuakana-like programmes? I have even heard others in New Zealand accuse
Maori of abusing the Treaty of Waitangi, claiming that their interpretation of
the text is distorted to gain more control over New Zealand’s land and
resources to the detriment of ‘white’ culture.
Yet to say that Maori are more privileged than Pakeha in New Zealand is
to be ignorant of racial power relations in New Zealand and the history in
which these power relations have been produced.
Thomas Browne, Governor of New Zealand
during the 1850s, suggested that New Zealand was the only colony where the
Maori people had “been invited to unite with the Colonists and…become one
people”. This idea continues to be
prevalent in New Zealand. I remember
that in the last census there were people who complained that there was no ‘New
Zealander’ option in the ethnicity checklist and argued that there should be
because differences as a result of racial backgrounds had been overcome. Yet to say that New Zealanders are all one
people refuses to acknowledge that there even is a Maori culture that is
different from Pakeha values. As such,
the argument that giving more opportunities to Maori to further their culture
undermines racial equality is ignorant of the fact that the playing field
between Maori and Pakeha was never balanced to begin with. It is not that Maori ‘need more help’ in
achieving but rather that, because of institutionalised racism, Maori are often
under-advantaged compared to Pakeha. For
example, the Minister of Maori Development, Te Ururoa Flavell, noted in 2014
that Maori were “four to five times more likely to be apprehended, prosecuted and convicted than non-Maori counterparts”.
The media often reinforce the
structural racism that institutionalised racism works within. For example, Mike Hosking’s argument that Waitangi
should no longer be observed as a national holiday due to yearly protests refuses
to acknowledge the Tiriti as a legitimate and honourable commitment that should
reflect good relations between Maori and non-Maori nor that, in many
respects, there is a good reason for the protests given some aspects of the
Treaty have not been upheld.
People fail to understand that these policies exist for specific reasons. Statistically, certain ethnic groups may be exposed to worser living conditions and social problems that have arised from treatment from colonial times in New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteThe Treaty of Waitangi is a document that should always be respected. Its a constitutional and founding document that meant cooperation between the British and the Maori peoples. Whether for historical ties or symbolic purposes, there is a duty to help each other no matter which group you might belong to.
One criticism in the case of the University of Auckland is of its race quotas for admission into med/law/engineering (insert difficult degree) for Maori and P.I. students. Some think its unfair that certain people may get entrance or scholarship to their studies based on their ethnicity. In my view, if we can help people to make a better and fair society, why shouldn't we? It's better to have a system that supports welfare and give opportunities for at least some people, rather them not being accessible in the first place. Besides, just because these schemes exist does not mean you have to use them, people will still work hard for what they can get and in fact will work harder knowing they have support.