your display is offensive

These incidents upset me - so much has been taken from indigenous people all around this world, yet it is not enough, they still want more, they want everything.

Nearly 1000 people have signed a petition to have a Native American doll removed from an Auckland mini golf course display.

The doll, that has been labelled a "grotesque caricature", is part of the Lilliputt Around the World Minigolf course at Sylvia Park shopping centre and depicts a Native American man sitting in a tepee...

Rachel Hopkins, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma said she could not see a way to make the display culturally appropriate. 

"The point here is that the community decides how they are represented, and takes the lead in creating that, not the other way around," she said.

"And it's not about seeking permission after the fact." 

And that is the point, well made by Rachel. NO ONE gets to decide how indigenous people represent themselves, except members of the group themselves. This is a basic tenet that cannot be broken unless the group decides it can be. It cannot be seeking permission after the fact - don't bother - just take it down and start again. And starting means talking with the group you wish to represent. Otherwise it is just a continuation of the denigration and othering of indigenous people that happens everywhere.

comment about Māori not a joke

If you have lived in this country long enough you hear every vile, disgusting comment made against Māori - every low and slimey slur and put-down and even though we have heard it all, it still hurts to hear another.

Palmerston North city councillor Bruce Wilson has just uttered a disgusting one

Stuff

Councillor Bruce Wilson was speaking at the community wellbeing committee this week about a proposed smokefree policy covering the central city around and including The Square.

He said if the aim was to stop adults role-modelling smoking behaviour, and given 41 per cent of Maori women smoked, perhaps they should be sterilised.

 But wait - his defenders say it was all an attempt at humour, you know a bit of a laugh

City mayor Jono Naylor said he was surprised and incredibly disappointed, and thought the comment uncharacteristic. "If it was an attempt at humour, it was a poor attempt." 

Committee chairman Lew Findlay said "I don't think he meant it the way it came out. He tried to make out it was a joke, but he did say it in front of a crowd."

National Council of Women Manawatu branch president Audrey Jarvis said that it was "the stupidest joke I ever heard".

You see, just a fucking joke but think about this - what type of person makes an attempted joke about that. 

The joke line is often used when someone says something very offensive, they think they can weasel out by pretending they weren't serious, just having a lark, trying to lighten things up a bit. He said it in public - what do you think he says in private?

Only problem with the joke defence is that Wilson doesn't say it was a joke he says

Wilson said he would apologise to people at the meeting, and deeply regretted not thinking much harder before speaking.

"I'm publicly apologising, to anybody, anywhere who is offended, and I'm totally prepared to retract in public if the mayor allows me that opportunity."

Yep he should have 'thought harder' - that means keeping his private thoughts to himself rather than spewing them in public and he confirms this with

He also said it was not something he would say to the media.

Well too late, you have been outed and in any sane world you would resign or be sacked but that won't happen, oh know he will say sorry and then carry on undermining Māori and being a racist representative of the people that voted for him.

We let these people off too lightly - and trying to get out of it by using the 'joke' defence is as bad as using the 'should have thought harder' defence - they are not a defence they are just useless excuses.

devoy - early bad-taste April Fools joke

So, Dame Susan Devoy has been appointed as this countries Race Relations Commissioner - my view is that this is a shocker but she takes up the role on 1 April so it could be an early April Fools joke - if so, ha bloody ha. 

Devoy is on record as saying that Waitangi Day should be ditched as our national day and that we should have a national day that we "shouldn't be ashamed of" - she has absolutely zero idea of the rights of tangata whenua and she is dangerous because she believes that her new role is, "to make it right for every New Zealander" and it isn't difficult because the issues are just like, "disability, gender or employment issues" and that the Human Rights commissioner looks after all that stuff. She has said it is not a very complicated job and that tells us more about her than anything - she does not get it and really why would she - a squash player who supported veitch the scum who kicks and breaks a woman's back, a person who thinks Waitangi Day is an excuse to sit in the sun and have a barbie. I hope Idiot/Savant is correct and that this appointment is unlawful and those responsible are held to account.

This is the way tangata whenua are treated in this country by the likes of devoy and her ilk - how long before the shit is shaken off and tangata whenua decide to take back their rights. Can't come soon enough for me.

Hattips - Kiwipolitico, Frog Blog, The Daily Blog, No Right Turn

stop the shit

A terrible decision from the Environment Court that allows the Wairoa District Council to spray 52,000 cubic metres of treated effluent over a 30 hectare site on the Mahia Peninsula - residents and Maori oppose this. Residents are concerned about the massive increase in rates that this will cause and maori are upset because the waste will be spread over an area that is sacred and important for tangata whenua.

From Radio NZ

Spokesperson Mere Whaanga says her iwi is offended by the plans to spray effluent over the site where men, women and children were slaughtered by another tribe.

"Imagine if the Turkish authorities decided to spray human effluent over Gallipoli," she said.

"This massacre site is so important, not only to the Whaanga family but to Mahia history, it's a comparable insult."

Yes it is but that insult is given little consideration from the Environment Court.

The Environment Court has ruled the benefits to the community outweigh cultural and historical concerns.

We will know when we are making progress when decisions like this don't occur and when cultural and historical concerns outweigh the so called community benefits. How can the community benefit when a significant section of the community oppose the move - it is oxymoronic.

pretend maori greet cruise ships

Dressing up and pretending to be maori for cruise ships that arrive in Tauranga is insulting at best. It should not be allowed.

From NZ Herald

"Discovery Heritage Group has been banned from Port of Tauranga land after rival companies complained it hired foreign workers to wear traditional Maori dress.

Company director Terina Puriri said she employed a range of nationalities, including French and Israelis, because local Maori were not willing to promote their heritage.

"Some of our Maori are too slack to promote themselves. Some of our Maori are too lazy to get out of bed to do that.

"They don't turn up and it's a known thing for Tauranga Maori to do that."

Bullshit - disrespecting tangata whenua is shocking - what possible motive could their be - other than drawing attention away from the shameful company.

"Local kaumatua Iria Whiu, from Ngati Ranginui and Ngai te Rangi, was outraged, saying Puriri's comments were "highly insulting".

Using non-Maori posing as Maori was an insult to Maori nationwide, he said.

Exactly. This company should be investigated and protests should be launched. This type of exploitation is the very worse kind. Using non-maori to pretend to be maori is far too far IMO.

art and culture

Royal Moko Barry Ross Smith - Go here.

I haven't asked permission to use the image of the painting but i'm hopeful that because I have linked to the site where you can buy it that barry will be okay with it.

This painting has caused upset. My view is that moko should not be used in this way but i am torn because I believe in art and the right of artists to push the boundaries. But the line comes in when appropriated cultural items, that have meaning, are used.

From Stuff

"A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with a traditional Maori tattoo has raised the ire of Palmerston North residents who believe the image is insulting to both Maori and the Queen.

The print, at the Downtown Art & Framing store, features a young Queen Elizabeth with a moko on her chin and lips.

The date of the Treaty of Waitangi signing appears in Roman numerals next to the monarch.

What does all that mean from the artists point of view?

"Paeroa artist Barry Ross Smith, who created the artwork last year, said it was not intended as an attack on anyone.

"It was a way to show as a country that we have self determination from England.

"We actually built an entirely new race by signing the treaty, so the Queen of that new race would need a moko."

Mr Smith also did a self portrait in which he has a full facial moko – a statement about the merger of two equal cultures.

Hmmmm not sure about all that. So why are people upset?

"Palmerston North Maori warden Nola Te Papa, of Tuhoe, said she was shocked when she first walked past the print on Tuesday.

"Those are only worn in Tuhoe by people in the chief's bloodline," she said.

"These artists are getting too carried away with the Maori moko, that's abusive. They are just printing it anywhere."

The print was a breach of tikanga (Maori custom), which could result in bad luck for family members of the Queen and the artist, Miss Te Papa said.

and

"Bev Blackwell said it was an insult to Maori culture and the Queen.

"I think it's disgusting and offensive. It should be destroyed and taken away."

Are artists allowed to just do what they want? We know society puts barriers in place via laws regarding decency and so on but is it okay for an artist to use a cultural item that causes insult to the people that cultural item has meaning for. Obviously the technique is used deliberately for effect by some artists but in this instance where the artist says they didn't intend to insult the people that were insulted - what then? Say sorry? Say too bad? Say - that's art. It is a tough one but the lines are always there it is really a question of where they are drawn.

key insults native americans

So whilst discussing the stadium in Dunedin, our Prime Minister key says, "we are not indian givers."

"When questioned whether the Government might ask for the money back if it was not finished in time, Mr Key said: "I don't think so.

"We're not Indian-givers."

This is an insulting term that denigrates native americans.

From phrases.org.uk

"Indian giver derives from the alleged practise of American Indians of taking back gifts from white settlers. It is more likely that the settlers wrongly interpreted the Indians' loans to them as gifts. This term, which is certainly American, may have been coined to denigrate of the native race. Historians would now agree that, where deceit was concerned, it was the settlers who were the front runners. It isn't uncommon, and it could be argued that it is customary, for the conquering race to attempt to justify their invasion by dismissing the conquered as dishonest and stupid."

And from the straight dope

"Indian" was once used by the white man as an all-purpose adjective signifying "bogus" or "false," owing to the supposedly low morals of the red man. Thus you had "Indian summer," false summer late in the year; "Indian corn" and "Indian tea," cheap substitutes for products the original colonists had known back in England; and "Indian giver," someone who gives you something and then takes it back.

But of course Europeans were the real Indian givers, repeatedly promising the Indians reservations by treaty and then stealing them back once valuable farmland or minerals were found."

Now we know key isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but this insult is not acceptable. We all unconsciously use terms that once examined, we realise are inappropriate. This is one of those situations.

Apologise to native americans. Start thinking before you insult indigenous people.

The positive from this is that the term is now more known for the cheating of the native americans - not much different from the broken treaties and promises over here and the cheating of maori that occured and still occurs.

carter - fuss on costs cos your troughing not cos you're gay

Wrong carter - it's not because you are gay that so much attention has been placed on you and your partners overseas trips at taxpayers expense. It's because you, like most of the politicians are using the full extent of the system to feather your own financial nest - and you are an example of someone who has flown round and round the world with your partner, going to all sorts of conferences on all sorts of things... for what? Oh you are a spokesman... have you heard of the internet mate?


Some may be against you because of your sexuality, not me, I think you are just like all the rest of the greedy at the trough of public money, your sexuality is irrelevant.

But using your sexuality to try and create distance from your troughing... well, that really is disgusting.

Pita - leave Billy T to the 80's

Okay, i've been pretty tolerant of the maori party and national get-together because I know that the maori party is working for maori. But this sort of news gets me a bit riled up!

"John Key received a standing ovation for an unremarkable speech yesterday at National's northern conference but the most spontaneous ovation has been for Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples who spoke on Friday night.
After a few Billy T James - style Maori fella jokes, Sharples spoke seriously about the relationship with National. He talked in general terms about the personal and political hurt the Orewa speech (former leader Don Brash did not arrive until today) on separatism caused and about the new leadership "showing us a better way."" (my emphasis)

Why?

Why pander to their racism Pita?

I've heard, over the years, a few people go down the "you fulla's... track." It's a joke and a poor taste one. You think you are connecting to them by speaking as you think they think you do. You don't, you just reinforce stereotypes and continue to make it look like maori are thick and stupid - "Look the brownies can't even speak english properly - gee they must be THICK."

Get on with the job Pita - there is plenty to do. Don't do the Billy T James line and act like some extra out of the black and white minstrals, don't pander to their racist stereotypes, don't sell your people or yourself out.

Good that you were there talking to the Nats, tho.

Hey Key focus on us not them!

It worries me when I read that:

"Prime Minister John Key says the primary goal of tomorrow's budget is to avoid a credit rating downgrade while his Finance Minister Bill English says the priority is the economy."

Hang on a second, that is a pretty big difference in views. I know that I prefer English's view. Key's comments indicate he is thinking about something but it isn't us or our country. Trying to please the 'international herd' will never work, they keep wanting more.

Focus on this country key, instead of your next job.

Hard to imagine you sleep well at night

Sometimes what people say really makes me wonder.

"A HIV-positive taxi driver twice found guilty of raping a teenaged female passenger was jailed for nine years today."

9 years - okay, it's at the lower end, the Crown wanted 12 years. The guilty driver aged 56. The victim aged 18 - the HIV status must surely be taken into account.

"Mussa's lawyer, Donald Stevens QC, asked for a starting point of eight years."

"He said Mussa already had a shorter life-span than other people, so the jail sentence represented more of his life than those not infected."

Yes that's right, this lawyer argues that because he was HIV positive, and therefore has a shorter lifespan, when he raped the teenage girl - he should get a shorter sentence. What a sick joke Donald Stevens QC you should be bloody ashamed.

Here's what the judge said about the effect of this rape

"Passing sentence in Wellington District Court today, Judge Bruce Davidson commented on the long-term effects of the rape, saying the victim still suffered depression, low self-esteem and was uncomfortable in the presence of men."

cadbury/pascall insult Inuits and us

This needs fixed.

"Seeka Lee Veevee Parsons, 21, an Inuit of the Nunavut Territory in Canada, said she was shocked when she found the Eskimo marshmallows for sale last week, saying there were an insult to her people."

"The word Eskimo was unacceptable in her country and carried with it negative racial connotations, she says.
The correct term was Inuit, Parsons says.
"I was taken aback. When I was a little girl white kids in the community used to tease me about it in a bad way. It's just not the correct term," she says.
She also believed the shape of the lolly was an unfair stereotype of her people."

Okay, i think Seeka has raised fair points that deserve consideration. It is easy for slippage into racism to occur - once noted, it can be remedied.

So what does the company say.

"But Cadbury Australia and New Zealand communications manager Daniel Ellis says Cadbury/Pascall did not intend to rename or remove the product.
"Pascall Eskimos are an iconic New Zealand lolly and have been enjoyed by millions of New Zealanders since they first hit shop shelves way back in 1955," he says.
"They continue to be incredibly popular today. Last year, we produced almost 19 million individual Eskimos, making it one of our most sought after Pascall products.
"It has never been our intention to offend any member of the public, and whilst we are disappointed to learn that this traditional New Zealand product has caused any concern, this is only the second time in the product's 54-year history that we have received such a complaint.This shows that the overwhelming majority of consumers do not find Eskimos to be offensive."

As usual PROFIT above the sensibilities of indigenous people. And sorry international corporation called cadbury/pascall, I do find it offensive and i will be writing to you to tell you that.

In 1955 this country was a very different place for maori.