Someone recently described the meaning of Te Papa not as ‘Our Place' but as ‘Their Place' - and ‘Their' being Maori. In an article on Te Papa in the Listener (August 31 edition), we see just how far Maori-ization of this institute has gone and how far government nepotism has extended.
Several internationally renowned scientists, leaders in the field of taxonomy, have been made redundant while the Government's appointment of Maori to key areas continues.
None of the senior managers have a scientific background when one would believe that should be a pre-requisite for a museum appointment. The former government-appointed chairman was Sir Wira Gardiner, husband of Education Minister Hekia Parata, ex-soldier, founding director of the Waitangi Tribunal and later chief executive of the Ministry of Maori Development Te Puni Kokiri. He has been replaced by Evan Williams, a lawyer with long term involvement with iwi over cultural and land issues. He shares responsibility for ‘cultural leadership and strategic management' with a kaihatu or Maori leader, Rhonda Paku, senior curator of the museum's Maori collection.
The present spokesperson for the sciences is Claudia Orange, known for her work on the Treaty of Waitangi. Of the many redundancies, no Maori has been dismissed.
Does the preceding paragraph suggest a certain preponderance of control or influence at Te Papa by 14 per cent of our population. All this by a government elected to represent all New Zealanders, a government showing scant regard for this gross racial imbalance.
The day Te Papa opened I was living in Russell and watching the telecast with our German neighbours and their two guests from Germany.
The proceedings began with a view from Te Papa of the wakas approaching across the harbour. As they reached the shore the kuias wailed and the waiata and karakia rang out.
This went on for a long time with most of the narrative in Maori. A brief interlude, a couple of minutes, followed showing the inside of a cabin on a migrant ship, and this was followed by a Polynesian choir.
At the end of hours of proceedings, the visitors from Germany observed: 'If this truly shows you how you live, your culture and history, then surely at least 90 per cent of New Zealanders are Maori or Polynesians”. Little has changed.
Bryan Johnson, Omokoroa.
11 comments
Finlayson
Posted on 06-09-2013 10:55 | By Captain Sensible
The unelected list MP, Chris Finlayson beavers away behind closed doors in Wellington ruining this country with his flawed and biased understanding of real NZ history and what seems his determination to teach the voters who rejected him three times, a lesson.
Cancerous growth in Gov't run institutions
Posted on 06-09-2013 16:11 | By crazyhorse
Te Papa is only the beginning. The Ministry of Education's Curriculum Update entitled 'Treaty of Waitangi Principle” encapsulates this process. This edict was sent out last year after an Education Review Office report (2011) claimed that many schools were finding this 'Principle” difficult to implement. Now their difficulty may be because this 'Principle” is indefinable, let alone impractical, goes against the grain and all New Zealanders' customary rights in our multi-cultural democracy - but that hurdle hasn't stopped our radical bureaucracy. Our schools are being told: - The Treaty affords Maori a dual set of rights. - Schools must consult with the local Maori community about the school's direction. - Te reo Maori should be promoted in school management (i.e. in day-to-day staff communication and admin), as well as teaching and learning. - All pupils need to learn Maori, gain knowledge and experience of important Maori concepts and customs, and understand and celebrate the place of Maori as tangata whenua. - Schools will learn to share power, control, and decision-making while validating the unique position of Maori and recognizing the contribution Maori make to education. And the Update provides useful examples of how other model schools successfully carry out their indoctrination. Why We're Concerned The Ministry's Update is very disturbing because it goes way beyond the teaching of Maori content. It is a blatant attempt to change and control the behaviour of schools, teachers and students, to promote the 'Maori world view” and to elevate 'Maori” to a superior status not afforded anyone else. Race-based Discrimination
RACE BASED DISCRIMINATION
Posted on 06-09-2013 16:25 | By crazyhorse
Race-based Discrimination Equality before the law and democracy (along with property rights) have long proven to be the foundations of strong and prosperous economies. Yet here at home and certainly in this Ministry, these tenets are being aggressively and persistently undermined. Increasingly we see that anyone with a teaspoon of Maori blood are being given greater rights than any other member of the population (with no corresponding emphasis on their responsibilities). Meanwhile other New Zealanders are required to pay tax to fund the double-dipping, dictatorial control or free ride of Maori advisory boards, consultants, politicians, activists, guardians, and the recipients of numerous race-based grants and subsidies. Control by Consultation Consultation with iwi is increasingly becoming a noose around our necks. It adds significant costs, delays and complexity to any process, on anyone's land, often to no reasonable or democratic purpose. It is also a misnomer in that we are obliged to meet any iwi demands. Traditionally, schools have worked closely with their communities but to suggest they need to 'share power, control, and decision-making while validating the unique position of Maori” is discriminatory, onerous and asking for trouble. Think of John Key's 'sweet, little old lady”, Titiwhai Harawira and her family's history of bullying behavior at Waitangi and elsewhere. They are just one example of what we can expect should a school and its entire community be made subservient to forces within the local marae.
Point Taken
Posted on 06-09-2013 17:24 | By Babz
If it makes them happy let them have Te Papa. We go to the Auckland Museum these days. We love it. We are looking to our future along with the rest of multicultural New Zealand.
Babz please don't think like that
Posted on 06-09-2013 21:14 | By crazyhorse
Te Papa for them now, Auckland museum next, maybe put one of the other revisionist historians in to run that as well, Salmon, or Paul Moon would get the job done, turning it into another version of what really didn't happen, i wonder what (WILL) happen when the other 90% of kiwi stop visiting,
Crazy is the word
Posted on 07-09-2013 10:58 | By robin bell
forget about the Horse bit.So you've been plagiarising the conspiricy blogs again have you Crazy.You know its not good for you.Your us v them mentality is sickening.Maori have a unique and vibrant culture,you would deny them that.They have no greater rights than anyone else,deep down you know this.Maybe you could inform the world where,quote"Race based discrimination"actually fits into your utopian democracy and strong economy.Before you go copying conspiricy blogs and 1 law 4 all propaganda you should check whether they make sense or not.Remember Crazy,"Maori" thats "Maori" FOUNDING PARTNERS OF N.Z.repeat 10 times and you will never forget.Robin Bell.
POOR RUBBY
Posted on 07-09-2013 11:24 | By crazyhorse
These are all just facts pertaining to the education system in NZ, you want maori to be treated differently to kiwi because living among us is earth shattering for them, im merely pointing out its already structured just for them, i thought you would be happy, i feel terrible now, how can i make it up?????????
US VERSES THEM RUBBY??
Posted on 07-09-2013 11:59 | By crazyhorse
The only reason i make comments to these letters is the us v them mentality of some people, sure, some terrible things happened to maori, but while we live in the past we will all only go backwards, the average kiwi just wants a level playing field and people to take a bit of responsibility for themselves, its not up to (US TO LOOK AFTER YOU)because thats what you ARE TALKING ABOUT!!
Ieuan
Posted on 07-09-2013 17:55 | By Ieuan
My grandchild has to recite a karakia every morning at school. She has no idea what she is saying parrot-fashion and neither do her parents want her to. I asked her what it means and she has no clue. If Maori have their way, Papatuanuku and Tangaroa will become our gods, look at the Wanganui River, it has now become a legal entity, what nonsense!
reinvented lies
Posted on 08-09-2013 15:05 | By Captain Sensible
When will griever maori admit, they lived in fear of each other and the worst atrocities done to maori were done by.....other maori. Really sick of the reinvented lies that passes for modern history.
Where is the money comming from
Posted on 08-09-2013 20:18 | By crazyhorse
what have you started B Johnson, (there place!) will soon be in South Auckland, Orange has got rid of all scientific taxidermy in the Wellington Te Papa due to lack of gov't finance, your wondering how they can open another (their place), well if it goes a head the Harawiras have stepped in and said they will be the scientific taxidermists, the stuffing of European history will be complete.
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