Thursday, February 3, 2011

Maori Racism At Waitangi

It's no surprise that once again, some local Waitangi maori are riding the Treaty gravy train... by charging non-maori media to enter the lower marae.
Want, want, want...
Last year, media was charged $500 to enter and report on NZ Day action at Te Tii Marae, just across the river from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. More fool those that paid it! Others told the Te Tii moneygrubbers where to go...and negotiated entry by paying a "koha" (or gift) of up to $40. The interesting thing is: there's no record of whose pockets these financial gifts went into! Did Inland Revenue ever check?
For this Sunday's national day (Feb.6th.), lower marae officials are pulling the same scam again, but this time "Whitey", it's $1,000! The only media group that doesn't have to pay...is brown-skinned.
Spot the clown!
David Rankin, leader of NZ's largest iwi (tribal group) - Ngapuhi - has condemned the decision as racist and shameful: "These self-appointed bullies are doing great harm to our people." He says many people depend on tv news for info about Waitangi Day, and this small group is threatening to ban media coverage for the sake of its own personal greed: "This is not koha, it's income because it's demanded from people. It goes completely against our culture of hospitality to visitors."
Rankin says the fee is 'cultural apartheid' and he's advising all media that the marae is open and free of charge this NZ Day/Waitangi Day. But Te Tii Marae committee chairman Hama Apiata says if media don't pay, they won't be allowed onto the marae: only the local Maori radio station is exempt.
Well, of course there's a very simple solution: don't pay their extortion attempt. Don't go to the lower marae. Don't give them any publicity. Focus instead on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
Let's be honest: most of the time, all we see anyway from Te Tii Marae are foulmouthed protests, mudthrowing, insults, bleeding hearts, divisive actions intended to hurt and humiliate, the Harawira circus...
If NZ Day is truly about nation-building, instead of a live televised maori protest, then media should use their brains and not play into the hands of the radical fringe.

PS: 04 Feb.2011 - Widespread condemnation of the $1000 "koha" (Bay Of Plenty Times), (Labour Party), (the PM on Voxy), and a call for financial investigation of Te Tii Marae. The greed backfires.

3 comments:

Colin said...

I know that poking out one's tongue is something to do with traditional maori signs of defiance (?), but if it's done to a white guy who doesn't understand the significance, then it's just a waste of effort. And as your photo caption so aptly put it, the person poking out his tongue just looks like a bloody idiot!

Anonymous said...

This article is not based on any real facts, for ALL media had to pay and David Rankin who is so commonly used to support anti Maori sentiments as "A Nga Puhi Elder" Is not an elder nor a leader. re. the photo - What gives you the right to insult Maori cultural practises? The only clowns are the captionist and Colin.

Writer Of The Purple Sage said...

Dear Anonymous:
You may like to re-check YOUR facts!
(1)
Hama Apiata of Te Tii Marae said the local Maori radio station would be the ONLY media organisation exempt from the $1000 entry fee...
(http://news.msn.co.nz/haveyoursay/8205253/should-non-maori-media-be-clobbered-with-entry-fee-on-waitangi-day)
In other words, NOT all media had to pay, as you wrongly claim - just the non-maori ones.
(2)
In virtually all articles I've read, David Rankin is refered to as either Ngapuhi leader or elder. Your opinion of him may differ from this.
(3)
I wrote NOTHING in my text that insulted maori cultural practices. I DID however write the caption "Spot the clown!" IMO, full facial tattoos have no place in modern society. They are threatening, aggressive, completely out-of-date. Further, they originally indicated a man was a warrior, blooded in battle, someone worthy of respect. This man is not a blooded warrior, and I see nothing in that photo that deserved respect. He is hiding behind mirrored 'John Lennon'-type sunglasses and poking his tongue while waving his arms above his head. If these actions are meant to intimidate or insult, they're lost on the vast majority of NZ's population. He makes himself and maoridom look foolish, hence the caption. Perhaps I should thank him for providing some entertainment value...