Nick Smith

The treaty is used by Maori to justify much of the stuff comaplianed of in this blog. It is worht readign Claudia Oranges Book, and my early blog refernce is attached.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/blogs/stirring-the-pot/1878913/How-significant-is-the-Treaty-of-Waitangi-in-2008

If we are in this mess because of history, it is important to understand it.

Suggest you all go read Claudia Oranges book, and a link to my blog on it is attached.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/blogs/stirring-the-pot/1878913/How-significant-is-the-Treaty-of-Waitangi-in-2008

As a child of Chinese immigrants, who came here in the 1970's with not very much, I used to think the plight of Maori people was a horrible tragedy brought to them by Europeans. I now see that greed, corruption, politics and arrogance in Maori society is what causes them to not take advantage of all that is on offer in this country. That is the real tragedy of modern-day New Zealand. How to 'fix' this? More money towards the full re-establishment of the violent, racist, misogynist Maori society of two hundred years ago? How will this help anyone, other than the privileged few at the top of Maoridom, as it does now? Better maybe to look at the next generation of Maori parents, and work with them to help their children be healthy and have an appetite to learn. To blame the people of today, even the Europeans, for the events of the past, is stupid and fixes nothing.

Mo, It seems to me plenty of "maori" have logged on to this and my blog.

Your story of being treated as second class is actully the legacy of an education system that provides access based on race rather than merit. This leaves the consumer of the educated with the impression that Non maori had to be better to get in the first place. So ask yourself this if you were having your head cut open and you knew absolutely nothing about the surgeon, who would you pick? This Mo is why this dialogue is important to you and all ethic people.

I have no problem with redress of injustice - and Maroi have certainly been done hard by governments up until as late as the 1950's.

But much of what is being asked for is still unjustified.

There is nothing in the Treaty about a "partnership".

You cannot have someone else govern you (kawangatanga) and still be sovereign - that is a contradiction in terms.

Maori insult their ancestors by assuming they did not know what they were signing - of course htey did! They saw how Europeans obeyed the "Crown" - and they wanted Rangitira of Rangitira - someone who would control the tribes and be above them all to end the internecine fighting that had decimated the populating.

If they could see how Maori live today they might be saddened by some things, but they would be very happy with overall living conditions - Maori in 1940 were a very pragmatic culture - they changed and adapted to better ways of doing things from muskets to whalers and they did not stick to ancient tradition if hter was a better way.

That said they still got shafted - but no more so than many Pakeha in hte same era - let us not forget that "white" British were being transported to Australia as late as the 1860's, my ancestors in Scotland were driven wholesale from their highland farms, and casual racism extended to the Irish, the Scots, Catholics (in Protestant countries), Protestants (in Catholic countries), Eastern Europeans, Jews, etc.

Sadly screwing anyone you could screw was the quickest way to riches and it really didn't really matter what colour they were - although it was easier if they were a different one.

There is also a ridiculous romanticism about Maori culture - there was plenty of "brown trash" in 1840 - tribes enslaved by others, captives and just lower class members of the tribe. The chief's had say over life and death - "Maori justice" was nothing like what it is portrayed today - trial, juries, restitution? Forget that namby pamby stuff - utu (roughly translated as "even-ness") applies...and was whatever you could manage o get or give..and then would be extracted/paid back in turn as much as the other party felt aggrieved or gifted (yes I know utu applies both to good and bad) - "better the blood of an innocent than none at all"

So yes I say work towards fixing injustice - but remember that Maori today also benefit from the wrongs of the past, just as much as most of the rest of the population - only a small handful received direct benefits from the injustices......and the indirect benefits are enjoyed today as much by Maori as by Pakeha.