A Savage Attack on the WOKE’s..........
By Dr Michael Bassett CNZM QSO
New Zealanders' Modern Cultural Cringe
18/01/2021
A bizarre craze seems to be sweeping New Zealand right now. All things
derived from Europe except our creature comforts must be set aside as
we are expected to embrace all things Maori. It's racism on a grand
scale. No longer do our television stations refer to New Zealand. In
fact, we are lucky if its Aotearoa-New Zealand. No reference to the
fact that, as Michael King shows, Maori didn't have a name for these
lands, and only came to accept "Aotearoa" in relatively recent times.
Several newspapers are falling into line and are now calling our
country Aotearoa, a name unknown to most people beyond our shores. No
public debate. We are expected to acquiesce. The name "New Zealand"
which dates back to Abel Tasman's visit in 1642 came more into early
use and is the name by which our land has always been recognized
abroad. It won't be long before the woke who are driving all this
insist on officially changing our country's name. Instead of being
proud New Zealanders, we'll be expected to call ourselves
Aotearoaians. They'll try to avoid a referendum lest it results in
rejection like occurred with changing the flag. Just impose it! The
woke have no respect for democracy.
Government departments and public institutions are being renamed at
such a rapid rate that it isn't clear what the names refer to. Waka
Kotahi for Transport? Why? Since all forms of transport except the
canoe were unknown to Maori, and were imported from overseas, why a
Maori name? Where did Waka Kotahi come from? Waka, yes. But Kotahi? It
doesn't appear in the revered Bruce Biggs' Maori dictionary. Waka
Kotahi wasn't a term used by Maori before settlers arrived in the
1840s and 1850s. There are other institutions with self-bestowed Maori
names that are unrecognizable to ordinary Kiwis.
Radio New Zealand, too, has been working full time. They are deleting
the words both "radio" and "New Zealand" from everyday use. Nowadays
it's "Te Irirangi o Aotearoa" or "RNZ". Don't mention dreaded English
terms! Some Radio New Zealand reporters fall over themselves trying to
conform to a ruling from on high that they should introduce themselves
in Te Reo, despite the fact that the concept of radio came from
overseas, and was absolutely unknown to Maori.
We have also been told recently that all streets in New Zealand are to
be given a Maori name. Wow. That will be an expensive exercise! Who
will dream up the new names? The Maori Language Commission that seems
to be churning out new words at 200 kph? And since Maori were very
thin on the ground in the Auckland area in 1840 and were soon rapidly
outnumbered by settlers, it won't be appropriate either. A relevant
fact provided to members of the Waitangi Tribunal during the Kaipara
case I heard was that in 1840 there were only 800 Maori living on the
million acres of land between the Kaipara and East Tamaki. That fact
will be conveniently overlooked. Nothing is sufficiently disrespectful
for Pakeha whose street names quite often have family or historical
significance to them.
Similar examples of cultural cringe are showing up with the move to
teach New Zealand history in our schools. Scratch the surface and it
becomes clear that those driving the idea want to downplay the huge
significance of the arrival of European culture in New Zealand.
Rather, they intend to replace it with only partially accurate
accounts of the difficulties Maori faced when brought into contact
with a more developed culture. Recently, I sought from the Ministry of
Education details about who was designing the curriculum. Back came
the names of a couple of black arm band school teachers and a
collection of Maori radicals. There were a couple of academics, both
Maori. No serious Pakeha historian in sight. We can say with certainty
that a skewed version of New Zealand history will be devised, one that
leaves out things like the Musket Wars where Maori did irreparable
harm to their own economy and society. Instead, there will be much
concentration on "evil" colonial land purchasers and settler
governments, and excessive Maori land confiscations at the end of the
wars of the 1860s. About the last of these, of course students must be
told. The confiscations came on top of the damage that Maori had
already done to themselves and helped further depress the Maori
economy and damage Maori society. But what is taught to modern
students should not exclude everything that reflects badly on Maori
themselves. Moreover, kids need to know that up to 50% of Maori in the
country in the 1860s sided with the Crown. And they need to be told
why. The term "Kupapa Maori" to describe those Maori is regarded by
modern Maori as equivalent to being called an "Uncle Tom". But it was
respected in earlier times.
And if one needs any more evidence that cultural cringe has reached
massive proportions in Auckland, have a look at the programme for the
Auckland Arts Festival between 4-21 March 2021. Its Maori name, Te
Ahurei Toi O Tamaki, takes precedence on the front cover. Remember,
that in Auckland, Maori are only 11.5% of the total population.
Pacific Islanders are 13% of Auckland's population and Asians
constitute more than 25%, according to the latest census. People of
European ethnicity make up more than 50% of Auckland's population, but
in the eyes of the organisers of the festival they don't count. The
programme includes "kapa haka, Maori artists, waiata sing alongs and
korero [that] will bring the taonga that is te reo front and centre
for audiences". Really? In a city where almost 90% of people are not
of Maori ethnicity? Why hasn't Auckland City, Creative New Zealand,
Foundation North and a collection of worthy sponsors spared a thought
for the overwhelming majority of Auckland citizens and ratepayers?
Where is the "equity" in this festival?
Answer: too much power has been allowed to slip into the hands of
crusaders who for too long seem to have been able to commandeer the
resources of others for their own political ends.
When, or will, Aucklanders, and New Zealanders as a whole, stop
cringing and wake up to what is being done to their culture and
largely with their money?
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Originally Posted by tweak'e
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