THE DYNAMICS OF ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’ BEING PLAYED OUT IN NEW ZEALAND (The Decolonization of New Zealand)

REFERS TO: WHITE PRIVILEGE IN NEW ZEALAND: This 162 page document states that “. White supremacy, whiteness, white culture and white norms carry the belief that Western European cultures are superior and Indigenous peoples inferior and less worthy” Racism and white supremacy are integral to colonization and colonization is integral to racism and white supremacy

The dynamics, impacts of white supremacy, racism, colonialism upon Tanga Whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand (The Human Rights Commission NZ). The Human Rights Commission works under the Crown Entities Act 2004 and Human Rights Act 1993. Independent of Government. The commission is accredited an ‘A; status under the National Human Rights Institution under the Paris Principles. Authored and published the Maranga Mai this included drafts from the Iwi National Chairs Forum. Claire Charters key member of the Iwi National Chairs Forum  is employed part-time in the Human Rights Commission.

This lengthy report called the Maranga Mai documents compelling story telling of white supremacy, racism referring to the early colonial settlers of NZ. This report calls for meaningful pathway to reconciliation and justice by 2040 for Iwi/Maori reference is made to the ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Rights group of the NZ Human Rights Commission. The National Iwi Chairs Forum and numerous others also played indispensable roles in the preparation of Maranga Mai! On behalf of the Commission’s board, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon, has shouldered responsibility for securing rich and dynamic community engagement for the NAPAR, including supporting the preparation of Maranga Mai! Signed by Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt

Maranga Mai calls for Constitutional Change. The Minister of Justice (Government ) is involved as follows:  . National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) for Aotearoa. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for developing the plan and has partnered with the National Iwi Chairs Forum – a collective of iwi leaders from Aotearoa – on its creation. Stating that “New Zealanders need to understand that colonization, racism and white supremacy are intertwined phenomena that remain central to the ongoing displacement and erosion of tino rangatiratanga. The cumulative effects of this are evident in the intergenerational inequalities and inequities tangata whenua suffer across all aspects of their lives. These serious matters are the focus of this report”

Maranga Mai! documents the dynamics and impact of colonization, racism and white supremacy on Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand since first contact with Europeans. This report has been written by Ahi Kaa, the Indigenous Rights Group, within the Commission and tangata whenua, within the framework of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. amplifies Māori voices, memories and experiences, the value of which lies in documenting lived inter-generational and cumulative insights of how Māori have experienced colonization, racism and white supremacy (Smith, 2013; Creswell, 2013).

Maranga Mai! adds to this body of evidence the testimony of experts of the Tangata Whenua Caucus of the National Anti-Racism Taskforce (2021-2022). Key interviews were conducted with prominent Māori scholars and activists, distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, chair Tina Ngata, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Dr Rawiri Taonui and Kingi Snelgar, and the late Dr Moana Jackson. Recommends:- recommendations for the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR). Seek Constitution  transformation to establish Co-Governance references made to Matika Mai Aotearoa and he Pua pua Reports. Recommending the  establishment of an independent Indigenous Rights Commission is also recommended for exploration by the government, with a key function of advancing the NAPAR; developing and delivering a decolonization and anti-racism strategy to assist the further elimination of racism in central and local government and civil society; and supporting the Truth, Reconciliation and Justice Commission.

Recognize tino rangatiratanga is a preexisting and ongoing form of tangata whenua and Indigenous authority and self determination under Te Tiriti (Article Two) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (2007). Rosemary Banks represented the NZ Labour Govt 13th September 2007. NZ rejected the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People for very clear reasons as to why New Zealand should not accept the UN Declaration now. NZ Rejected the UNDRIP in 2007. John Key sent Pita Sharples Deputy Leaders Māori Party under a veil of secrecy to the UN to sign the UNDRIP. NZ Labour Government refused to sign the UN Declaration for the following reasons:- This included four provisions within the text hence including the following – Non-compliant with Legalities, Constitutional arrangements of New Zealand and the Treaty Of Waitangi. Undemocratic, Two classes of Citizenship. No acknowledgement of Property Rights as Māori (Indigenous People) would have the control, ownership of the entire lands of New Zealand, does not acknowledge that others legally have ownership, rent, lease land. Control of Natural Resources. Veto rights that others do not have. Veto rights over parliamentary legislation. Redress (Compensation) of entire lands of New Zealand. Two Classes of Citizenship

As for David Seymour’s Treaty Bill this should throw a light on why certain Iwi Māori are so angry because if Seymour were to get it to referenda stage, and majority of NZrs voted for it, this would certainly put paid to the UNDRIP being implemented in NZ. It’s the legislative, Waitangi Tribunal political over-reach and the Judicial that has allowed the UNDRIP which is a non-binding declaration to become such a major issue in New Zealand. Just because it is non-binding it has embedded in it International Human Rights, which can be used to legislate it, enter it into Domestic Law.  However under UN International Law a group of people cannot adopt a UN Declaration, agreement. I therefore personally believe it was a certain Iwi/Māori group that arranged with the Māori Party Peter Sharples to collaborate with John Key for Sharples to travel to the UN to sign this.

21st November 2022 a two day convention took place, organized by Claire Charters, who now is on the Human Rights Commission NZ this convention attracted overseas visitors. The title of the convention being ‘Kerero Convention’ the think tank for implementing the UNDRIP  by replacing NZ’s Constitutional Arrangements, with a Constitution that aligns with the Treaty Of Waitangi (Both 1835 Declaration of Independence and 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi) aligning these with the implementation of the UNDRIP.

The Iwi Chairs Forum is working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice in the development of the proposed action plan against racism. Additionally, as we pointed out in Human Rights Commission partners with Iwi Chairs’ Forum(DA news April 2023), the Human Rights Commission also has a very close relationship the Forum. Undoubtedly, a case of co-governance in action! “History shows that race-based societies fail. No tribally based society has ever succeeded in the modern world. And yet New Zealand is rapidly racializing and tribalizing its system of central and local government and other institutions.  it is time for the HRC to return to its core statutory obligations

This whole 162 Page Report is based on oppressor vs oppressed. Shuts its eyes to what the early colonials brought to NZ, such as schools , hospitals, Christianity, railways, dug tunnels , pathways through thick bush and forestry, they did not have modern day machinery. Plus stopped tribal feudalism, tribal slavery torture and murder. And because of early colonials Maori now live a significantly lot longer than they did before the early colonials arrived. And the early colonials actually brought to New Zealand many birds too, as the English loved their garden birds. For the early colonials did not jump on a plane to travel to New Zealand they spent on average 6 months to sail from the UK to New Zealand. Many people were seriously ill, some died and never made it to their destination. It was uncomfortable, wet  and cold, a miserable voyage with bad, inadequate rations of food. Immigrants were subjected to a great variety of conditions en route. Storms in the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay were followed by pleasant sailing in the trade winds. In the equatorial doldrums, awnings were often raised over the decks to provide shade from the incessant sun. Storms were encountered again in the Southern Ocean or Tasman Sea, sending ships tumbling and rolling. They were hardly what you would call ‘white privileged, majority of them were hard working people.

RESEARCHER: Carol Sakey

LINKS:  https://tikatangata.org.nz/cms/assets/Documents/Maranga-Mai_Full-Report_PDF.pdf  162 Pages       https://teara.govt.nz/en/the-voyage-out/page-1            https://www.democracyaction.org.nz/commission_a_mission_to_destroy_democracy

 

 

 

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