As many of you know, I did not have the privilege of growing up in
Aotearoa New Zealand. My parents are from Bangladesh and a few years after I
was born in Christchurch, they had to move back. And then they move to America
and I had to find my way back to Aotearoa New Zealand as an adult. As a result,
I’ve never been a super nationalistic or patriotic person. Having grown up and
lived in 3 countries, I never know who to swear my allegiance to. I’ll admit
that I knew very little about Māori culture when I moved back to New Zealand at
18. I took Treaty of Waitangi Law as an elective paper at Law School and that
was the first time I started to understand the legal status of the Treaty and
the legal rights of our indigenous population. During my brief stint at OTS in
2013, I learnt a lot about Māoridom including the more horrifying parts of our
history from negotiations meetings. But I am still learning.
Thanksgiving in America is one of my favorite holidays. I love it
mostly because of the abundance of food but also because it is secular and so
it feels like everyone can take part in this celebration. But one thing that is
completely missing from the American Thanksgiving celebration is Native
Americans. It is as if they never even existed. The extent to which Native
American rights have been abused, the extent to which they are treated as
second class citizens, the extent to which they are an invisible people is
astounding. When children dress up every year as pilgrims and Native
Americans to re-enact the ‘first Thanksgiving’ in schools all over America,
they ignore history. Many are beginning to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day as
an alternative to Columbus Day but this is not widely known let alone accepted.
Native Americans are basically rarely in the public discourse and it is bizarre
the way history is so easily forgotten by an entire nation.
America has managed to put aside all the negative feelings that
one should associate with how they have treated their indigenous population not
just in the past but in modern history. There are a lot of people that believe
that it would be better if Waitangi Day was akin to Thanksgiving or Fourth of
July as our national holiday. We could call it 'New Zealand Day' and forget all our problems. Many are disappointed by what happens at Waitangi
especially what is directed at politicians. But I am not. Many would like to
see that holiday turned into a civilised family gathering and a celebration of
our nationhood. I don't think that we are there yet. Not until we accept M
I like that politicians have to confront
the pain that is in our society, the wounds that have not healed. I like that
we as a nation are forced to watch the anger on the 6’ o clock news and know
that we cannot just shove our people behind a day at the beach and a bbq with
the family. I like that it forces us to ask questions about whether we are
divided as a nation and how we can work to bridge that gap. At least I hope it
does. The Māori Party was formed because Māori had a voice. A voice they used
to stand up to legislation that would take away their rights. The fact that
America’s indigenous population don’t have a meaningful voice should not be
something we as a nation aspire to achieve. Perhaps we can ensure better means
of dialogue on the day. Perhaps the dialogue shouldn't be limited to just one
day. And yes, it would be nice if Waitangi Day was a family holiday of
celebration and maybe one day it will be but we don’t deserve that day today.
I am not an expert on the Treaty nor am I in any position to speak
for Māori, but it does seem to me that lack of consultation, which is a major
obligation, is causing a lot of grief for the government. From the flag change
process to the TPP trade deal, the government hasn’t consulted with Māori in a
satisfactory manner. This week’s protests and the controversy around the PM’s
yearly visit to the Te Tii Marae tells me that Māori do not see their “seat at
the table” via the Māori Party as meaningful enough partnership.
I see the desire for politicians to put this behind them but we
are still in process of settling historical grievances. We are still continuing
to deal with Treaty breaches. We don’t get to sweep this under the rug because
we haven’t actually dealt with this in any meaningful way. Only Pākehā privilege
allows people to disregard history because it is not “fun”. Only cognitive dissonance
allows white folks to talk about immigrant assimilation while completely
forgetting that they never assimilated or integrated. They merely destroyed,
denigrated, and built an entire society on the backs of death and on stolen
land.
Maybe it is because of that or maybe it is because I view the
Treaty as a legal and political document that is the basis for the foundation
and continuation of our nation. TMaybe it is because I spent a lot of time my
time looking at the impact of our justice and welfare system on Māori. Maybe it
is because I’m a minority and I’m forced occupy many uncomfortable spaces. But
I do not find what happens on Waitangi Day uncomfortable or upsetting.
We are not ready for festive celebrations. We have very little to
celebrate.
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