Annette Sykes, Dr Oliver Sutherland, Dr Moana Jackson, Dr Rawiri Waretini-Karena, Jordan Chaney from Sykes & Co – Photo / supplied
Introduction:
On the evening of July 24th, I was in the parliament gallery listening to various political parties express their condolences to the state care survivors who suffered at the hands of the state between 1950 and 1999. After almost six years of work, a comprehensive Royal Commission report was presented and accepted in parliament.
In anticipation of this event, I wrote an article titled “How Colonisation Created the State Care to Prison Pipeline,” which caught the attention of Michael Laws, inviting me to discuss the impact of colonisation on his radio show, The Platform. I accepted the invitation to explore his perspective on the effects of colonisation.
WIPCE: Cusco Peru– Photo / supplied
My journey into the Indigenous world began in 2011 at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Peru, South America where I delivered my PhD topic on Maaori experiences of intergenerational trauma and witnessed the shared experiences of historical intergenerational trauma and resilience among Indigenous nations worldwide. This encounter influenced and shaped my research on the genealogy of colonisation and its impact on Indigenous communities, particularly Maaori.
During the radio show, Michael Laws and I delved into the complexities of colonisation and its repercussions. Whilst it felt like a trap, due to sensing that I touched a raw nerve with the radio host, I also had a few questions from that interview that I wanted answering to gain a sense of:
1. What it is about colonisation that NZ European don’t understand?
2. Why aren’t NZ European connecting the dots regarding the impact of confiscating land, culture and language, and its connection to poverty, state care, gangs and prison?
3. Why do NZ European feel that colonisation is a natural part of claiming other people’s territory, because it’s been going on for a millennia regardless of whether it’s right or wrong?
4. Why do NZ European justify violating Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because Maaori had their own internal war conflicts with each other and captured slaves as well? The connotation was; “You did it to others, why complain when it happens to you?”.
Michael Laws used the Moriori on Reekohu as an example, when they were attacked by Ngaati Muutunga & Ngaati Tama with muskets, during the 1830s killing many and taking slaves. While I agree with the disturbing history he recounted, missing from his dialogue was the issue that the muskets came from Europeans manipulating tensions behind the scenes. A similar incident happened when the British gave guns to Hongi Hika and his ope taua, who proceeded to attack Maatakitaki Paa in the Waikato in 1822. Over 1500 people died in that incident.
The debate revealed a stark contrast between Western individualism and Indigenous collectivism. While Western perspectives emphasised individual autonomy, Indigenous viewpoints highlighted the importance of community and interconnectedness. This clash highlighted the fact that recognising historical injustices and trauma inflicted on Maaori communities was a concept often overlooked in Western frameworks.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself as Michael Laws regaled, in the might and dominance of the British empire over the world during the 1800s. Yet history also highlights that the British often got out strategized, and out fought in spite of having overwhelming numbers and superior firepower.
The discussion with Michael Laws shed light on several key points:
1. The expectation that Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840 would get dishonored was ingrained due to an ongoing practice that saw past treaties not being honored by European nations. This contrasted with the Maaori approach of upholding the mana and integrity of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi agreement as an everlasting covenant.
2. NZ European’s lack of understanding regarding the intergenerational consequences of colonisation, which benefited them at Maaori expense, led to a disconnect from the struggles faced by Maaori communities.
3. The failure to recognize the ongoing effects of confiscating Maaori land, suppressing the Native language, and banning cultural practices demonstrated a disregard for the profound impact on Maaori identity and well-being.
4. Viewing colonisation as a natural process for claiming territory overlooked the violence, exploitation, and loss experienced by Maaori and other Indigenous nations.
5.Michael Law’s justification for violating Te Tiriti o Waitangi due to Maaori internal war conflicts struggled to differentiate between internal tribal warfare and the impact of colonial domination across the globe imposing systematic oppression, exploitation, and cultural erasure on Indigenous peoples, in a manner that is far beyond historical Maaori conflicts.
6. The manipulation of internal Maaori conflicts by the British for their benefit by pouring weapons into the equation showcased the exploitative nature of colonisation and its devastating consequences.
One of the issues European nations are yet to reconcile with is that the Doctrine of Discovery, despite its claims of European superiority, facilitated the expansion of colonialism and inflicted immense suffering on Indigenous populations. Over a period of seven centuries, the doctrine’s application resulted in the enslavement, linguacide, ethnocide, and genocide of hundreds of millions of Indigenous people, leaving behind a legacy of pain and devastation that remains unresolved.
TED X Ruakura – Photo supplied
Reconciliation in Aotearoa New Zealand requires acknowledging the historical injustices inflicted on Maaori communities and understanding the impact of colonisation.
The reconciliation process began in 1995 when a Royal apology was delivered by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to The Maaori Queen Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, and the Kiingitanga for the Waikato invasion in 1863 which resulted in many deaths at Rangiriri, Rangiaowhia, and Orakau precipitating the confiscation of 1.5 million acres of Waikato land. The Royal apology also acknowledged that Waikato weren’t rebelling, but were protecting their lands, and families from invasion.
Today, this journey involves bringing together histories, knowledge and experiences of Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti Partners, whilst also embracing and cultivating a better future for the next generations in this country.
