GUEST BLOG: Willie Jackson – Kaupapa Maori is the new Kiwi socialism
While watching the fabulous waiata and haka at Te Matatini I thought about the vicious debate over “what’s Kaupapa Maori?” that took place last week.
I don’t think anyone would disagree with me that Matatini is one of the most perfect examples of Kaupapa Maori, positive young disciplined Maori performing for their iwi, hapu and whanau and filling Maori hearts with so much pride in their efforts.
Some may disagree though with another view that I have of Kaupapa Maori because for me, it can be the solution to much of the damage the free market has caused our communities and wider society. Instead of the ‘me first, me first’, mantra of the market, the communal values of Kaupapa Māori calls for a holistic view of the individual and their place within the group.
Kaupapa Maori is a way to value each and every person in New Zealand while ensuring the basic question of their welfare is central to any decision making process. The way our welfare state has been eroded into a stick with which to beat the poor is the best example of where Kaupapa Māori could best be applied.
Look at how WINZ are currently attempting to solve the homelessness crisis, people are being just dropped off at motels where their complex problems find no help or any solution.
When Te Puea Marae, opened its doors last year to the homeless, Kaupapa Maori dictated their process. It wasn’t enough to find them shelter and food for a couple of weeks. They spoke to the families, found out what the issues were and sought solutions to help them access the social services needed.
Simply finding people shelter, food and clothing are the bare necessities of life. Kaupapa Maori demands more than just that, it demands communication and dialogue to identify the true needs of the individual so that they can feel like they have something to offer the whole.
Sadly a Kaupapa Maori approach is missing from a section of Maori leadership, some elitist Iwi leaders have sold out their communal values and adopted a corporate approach when dealing with Iwi members.
The consequences of that strategy has meant that 21years after the first treaty settlement close to 90 percent of the Maori population have yet to see any benefits from the treaty settlement process.
Holistic and communal values not corporate materialistic values are the essence of Kaupapa Maori and this is missing in too many tribes’ business strategies. We need communal and holistic approaches if we are going to help the 85 percent of Maori who live in urban centres but Kaupapa Maori goes beyond just Maori. It’s a philosophical approach that respects the individual without ignoring the family bonds that strengthen that individual. It’s a way of viewing the world that our current welfare state desperately needs to adopt.
For me Kaupapa Maori is the new Kiwi socialism with a focus on everyone benefiting from moving forward, not just the some and the few.
First published in the Manukau Courier
Lovely stuff Willie. -100%
I am a 73yr old pakeha that grew up in “Ahuriri” around the early 1950’s, at the Port of Napier local community.
There our mixed community was deeply embraced around the communal values of Kaupapa then, and it was absolutely etched into my soul, deeper than anything else as I travelled alone around the globe during the 1970’s and it served my soul very well.
I embrace this stand you are making of us being a more caring society Willie so please keep it up.
I truly believe Kapa Haka should be taken proffesional. And lets be honest, the success of Te Matatini has nothing to do with money and everything to do with teaching people something, uplifting people from the womb, into Kohanga and higher education, and on into the work force. The fact that performers and choreographers and so and so forth are paid in mana badges is not teaching people and uplifting people creating upward mobility into the work force so currency is indeed important.
What started as a cultural and intellectual orgasm was quickly surrounded by contraceptive styles to contain the spill over of intellectual property so the government was all to happy to provide funding at half the rate of the others and Matatini still manages to outperform mainstream arts. And right wing ideologues were able to capture this process and pay workers a slave wage for the best performance on the arts calendar. Thats just got to stop.
Matatini was given a leg up because of the Treaty but to be honest it’s ended up as poison like anything else maori the crown touches and right wing ideologues has urged media, franchised suppliers and government funds to pay them first and performers get what again? mana badges, so there is no upward mobility there.
I think away around all this is new media inside social media because the current system of media to be perfectly honest sucks. You’ve got every voice and face constantly trying to put there own spin on it in what comes across as protecting privileged positions from the performers that make the product. Performers are literally paying to be pitched a political agenda and thats just got to be flipped on its head.
My proposal would be to capture 300 million of the current maori economy and remove all crown funding from the arts budget to new zealand on air and pay every one a living wage, that would rebalance the maori economy and increase awareness of the maori economy in a fantastic way and the wider public will be showered in freedoms of maori expression.
Good for you Willie!!! 100%
Now I understand why the herald, and other less than reputable “news” sources (tv) rubbished Andrew little for bringing you into what should be the next government.. (unless kiwis do the stupid thing yet again)
This kind of thinking is exactly once the repair of our society starts..
Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if all or even some the settlement money was spent on housing Maori on Maori land (because the land is owned by Maori the cost of getting a home would be much cheaper just the cost of the home to the occupant)Any small profit could be reinvested, building plumbing electrical apprenticeship could have employed
young Maori, who would have seen the fruits of their Labour. Once he population had been established small shops could have been erected and opened leading to more settlements and light industry. A small village growing and growing. What real community it could have been with everyone looking after everyone.