Reality Bites
KELVIN DAVIS believes that Karen Chhour is looking at the world through a “vanilla lens”.
Racially-charged sentiments of this sort used to be reserved for embarrassing Pakeha uncles a little the worse for drink following a big Christmas Dinner. Family members winced at the old man’s reliance on “Māori blood” fractions to determine who was, and wasn’t, a “real Māori”. Equally embarrassing, however, is the spectacle of a Māori cabinet minister belittling an Act MP of Ngāpuhi descent for refusing to leave “her Pakeha world”. New Zealanders of all ethnicities now need to confront and deconstruct Davis’s objectionable ethnic dualism – because it is extremely dangerous.
Challenged in the House, by Chhour, to account for Oranga Tamariki’s treatment of vulnerable children, Davis, the responsible minister, responded: “What the Member needs to do is cross the bridge that is Te Tiriti o Waitangi from her Pākehā world into the Māori world and understand exactly why, how the Māori world operates.”
What, exactly, is the Minister trying to convey with these words?
Essentially, Davis was declaring the existence of two quite distinct realities – Māori and Pakeha. Viewed from the perspective of Pakeha reality, the behaviour of Oranga Tamariki may appear to be egregiously negligent – even cruel. But, viewed from Te Ao Māori, its behaviour may be construed in an entirely different way. The key to unlocking this profound ontological problem is Te Tiriti – or, at least, Te Tiriti as currently interpreted.
The contemporary interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi would have us believe that it set out to define the relationship between Māori, Pakeha, and their respective instruments of governance. That it was, indeed, a document intended to regulate the interaction of two very different realities. Two ethnic worlds, which were to remain separate but equal in perpetuity.
In 1840, such ethnic dualism made a certain kind of sense. When the Treaty was signed there were barely 2,000 Pakeha in the whole of New Zealand, and about 80,000 Māori. The world beyond New Zealand had a foothold on these islands, but not much more. For most Māori, their world was the only world – all contact with the islands to the north having been broken centuries before. The idea that, in the space of less than 30 years, the world of these strangers might overwhelm their own would have seemed preposterous to most of those present at the signing of the Treaty in February 1840.
Most – but not all. There were Māori at Waitangi who had crossed the Tasman to Sydney. Some had made it as far as Europe. They knew that this much larger world, hitherto oblivious to the existence of the Māori, was unlikely to leave their people in peace for very long. They had seen the ships of the Americans and the French anchored in their bays, and they were as aware as the British authorities that the New Zealand Company would soon be causing all kinds of trouble for iwi and hapu south of Lake Taupo.
However prettily the Treaty expressed the fiction of kawanatanga and tino rangatiratanga accommodating each other’s needs in peace and harmony, the Māori world would not long survive its collision with the rest of Planet Earth.
And so it proved. Call it the inexorable march of “civilisation”; call it “colonisation; call it the making of the nation of New Zealand; call it what you will. Te Ao Māori soon ceased to be a description of reality and became, instead, a metaphor. And metaphors are poor armour against the real weapons of one’s foes. The Pai Marire faith may have reassured its warriors that a divine power would deflect the Pakeha bullets – or turn their soldiers to stone – but the imperial troopers cut them down regardless. In the end, there is only one world.
Kelvin Davis knows this as well as anyone. So why is he insisting on treating metaphors as if they were scientific facts? The only rational answer is that he, along with those controlling the increasingly powerful Māori corporations arising out of the Treaty Settlement Process, intends to alter the political reality of New Zealand in such a way that the Māori aristocracy, and the te Reo-speaking, tertiary-educated, professionals and managers of the Māori middle-class (the only Māori worth listening to?) will soon be wielding very real authority over the rest of New Zealand.
Including all those Māori without te Reo, without tertiary credentials, without six-figure salaries. Māori struggling to make it through the day in a world that has little sympathy for the poor. Māori without proper housing. Māori on the minimum wage. Māori lost to drugs and alcohol and crime. Māori whose kids suffer horribly for the sins of their fathers and mothers. Māori with backgrounds identical to Karen Chhour.
Chhour was demanding to know what Davis was doing for these, the most vulnerable inhabitants of her world, the real world, the only world. And all he could offer, by way of an answer, was a metaphorical bridge to a world that disappeared 250 years ago. A world which certainly cannot be conjured back into existence by a Minister of the Crown who does not care to be questioned by Māori who, all-too-clearly, see him struggling to do his job.
Racists gonna be racist.
Not sure why we expect more from Labour/Greens/Maori Party.
The Maori Party websites states: “It is a known fact that Māori genetic makeup is stronger than others”. It’s eugenics to make a Nazi proud.
Wokism/identity politics is just the new racism. Once our concern was hooded hillbillies burning crosses, now its the racism of the new Progressives. It’s anti-Maori and anti-White in almost equal measure.
I saw it with the “not a proper Maori” racism of commentary on the broad Maori involvement in mandate protests and the bigotry of low expectations for Maori who need a special system for every interaction in society because they are so infeebled. “Woke Racism” by John McWhorter sums it up better than I can.
It’s got a virtual institutional hold in New Zealand.
A racist with a smiley face and frowny care is still a racist.
Dennis Please don’t throw racist mud pies around. If Labour was doing right in a politically left way, it would bring Maori conditions in health, education, skills training and housing up to the general pakeha level. That would be recognising race as being likely to have disadvantage going along with it.
So looking at that situation from a racist point of view they would give Maori first opportunity on courses that would be paid for. But then looking at the other races, there would be placements for low- income pakeha and other races to perhaps 25% of numbers on the course. We can see we are different races, and we know that often there is disadvantage in some more than others. So acting to get better balance would be appropriate to tilt the scales on these special courses,.
Greywarbler “ They would give Maori first opportunity on courses that would be paid for.” They do. They long have. Maori have preferential category entry to law and medicine faculties at universities throughout New Zealand. They used to have more funding than non-Maori through the Maori Education Foundation, but I don’t know where funding comes from now. Maori and Pacifica, including Micronesian non-citizens, also have preferential advancement and promotion opportunities in some, if not all government departments. At the bottom of Bowen Street, a commercial enterprise called The Ministry of Food, provided the meeting place for government sponsored free drinks on Friday nights for employees ‘ born on a Pacific island ‘, but, according to a PSA delegate, not for melanin-lacking ones.
Greywarbler.
Maori conditions in health, education, skills training are solely the result of Maori making personal lifestyle decisions.
I was replying to Dennis about racism; that it is not a bad word and using racist policies can have hugely beneficial effects for people in receipt of such special consideration which has a trickle down effect on society that works well for society.
You Andrew are putting ion your snappy judgmental cap too fast in demeaning Maori personal decisions. We all get bent by our experiences as we grow up. What made you such a snappy, snippy person Andrew? How did you learn to be that way? Do you think you will be able to change to a more understanding POV after trying to retrain yourself over time?
Because there’s a thing called reality Greywarbler.
Claiming racism in relation to poor health outcomes for Maori is a bit like changing your car’s spark plugs to remedy a lack of fuel in the tank. It’s both pointless and divisive; a distraction from the real issue: Individuals taking responsibility for their own decisions instead of expecting nanny state to bail them out at every turn. We all live in a wonderful country where both health and education are essentially free. All they have to do is avail themselves of what’s on offer.
Were you born with Fetal alcohol syndrome Andrew? That’s just an example of someone who doesn’t choose that lifestyle.
Do you think a Maori child suffering debilitating breathing difficulties in a damp cold home “chooses” their life. Was it their decision? Sure the parents may have made bad decisions, yet the child grows up in an environment unlike you could ever imagine.
You live a simple uncomplicated life and believe everyone else has the same opportunity. You are so naive.
I dont care what anyone says, Karen Chlour is a women who supports economic and social policies that would plunge a good deal of Maori (and indeed Pasifika and Pakeha!) into complete and utter economic hardship.
She supports slashing wages, benefits, getting rid of state housing, as well as allowing employers to impose sweatshop conditions.
Kelvin is/was right.
People who want downward pressure on living standards in this country, need to be called out as the evil they are.
All he could offer was a bigoted slur. Some hillbilly racist trash talk. God help any MP who swapped the word “Pakeha” for “Maori” in the same sentence. Out on their ear!
Davis is not worthy of our respect let alone the time of day. And I note our spineless PM does nothing but psuedo endorse it.
What about Karen’s support of slashing welfare, which will cause untold hardship among Maori?
Well Millsy, there is no defending Acts policy of cutting wages. Absolutely not.
Voters are left with poor choices. An ethnic nationalist govt dominated by ideology and right think who have been sneaky and dishonest about their policy agenda (and have made the country worse in terms of housing, health, education and race relations). Or a party who is honest about what they are going to do, but it’s going to be tough for the poor
Nothing is worthy of Davis ‘s racism.
There is an AWFUL lot of claptrap that comes out of our media and the political left about Mana Wahine.
Yet here we have a particularly dimwitted male making a racist slur against a Maori woman who has been through the system and come out the other side of it, making her way into parliament without the benefit of hereditary privilege and what to do we hear from all these other wonderful, brave Mana Wahine? Crickets.
The notable exception being Newshub’s Oriini Kaipara, who clearly has more class than all the women in Labour and the Greens combined, Ardern showing her true colours by not giving Davis the the verbal flogging he deserved.
He’s Vile.
Full Stop Dot.
What a complete arse….just usual Maori racism….
Kelvin Davis epitomises the new breed of state sponsored racists and bigots that are morphing into our society at a frightening pace.
And those within the realms of power are doing sweet FA about calling out these antics.
Agree
This will get tough I think, if you don’t accept the “Te Ao Maori” as interpreted by the aristocrats of certain Maori tribes, then you are not a real Maori.
Brilliant articleChris. Agree 100%
What Davis is in fact doing is suggesting that only Maori children are vulnerable children, which is simply not true. Or he might be saying that non- Maori children don’t matter. Or he ‘s still smarting about what allegedly happened to his Pomare ancestors over 100 years ago so to hell with everybody else. He’s not the brightest, and nor is Marama Davidson who may have a similar ethno-centric approach to her portfolio for sexual and family abuse and violence. I think that she was sent back to the drawing board with the first working plan which she produced as it was too Maori, and apart from flapping around with a photo op about te Reo chocolate, she seems to have done little to ameliorate the lot of victims of all ethnicities living lives of ongoing hell, or dying, or being irreparably damaged by those lives.
Davis has previously stood in Parliament and proclaimed all opposition politicians privileged descendants of land thieves which is a downright lie, and deluded. It’s part of the divide and rule dialectic which may now be on the wane globally, but I assume that it suits PM Ardern with her and Sepuloni’s shocking kneecapping of the Commissioner for Children for self- protective political purposes, and powerless needy children once again the victims.
Davis should be put in the naughty corner for using cliched adolescent terminology, but chances are some adolescent wrote it anyway.
Shame that the Treaty’s stopping vulnerable children receiving optimum care, a crying shame, and well done Act, speaking up for them. Don’t stop.
Well said Sour Kraut….my thoughts too.
Care, yes.Of the hook responce, well care.Blinded,by people care, question,
Bus stop,Aotearoa, got this slash/nz,flag fly six million,as workers bodies lay in the Pike. and still being.
I think Kelvin Davis has done us a service to baldly refer to ‘the Maori way’. Tribalism – the fundamental way of life of all human societies – back in the mists of time. Only some of us have been thinking we are ‘one people’, and trying (imperfectly) to make laws to meet the needs of a wide range of differences. Others know that the right way to behave is to do what you have to, to look after your own. Of course you get contracts for your family – nepotism is normal – hey there’s no word for nepotism in te reo. It’s how we have always survived. If there’s a pile of money acquired for one purpose, but we need it now – what fools we’d be not to use it. Of course there are crooks in all cultures, but it seems ‘ the Maori way’, when it’s to benefit your own tribe is a positive virtue. Even though many people carry much more DNA from outside these islands, I guess a culture built on centuries of isolation from the rest of humanity and a pressing need to make war on tribes who continually threaten one’s safety have been powerful determinants. Colonialism! they cry. Well – tribalism is only another facet of colonialism – or do I mean the other way round? Anyway I’m beginning to regret I started this, but we’re pretty sick of all this racism Kelvin and Nanaia and Willie et al. Goodness sake let’s get real for the world of today.
Bozhe Moi. Too much vodka.
Forget about Trotter, read ACT manifesto. They hate Brown people especially Maori. This woman will look bad if Luxon and Seymour get into Power.
I agree, to use Davis’s words, you indeed look through another ” lens” if you look at the ACT party manifesto.
Agree with Barry and Bert. A cursory look at ACT policy is quite clear–they are a party of Māori bashers.
Kelvin is not my cup of, but he was pointing out the rather obvious. A Māori woman like Karen who has had a hard life is surely in the wrong place with Mr Seymour & co.
Tiger mountain, Karen is free to be where and think how she likes.
I am not sure if I d call what Davis said racist. For me it showed the arrogance of people who believe that everyone must share their “right think”. I abhore this
Tiger mountain, Karen is free to be where and think how she likes.
I am not sure if I d call what Davis said racist. For me it showed the arrogance of people who believe that everyone must share their “right think”. I abhore this
Tiger mountain, Karen is free to be where and think how she likes.
I am not sure if I d call what Davis said racist. For me it showed the arrogance of people who believe that everyone must share their “right think”. I abhore this
Woooooooow. Lmfao. When it’s raining like this you just got to handle it because something good is coming.
would or could be socialist care.
North America.Canada,Alaska, almost five odd Percent of loss, of syberior land mass. Tourist, eh , new zealand, Small place,no hinterland massive.
Third term,fourth would,maybe,THE BRITS, five and lets go, lords may rule social care,bugger,acid flash back
I am with Millsy upthread. ACT is a party of Māori bashers. Chhour is in the wrongest of wrong parties like Donna Awatere was all those years ago. In fact any ACT MP is either consciously bad or needs a good therapist and support.
If you have a class left perspective it is never wrong to expose and attack ACT, the filthiest of Roger Douglas legacies, and a proxy for where NZ National really stands, as evidenced by their Epsom Electorate gift every election.
Thank you. The people posting on here leave me at a loss.
Thankfully, my ban on The Standard will be lifted in a month, and I can go back to commenting among more likeminded people.
It seems that you people are wandering off the point about Oranga Tamariki’s behaviour. Getting stuck with party attitudes and personalities is for another time and place.
Kelvin Davis deflected the criticism in Parliament with a racial excuse and that is worrying. We want human caring and responsibility, not reference to the Treaty when there is a hard question to answer, an egregious fault being found. This from Labour’s Deputy Prime Minister FGS.
This is what happened, from the post above:
Challenged in the House, by Chhour, to account for Oranga Tamariki’s treatment of vulnerable children, Davis, the responsible minister, responded: “What the Member needs to do is cross the bridge that is Te Tiriti o Waitangi from her Pākehā world into the Māori world and understand exactly why, how the Māori world operates.”
I was incorrect. Kelvin Davis is not Labour’s Deputy PM. He’s Deputy of the Labour Party I think correctly, but 3rd in line of power in the government. I think that I’ve got it right now – looked it up and noted it on the other Post about Davis and his unconcern about Oranga Tamariki. That is what I am truly concerned about myself in this case.
Is this hate speech
and he is second in charge of the Labour party – FFS !
Karen Chhour should be apologising to the Maori people, and to all of us in Aotearoa/NZ, for belonging to the ACT Party. Their policies are appalling and if ever implemented would be as bad if not worse than the Tories in Britain, in fact, would be a form of neoliberal fascism as we are seeing in Italy and elsewhere. Why is nobody saying this? Kelvin Davis is right and has nothing to apologise for.
Well put Paul Judge. Kelvin is no sophisticated political thinker, but he knows instinctively what he sees in Karen Chhour & ACT.
I hear it all the time, the bits from here: “Māori aristocracy, and the te Reo-speaking, tertiary-educated, professionals and managers of the Māori middle-class (the only Māori worth listening to?) will soon be wielding very real authority.”
Usually it’s in the context around the ‘uppity Māori are being given all the loot and it’s going to a handful who are taking over the country.’
From people who didn’t mind a cabal like the ilk of Fay & Richwhite doing the same thing.