A reader sent me this transcript of Don Brash talking with Mike Yardley on Newstalk ZB on Thursday morning. I think this speaks for itself on how Brash feels about Maori culture and its place in public life:
PRESENTER: What about the haka before an All Black rugby test? Is it a good look?BRASH: I'm very comfortable and relaxed about that. I'm more relaxed about that than I am about some of the official welcomes that foreign visitors get. They must wonder what kind of country they get when the only official welcome they have is? is a Maori New Zealander jumping around half naked. I mean, I think there is a place for Maori culture but why is it that we always use a semi-naked male, sometimes quite pale-skinned Maori, leaping around in, you know, mock battle?
PRESENTER: So next time Her Majesty comes to see the dominion, if you are prime minister, will you spare her a powhiri?
BRASH: I think, as I say, there is a place for powhiri. I guess what I'm really saying is we surely need some other ways of greeting visitors?
[interrupted]PRESENTER: Like how?
BRASH: ?only powhiri. Well, I mean, European culture has got lots of traditional ways of welcoming visitors. A powhiri is a particularly Maori way of doing it?
PRESENTER: Yeah.
BRASH: ?and there certainly is a place for that.
PRESENTER: But what would you do instead? A handshake or what?
BRASH: I think in many cases a handshake or a? an honour guard or something is all that's appropriate.
Like the haka, the wero is one of those things that make New Zealand unique, and I think it has similar widespread public acceptance. And Brash wants to get rid of it?
I've been to numerous marae and find the whole process wonderful. Even when they endure my introduction later on. (Wonderfully short, as I don't know my whakapapa beyond my grandparents anyway :)
ReplyDeleteBut Brash speaks for a lot of us that feel that this sort of protocol has gone too far.
When people come to the country, perhaps they should get an honour guard and a handshake.
When they go to a Marae, or by extension, NZ's whare, NZ House or similar, then such protocol will be well received and within a great setting.
To compare the All Blacks haka to a wero is comparing apples with oranges by the way.
I _love_ the challenge. So fierce, so brave, so scary. It's so specifically New Zealand. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that we have a very unique culture here.
I dont know why one would want to do somthing just because it is unique.
ReplyDeleteIf the visitors really want powhiri I guess we should provide it - maybe we can put them in a good mood to make them give us more favourable trade deals... If they dont want it or if it somehow puts them in a worse mood - we should not bother.
pretty simple
...a Maori New Zealander jumping around half naked. I mean, I think there is a place for Maori culture but why is it that we always use a semi-naked male, sometimes quite pale-skinned Maori, leaping around in, you know, mock battle?
ReplyDeleteSeems a bit fixated on the inappropriateness of the 'half-naked' aspect... At least he is consistently Victorian and imperialist.
But what is his point with the "sometimes quite pale-skinned Maori" comment? Is a pale-skinned Maori not a real Maori? Does he think it would confuse the visitor if their 'half-naked savage' was obviously also part 'European'? Is it not even a real wero if the Maori performing it isn't dark enough? I don't get it. Or maybe if they're a bit of a tub, Brash finds the big white wobbly belly aspect of it distasteful.
To me this all just seems like Brash is making some kind of subconscious appeal for hotter, sexier, well-oiled half-naked wero-performers.
Either that, or he genuinely wants international visitors to think they've arrived in England rather than New Zealand.
With regard to the 'honour guard' - because the armed forces are heavily Maori, the army also adopts a heap of tikanga of its own happy accord.
So if you really want no Maori culture in greeting international dignitaries, it really will boil down to "a handshake or something".
Pretty lame.
thank you dr. braash, for once again confirming my suspicion you'd like to see maori culture purged from his ideal new zealand.
ReplyDeletedo you reckon he remembers the protests of the 70s and 80s?
there are even more maori now, they're richer, better educated and less likely to what to be pushed around.
maybe he'll get to see those protests again after all.
Oh! that's right, he has no support parties and can't get over the 51% mark...
mind you, there is still the beneficiary bashing to come in the next few weeks.
>Is a pale-skinned Maori not a real Maori?
ReplyDeleteBrash did what most people do when they are debating these issues. He lots the plot and just started trying to score points.
tse ming said: ... he genuinely wants international visitors to think they've arrived in England rather than New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteI have the suspicion he does, when this is combined with the reintroduction of knigthoods promised today. Arise Duke Don.
anon said:But Brash speaks for a lot of us that feel that this sort of protocol has gone too far.
But it only occurs at the invitation of those organizing the event, surely?
This just in from the future:
ReplyDeleteNew welcoming ceremony unveiled.
Acting CEO of New Zealand, John Keys, today unveiled the new welcoming ceremony to replce the "old, outdated and frankly business unfriendly version"
Stage 1. The traditional 3 hobbits Merry, Peregrin and Frodo approach the visitors. They offer them LOTR merchandise at a very reasonable price. All credit cards are cheerfully accepted.
Stage 2: Three winsome young Maori approach the visitors (clad in matching Burkas)and offer them, reasonably priced, traditionally carved, pens, cuff links and ear rings superbly inlaid with paua shell (they come from Singapore you know).
Stage 3: The traditional Three Suits approach the visitors and offer them
time share units in Queenstown, beachfront townhouses in Pauanui or The Auckland Harbour bridge.
Stage 4: The visitors luggage is stolen and sold at a local market.
I've always thought the wero odd.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcoming a guest, the site referenced says it is to gauge intentions of the vistor. So we are "welcoming" them by saying "we don't trust you". Great way to build international relations.
Not very surprising if non maori would arange for the incorrect use a maori tradition.
ReplyDelete