Colonisation is an ongoing act. What happened at Takahue is an outcome of
the ongoing oppression and impositions that Maori people are experiencing at
the hands of a right wing government. The fire at Takahue, whilst for many
regretable, has become the convenient smokescreen for the government in this
country to slink behind. The article given by Adam Gifford in the Listener
was uninfomative and superficial. Issues of Tino Rangatiratanga can not be
subsumed by the 'who done it' constructions that the mainstream media in
this country are concocting. The coverage we have seen re:Takahue has
focussed on "who lit the fire" as if knowing "who done it" will serve as
the cure for the issues. Well, it won't. There is no fire service type
government that can douse the movement for Maori sovereignty, irrespective
of what they espouse to the local and international media.
Decolonisation does not rest on a notion of sin. It rests on a notion that
colonisation is complex, multiple, contradictory and multi-layered and that
for us to move beyond the colonial constructions of who we are we need to be
positive about who we are and where we come from. There is nothing sinful
in that. The idea of sin is a colonial one, as Aroha Mead stated it is
linked to colonial concepts of individualism and the control of
individuals. It is linked to colonial notions of the infant that must be
controlled. Notions which were then imposed upon indigenous peoples across
the world as the coloniser asserted their self-assumed superiority and
colonial imperialism. Tena koutou katoa, In reply to Adam Gifford's article
on Takahue:
Perhaps it would be more useful for an exploration of the term
decolonisation to take place. It is not the same for all, and we should not
expect it to be given our differing experiences throughout the world.
However, to articulate messages such as "Their reality is denied. Their
Mana is denied" is solely playing on emotive discourse which has little if
any usefulness in the debate.
Decolonisation is not about denying Mana, that is a contradiction in terms.
It is colonisation that has denied the Mana of our people. It is
colonisation that continues to deny our participation in our own destiny, to
the extent that colonisers steal our genes so that they can determine
whether or not indigenous peoples will continue to exist in the world.
Contrary to popular Pakeha belief colonisation in Aotearoa has not stopped,
so it may be appropriate for Pakeha academics to stop using the term
post-colonial when they are referring to this country, and the violence of
colonisation remains at all levels. The people who attended the Hui at
Hirangi were an intelligent, articulate, capable, diverse group of people
who agreed that education and decolonisation is necessary, it is now up to
our people as to whether or not they participate in those activities.
Kia ora koutou
Leonie Pihama
Education Department
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019,
Auckland