The 'Maori' Flag
Is there really one? Personally regardless of the unity level of this country and its relative maturity on the world scene a flag represents a nation and its people but in recent days the announcement that the Tino Rangatiratanga flag will fly along with the New Zealand flag on Waitangi day, while good in its intention is simply moving more to devide the nation.
The thing I see in my mind is that the flag is not representative of New Zealand or Maori and that seems to be the opinion I am seeing being reflected on Talkback radio, letters to editors and poll results. I find the Stuff.co.nz poll interesting. As of 10am today when I checked the results, 12,048 votes had been cast, a whopping 49.5% of voters felt the flag selected is a symbol of division and that it should not fly. 17.5% said yes its a show of unity and 11.3% said it should fly more often.
As a person of Maori blood, regardless of the level of adherence I place on my ancestry I find no unifying feeling about that flag at all. To me its a flag that is flown when Maori want something for nothing. It in itself is a symbol. A symbol of an intent to remain buried in the past.
New Zealand will be paying for eternity for the wrongs of the past. But the point is that efforts are being made to as best as possible make restitution for those stupid wrongs of our colonial ancestors but as a nation, we cannot move forward without a full and final acknowledgment of the wrong but those that did the wrong, and a full and final forgiveness of those that were wronged.
That does not mean one law for one people and another law for others. That means one nation, one law for all to follow. That means that there is one legitimate and recognised law making entity and law enforcement body. Not these random people who think they are police...that I have seen around Hamilton and other places, especially that dude on you tube who thinks his car license issued by the maori parliament is valid.
I'll say it again. I do not know what legitimate place the Treaty of Waitangi has on modern New Zealand. The treaty between two peoples has never been fully honoured and these principles that are being spouted out again and again are meaningless to a vast majority of New Zealanders...mostly because no one on either side fully honours them.
I have to agree with Labour MP Shane Jones who said that the Maori Battalion has a flag that has never ever received the level of recognition that this Tino Rangatiratanga flag will be and that is sad. The members of that battalion shed blood, gave lives for that and the current NZ Flag. This flag was made in 1990.
I feel proud when I see the current New Zealand flag rise at sporting events, yet I feel divided when we have to sing two versions of the national anthem at sporting events and the reason behind it. But when I see the Tino Rangatiratanga flag...I feel a sense of oh no...now what do they want. Acknowledging I am Maori they includes me...whose land have they occupied...now what do they want for nothing. I feel no sense of pride...no sense of honour...no sense of devotion or dedication.
Is the reaction mean spirited as is the view of Hone Harawira in terms of the general populous to the announcement of this flag flying? No more mean spirited than Mr Harawira's cuss laden email to a constituent! Will this flag gain more national unity in its meaning as time goes on as is the view of the Prime Minister? Possible...but no more I think than the Southern American states confederate flag has of being a symbol of race unity.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and I will likely gain some not popular comments...so here goes.
Maori have historically been a divided people. It almost was a tribal version of survivor. Each tribe I believe a law unto themselves even amongst iwi groups...and I open myself up here to be proven wrong or even to be corrected. but I really want to know if in Modern New Zealand, Maori, of varying levels of blood percentage lineage, can be a unified people. That is a question I would like to see answered.
Until Maori can decide on a flag that represents them...nothing should fly other than the New Zealand flag.
Thats my view.
The thing I see in my mind is that the flag is not representative of New Zealand or Maori and that seems to be the opinion I am seeing being reflected on Talkback radio, letters to editors and poll results. I find the Stuff.co.nz poll interesting. As of 10am today when I checked the results, 12,048 votes had been cast, a whopping 49.5% of voters felt the flag selected is a symbol of division and that it should not fly. 17.5% said yes its a show of unity and 11.3% said it should fly more often.
As a person of Maori blood, regardless of the level of adherence I place on my ancestry I find no unifying feeling about that flag at all. To me its a flag that is flown when Maori want something for nothing. It in itself is a symbol. A symbol of an intent to remain buried in the past.
New Zealand will be paying for eternity for the wrongs of the past. But the point is that efforts are being made to as best as possible make restitution for those stupid wrongs of our colonial ancestors but as a nation, we cannot move forward without a full and final acknowledgment of the wrong but those that did the wrong, and a full and final forgiveness of those that were wronged.
That does not mean one law for one people and another law for others. That means one nation, one law for all to follow. That means that there is one legitimate and recognised law making entity and law enforcement body. Not these random people who think they are police...that I have seen around Hamilton and other places, especially that dude on you tube who thinks his car license issued by the maori parliament is valid.
I'll say it again. I do not know what legitimate place the Treaty of Waitangi has on modern New Zealand. The treaty between two peoples has never been fully honoured and these principles that are being spouted out again and again are meaningless to a vast majority of New Zealanders...mostly because no one on either side fully honours them.
I have to agree with Labour MP Shane Jones who said that the Maori Battalion has a flag that has never ever received the level of recognition that this Tino Rangatiratanga flag will be and that is sad. The members of that battalion shed blood, gave lives for that and the current NZ Flag. This flag was made in 1990.
I feel proud when I see the current New Zealand flag rise at sporting events, yet I feel divided when we have to sing two versions of the national anthem at sporting events and the reason behind it. But when I see the Tino Rangatiratanga flag...I feel a sense of oh no...now what do they want. Acknowledging I am Maori they includes me...whose land have they occupied...now what do they want for nothing. I feel no sense of pride...no sense of honour...no sense of devotion or dedication.
Is the reaction mean spirited as is the view of Hone Harawira in terms of the general populous to the announcement of this flag flying? No more mean spirited than Mr Harawira's cuss laden email to a constituent! Will this flag gain more national unity in its meaning as time goes on as is the view of the Prime Minister? Possible...but no more I think than the Southern American states confederate flag has of being a symbol of race unity.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and I will likely gain some not popular comments...so here goes.
Maori have historically been a divided people. It almost was a tribal version of survivor. Each tribe I believe a law unto themselves even amongst iwi groups...and I open myself up here to be proven wrong or even to be corrected. but I really want to know if in Modern New Zealand, Maori, of varying levels of blood percentage lineage, can be a unified people. That is a question I would like to see answered.
Until Maori can decide on a flag that represents them...nothing should fly other than the New Zealand flag.
Thats my view.
Labels: Maori Flag, Treaty of Waitangi
posted by Wiremu Bayliss at
7:12 pm
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