Maori expect special privilege because they were the first inhabitants of New Zealand. Is this racist? You bet it is.
Imagine if Europeans had legislated privilege because they were the first to inhabit Europe. Imagine the uproar. Imagine the accusations of racism. It would be likened to Adolf Hitler’s vision for Europe.
So why is it okay for Maori to have legislated privilege in New Zealand then.
Europeans have inhabited their continent longer than Maori have inhabited New Zealand. Yet they have no special indigenous rights or status. And as far as I know, Asians do not have legislated special privilege in Asia either. It appears to only exist in New Zealand and Africa where native populations have legislated special privilege.
Maori expect that Pakeha accept that they have indigenous rights while they would be the first to label the same thing for Whites in Europe as racist. It is up to Pakeha to point out this double standard and fight for equal rights under the law for all New Zealanders.
And in case people play the Pakeha are too dominant card, and so need to be handicapped in order to allow others to catch up to them, it should be noted that Europeans are actually a minority in the world and have a lower birth rate than other races. They are fast becoming a minority even in their native lands, and yet they still do not expect special rights.
Clearly the right thing to do is to recognise cultures as unique, but that all people are equal under the same law. Is New Zealand able to move toward this ideal. Of course it can. As long as enough people believe in equal rights and stand up for it and cast their vote in favour of it, then it can happen.
How about it New Zealand. A county where everyone is equal under the law. Is that too hard to achieve. Is it too much to ask for.
There is much use in this site of the word ‘Pakeha’. It should be pointed out that the word ‘Pakeha’ is a derogatory insulting term for white New Zealanders and loosely translated means bloodsucking parasite. Most Maori words or terms are made up of 2 or more words like Wai-tara, Wai-nui-o-mata, and Ra-hotu etc. Pa-keha is the same. The Pa is the dwelling place and keha is a parasite. It’s easy to see how this was a term the Maoris came up with as a dislike for the white settlers. For it to be used by white New Zealanders to identify themselves is ignorance to say the least. The word ‘Pakeha’ should be removed from all documents and language in this country and anywhere else for that matter. To couch the idea of a Pakeha party would, for Maori especially, be a cause for much laughter and criticism.
Maori have rights to this land not privileges. Their rights to this land are through ownership not through race.
Maori are being deprived of their right to sovereignty and ownership.
Pakeha have rights to this land also and those rights are from Te tiriti o Waitangi.
The treaty means that Maori are equal British subjects and afford the same privileges and protection as other British subjects. Further, they do not own New Zealand,, they own whatever land is in their name, whether through inheritance, purchase, or recompense. Likewise Pakeha own land that is in their name by the same, except not likely recompense.