Week of strange quotes
September 16th 2011 06:57
It's been quite a week in the New Zealand in terms of some strange statements being made. Firstly, in regard to the phallic work of art that Artist Rachael Rakena produced, and which is currently sitting in the centre of the city, the Octagon:
Rakena has said it "considers the sexualisation and commodification of Maori and indigenous sportsmen through the use and exploitation of their masculinity and their culture, in the media".
Curious that it only considers the sexualisaton of Maori/indigenous sportsmen. All the ads featuring the deoderant that the work of art is based on feature white males as well.
In this morning's paper, we also have comments made by a Maori from Lake Hawea in regard to the death of a young German man who went missing on the Lake. After the Maori trio lifted the tapu, Jeromy [sic] van Riel said:
"The rain this morning and the southwesterly wind has come in, I believe not by chance to give us the cleansing water and winds to clear this area. We are going to use that strength and intention to return our lake to a state of harmony and tranquillity."
He added: "When our ancestors called him, he had no choice but to go to them."
It's a bit of a puzzle that Maori ancestors should be calling a German youth.
And thirdly, in a fuss made about the flying of the Maori flag at the North East Valley Normal School, a North Island MP has sailed into the fray and added fuel to the flames. According to Mrs Katene,
"In Te Waipounamu [ie, the South Island of New Zealand], negative attitudes towards Maori and Maori issues are much stronger than in the north." And....
"To grow as a nation, New Zealand and New Zealanders need to get beyond the ignorance and slogans `one nation, one New Zealand, one flag, one people' and realise that we are a nation of two peoples, with many other ethnicities living here. We will only mature as a nation when we learn to celebrate our differences rather than denigrate them."
Hmm. Curiously divisive talk there. As were the statements last week from Professor Margaret Mutu:
Professor Mutu said there should be a cap on the number of white people migrating to New Zealand.
Her comments in the Sunday Star Times said the number of people coming from South Africa, England and the United States should be restricted, as they bring attitudes of white supremacy and are destructive to Maori.
Oh, yes, we're a happy little nation down here!
Rakena has said it "considers the sexualisation and commodification of Maori and indigenous sportsmen through the use and exploitation of their masculinity and their culture, in the media".
Curious that it only considers the sexualisaton of Maori/indigenous sportsmen. All the ads featuring the deoderant that the work of art is based on feature white males as well.
In this morning's paper, we also have comments made by a Maori from Lake Hawea in regard to the death of a young German man who went missing on the Lake. After the Maori trio lifted the tapu, Jeromy [sic] van Riel said:
"The rain this morning and the southwesterly wind has come in, I believe not by chance to give us the cleansing water and winds to clear this area. We are going to use that strength and intention to return our lake to a state of harmony and tranquillity."
He added: "When our ancestors called him, he had no choice but to go to them."
It's a bit of a puzzle that Maori ancestors should be calling a German youth.
And thirdly, in a fuss made about the flying of the Maori flag at the North East Valley Normal School, a North Island MP has sailed into the fray and added fuel to the flames. According to Mrs Katene,
"In Te Waipounamu [ie, the South Island of New Zealand], negative attitudes towards Maori and Maori issues are much stronger than in the north." And....
"To grow as a nation, New Zealand and New Zealanders need to get beyond the ignorance and slogans `one nation, one New Zealand, one flag, one people' and realise that we are a nation of two peoples, with many other ethnicities living here. We will only mature as a nation when we learn to celebrate our differences rather than denigrate them."
Hmm. Curiously divisive talk there. As were the statements last week from Professor Margaret Mutu:
Professor Mutu said there should be a cap on the number of white people migrating to New Zealand.
Her comments in the Sunday Star Times said the number of people coming from South Africa, England and the United States should be restricted, as they bring attitudes of white supremacy and are destructive to Maori.
Oh, yes, we're a happy little nation down here!
| 20 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
