Its Racial Future

     Michael Bassett gives us more information about racial relations in New Zealand:
     Waitangi is about three hours north of Auckland in the Bay of Islands. It is the place where Governor Hobson signed a treaty with New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maori, on 6 February 1840. In return for ceding sovereignty to Queen Victoria, the Maori chiefs were guaranteed undisputed control over their lands, fisheries, forests and waterways unless they chose to divest them. They were also guaranteed the rights of British subjects. It was actually a pretty good deal, but didn't work out so well in practice.
     Dropping racial categorization would be most desirable. In the New Zealand election campaign which is currently underway (election is on 27 November) those parties wanting one New Zealand, and anxious to wrap up the current process of apologizing to Maori and recompensing them for the wrongs done to them since 1840 (particularly the taking of their lands), are rising in the polls. Under NZ's Mixed Member Proportional system of election there will almost certainly be a hung parliament, and I would predict faster settlement of grievances as the bulk of New Zealanders seek to put the grievance industry behind them and get on with the future.
     However, those most reluctant to contemplate an end to racial categories are the Maori themselves. The Treaty was between Maori and non-Maori. It guarantees pride of place to them, ahead of all the newcomers from the Pacific Islands and elsewhere. Maori, and Maori alone, made a contract with that diverse creature called Pakeha or non-Maori. They, and they alone, have seats reserved for them in the Parliament (6 at this election). Most of them, of course, have exercised their right to enroll on the general roll. The more militant Maori refuse to use the term "multi-racial society", preferring the nonsense term "bi-cultural society". So dropping racial categories would be a fraught, nigh impossible job in this country, however laudable the goal.


     My comment: The National Geographic ATLAS OF THE WORLD has an excellent, very detailed map of New Zealand. The Bay of Islands is there, with the names of many small communities, but no Waitangi. It is not in the index. I will ask the makers of that atlas why the omission of this significant place.

Ronald Hilton - 11/4/99