Firstsearch Home Page More: The H in Wanganui is a Side Show

Why Wanganui Without the H Updated 17 September 2009: A decision has been made, the New Zealand Geographic Board after consultation with Maori deem a H should be placed in the name of Wanganui. The final decision to be made by a Government Minister. This decision by an appointed Board overrides the voices of the people living in Wanganui who do not want the name changed. So the game is now, Tribalism 1, Democracy 0. A tribe can apparently override the wishes of the people and their democratically elected officials. What else is to come Democracy as we know it has only been around for the last 200 -300 years and is part of the Caucasian / European culture, whereas the culture of the Maori is Tribalism. Democracy may not be perfect (no political system can be) but is sure better than tribalism. And if it is, that a tribe can override the wishes of the majority how can anyone in New Zealand dare to criticise any government or ruling party anywhere as not being democratic when in New Zealand hypocrisy flourishes The original article follows Democracy winced, we will just put an H in Wanganui and after a while you will not notice. It will not hurt they said, but democracy knew it would He flinched again and dwelt upon how it has come to this. How a few years previous a Ken Mair blocked a main highway with washing machines and refrigerators, then proceeded to stand on them. Very symbolic: dancing on the white ware Then at the local Polytechnic where an altered curriculum reflected his points of view and anyone who disagreed was intimidated. This lead to the intervention of the Race Relations conciliator with payouts to the affected parties And Moutoa Gardens where demands were made for the return of vast areas of private land In all the above, concessions were made. Now approaches to the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the name of a city from Wanganui to Whanganui. The people of the city had already voted overwhelmingly 82% not to change Democracy mused, definitely a pattern, This Ken and his group know how to push, manipulate and control, what is next, a share of the rates to the local Iwi. After all they claim it is their land Democracy had seen it all before and was reminded of Neville Chamberlain and thought about the apologists and rollover people who think putting an H in a name will allow them to go forward in peace and in reconciliation That will not be the case; more concessions will be asked for Democracy winced again, they said it will not hurt, but it does and it will There will be sad days when political correctness takes the place of democracy Addendum If a Country or Government appointed board overrides the views of its citizens perhaps it is time to find another country, although such would play into the hands of those involved with the occupation of Moutoa Gardens, whose leader stated, when they come to power, those who are not one of them, will be sent back to where they come from. Whether there is an H or not in Wanganui is but a side show to the main event Already changes are to be made to the names of areas in Auckland and plans are underway to do the same in Wellington, what town or city is next Employed by the Government or local body the requirement is to attend a Maori Orientation Camp Studying for a National Exam, fail to give the required answers to the section on the Maori doctrines and you may not pass the exam Ask yourself why before an immunization program can be undertaken in the community, those involved must first consult with Maori. And the Maori set the dress codes for the meetings See a pattern and it is not what you possibly think. People do what is required; they attend the camps, give the required answers, and adopt the dress code. But that is not the object of the exercises; the object is to get people to comply People may complain at first but after they have complied / agreed a few times, the rest is easy. You have a public that has been so worn done, they will agree to anything They can be manipulated and controlled which is the main event or end game Step back and consider why is there so much time, money and effort spent on the process of changing the place names in New Zealand into Maori names. It will not put bread on the table. So why do it. Supposed political correctness does not feed people So you change the names, so what, apart from annoying a lot of people and giving others a warm fuzzy feeling, what is the end game That there would be efforts made to change the names was decided a long time ago, the noise about it, the debates, all intended to re-enforce the acquiescent factor The land issue has been hijacked by those who see it as a path to absolute control The foreshore debate, the debate will go on, who owns it, on the foreshore are Ports and Harbours and other entry points for cables etc. For goods, produce and services to enter or leave New Zealand they must pass through or over the foreshore. New Zealand cannot be held hostage because a group considers they own or have overall rights to the foreshore The new council structure proposed for Auckland by a Royal Commission, the recommendations are that three people are not elected to council but appointed by tribe. The Maori Party wants four appointed. Democracy seems to be taking a back seat. Tribalism is not a way forward, so why is it proposed for New Zealand Updated 7 April 2009: The Government has announced that the Auckland Super City council members are to be elected. This has not pleased some people who label the decision racist Auckland is the biggest Polynesian city in the world, it would be expected then that they could put forward candidates for election to the new council and have them elected on merit To assert that as Tangata Whenua they should be appointed to the council, not elected, begs the question, are they unable to field candidates of sufficient merit, which leads to, if they do not have people of sufficient merit, how would appointing them, provide the new council with capable people. Niko Tangaroa once wrote "When we get our land back, we will have doctors, lawyers, nurses and architects". To my way of thinking there is a dis-connect in this reasoning. Land does not give doctors, lawyers, nurses and architects, these are obtained with study and education, land does not make a country, people do. And to claim that as Tangata Whenua they have rights over and above other people is tantamount to saying because they are people of the land they can to rule without election or merit. Study, education and qualifications do not matter as all will be provided by others If this is their way of thinking, they are doing their people and the future of their people a dis-service. A land without qualified and educated people ready for todays world, is a land of dust. Visit www.cid.org.nz/training Drop down box under "Resources" for a paper entitled "Reclaiming Mana Maori" on how things are to be accomplished. It is not a recent document Visit www.converge.org.nz/pma/idwip05.htm For a paper put forth by the Rowan Partnership "Maori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand" The paper proves, according to an organization charged with advising Government and Local Bodies on Maori issues, that the Moriori did not exist as the first people. No doubt in time that will pass into fact and be quoted by the Maori So, the placing of an H in Wanganui, is up to the NZ Geographic Board to decide, and given that it is their obligation is to favour Maori names, the will of the people or democracy may as well take a back seat and that is not the way to take a country into the 21st century.