Post by Kiwi Frontline on Sept 18, 2016 9:20:51 GMT 12
Dear Editor (Sent to the NZ Herald 8/614)
Your correspondent Professor Dame Anne Salmond writes that most Kiwis are happy to let rest any prejudices about the savagery of pre-colonisation Maori.
Certainly, but all history should be truthfully taught, and it is well-acknowledged that early European life was barbaric - no-one is pretending otherwise!
However, here in Godzone, the truth has been conveniently sanitised in an educational booklet called "Network Waitangi" in which pre-colonisation Maori are described as "a highly developed sustainable civilisation, autonomous tribes operated their own systems of health, education, justice, welfare and spiritually" - all warm and fuzzy, but not one whisper of their short, harsh, brutal lives due to centuries of tribal warfare.
Nor any mention of the devastating Musket Wars in which tens of thousands of Maori died at the hands of their own people. In comparison, about 3000 Maori died in the Land Wars.
Chief Taipari of Tauranga referred to the slaughter of the Musket Wars: "If we continue fighting our race will become extinct."
It was the arrival of the missionaries and subsequent colonisation which saved the Maori race from extinction.
Does the Distinguished Professor agree with me, that through omission, our young people are being lied to?
R B
Tauranga
Dear Sir (Sent to the NZ Herald 8/6/14)
Re Dame Anne Salmond's letter "Prejudice Lives On”.
The opinion article by Alan Duff sought, I believe, to make the point that parts of pre European Maori culture were never good and are not appropriate in the 21st century. As Dame Anne points out, similar charges can be levelled at European culture of or around that time and we would all, I hope, agree that they are likewise abhorred.
Unfortunately, in leaping to the defence of all aspects of Maori cultural renaissance, Dame Anne is making comments which seriously damage her credibility. Contrary to what she asserts, it is not necessary to “look elsewhere” for other descriptions of Maori life. Books by the European writers she quoted can be searched online at the Auckland University web site "Early New Zealand Books”. Readers can then decide for themselves regarding evidence or lack thereof.
While perusing these early accounts readers might also like to consider the point made in the first of episode of "Why Am I”, the documentary series concerning the world famous Dunedin University Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Their finding was that the best indicator for “health, wealth, and happiness” is the early learning of self control.
C L
Tauranga
Dear Editor (Sent to the NZ Herald 8/6/16)
Dame Anne Salmond in latest letter appears to justify the claimed savage and barbaric life of early Maori by claiming life in Europe at the time was also barbaric. She should know that the endemic argument is never a justification.
Her claim that a "Once Were Warriors" culture did not exist in early Maori life may be debatable but what isn't debatable is that, that culture certainly exists today. A Maori child is 7 times more likely to be abused or killed than a Pakeha child. Instead of looking in the rear vision mirror and trying to burnish the the past Dame Anne Salmond should be putting her efforts into finding solutions for today's disproportionate problems of child abuse in Maori society.
R P
Tauranga
Your correspondent Professor Dame Anne Salmond writes that most Kiwis are happy to let rest any prejudices about the savagery of pre-colonisation Maori.
Certainly, but all history should be truthfully taught, and it is well-acknowledged that early European life was barbaric - no-one is pretending otherwise!
However, here in Godzone, the truth has been conveniently sanitised in an educational booklet called "Network Waitangi" in which pre-colonisation Maori are described as "a highly developed sustainable civilisation, autonomous tribes operated their own systems of health, education, justice, welfare and spiritually" - all warm and fuzzy, but not one whisper of their short, harsh, brutal lives due to centuries of tribal warfare.
Nor any mention of the devastating Musket Wars in which tens of thousands of Maori died at the hands of their own people. In comparison, about 3000 Maori died in the Land Wars.
Chief Taipari of Tauranga referred to the slaughter of the Musket Wars: "If we continue fighting our race will become extinct."
It was the arrival of the missionaries and subsequent colonisation which saved the Maori race from extinction.
Does the Distinguished Professor agree with me, that through omission, our young people are being lied to?
R B
Tauranga
Dear Sir (Sent to the NZ Herald 8/6/14)
Re Dame Anne Salmond's letter "Prejudice Lives On”.
The opinion article by Alan Duff sought, I believe, to make the point that parts of pre European Maori culture were never good and are not appropriate in the 21st century. As Dame Anne points out, similar charges can be levelled at European culture of or around that time and we would all, I hope, agree that they are likewise abhorred.
Unfortunately, in leaping to the defence of all aspects of Maori cultural renaissance, Dame Anne is making comments which seriously damage her credibility. Contrary to what she asserts, it is not necessary to “look elsewhere” for other descriptions of Maori life. Books by the European writers she quoted can be searched online at the Auckland University web site "Early New Zealand Books”. Readers can then decide for themselves regarding evidence or lack thereof.
While perusing these early accounts readers might also like to consider the point made in the first of episode of "Why Am I”, the documentary series concerning the world famous Dunedin University Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Their finding was that the best indicator for “health, wealth, and happiness” is the early learning of self control.
C L
Tauranga
Dear Editor (Sent to the NZ Herald 8/6/16)
Dame Anne Salmond in latest letter appears to justify the claimed savage and barbaric life of early Maori by claiming life in Europe at the time was also barbaric. She should know that the endemic argument is never a justification.
Her claim that a "Once Were Warriors" culture did not exist in early Maori life may be debatable but what isn't debatable is that, that culture certainly exists today. A Maori child is 7 times more likely to be abused or killed than a Pakeha child. Instead of looking in the rear vision mirror and trying to burnish the the past Dame Anne Salmond should be putting her efforts into finding solutions for today's disproportionate problems of child abuse in Maori society.
R P
Tauranga