Post by Kiwi Frontline on Oct 10, 2016 7:11:57 GMT 12
The Press 10/10/16
ANCESTRAL CLAIMS ABSURD
I’m told that Maori represent 15 per cent of our population. However, apparently anyone with just 1⁄32 of Maori ancestry can register themselves as Maori. If this is true and you really stop to think about it, it’s absurd.
Anyone with 1⁄32 of Maori ancestry would have just one Maori ancestor from five generations ago. Counting from five generations back we each have a total of 62 ancestors, 61 of whom are apparently irrelevant as far as New Zealand is concerned.
You have to wonder what the appeal is of claiming to be Maori – or perhaps one should ask what is the benefit. And if we took away that benefit and had a more sensible definition, just what percentage of Maori would there be in our population?
Before I get accused of Maoribashing, I should add that I would find it equally absurd if these claims were adopted by people of any background.
L T
Prebbleton
Southland Times 10/10/16
A THORNY ISSUE
I see the thorny issue of 'are Maori indigenous' has raised it's head in your columns (5/10/16). According to David Round (law lecturer at University of Canterbury), "nowhere is there any definition of who or what exactly an indigenous person is in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples".
So what makes some assume Maori are indigenous? They have only been here a mere 800 years. How do Maori claim to be indigenous when Japanese (Ainu being the exception) and Britons, who have occupied a country for thousands of years are not indigenous?
I guess the criterion for the UN and those seeking special race-based privileges is 'having ancestors who arrived here first', therefore Sir Ed Hillary owned the top of Everest, the Americans own the moon, and the descendants of our early pioneers have more rights than recent fellow immigrants.
Today virtually all Maori are of mixed European and Maori descent. This is the 'whitening' of New Zealand, as the base colour early 18th Century was brown. If this were not so serious, it would be laughable that these indigenous pretenders can hang a bone fish hook around their neck and claim fellow New Zealanders owe them.
GEOFFREY T PARKER
Whangarei
ANCESTRAL CLAIMS ABSURD
I’m told that Maori represent 15 per cent of our population. However, apparently anyone with just 1⁄32 of Maori ancestry can register themselves as Maori. If this is true and you really stop to think about it, it’s absurd.
Anyone with 1⁄32 of Maori ancestry would have just one Maori ancestor from five generations ago. Counting from five generations back we each have a total of 62 ancestors, 61 of whom are apparently irrelevant as far as New Zealand is concerned.
You have to wonder what the appeal is of claiming to be Maori – or perhaps one should ask what is the benefit. And if we took away that benefit and had a more sensible definition, just what percentage of Maori would there be in our population?
Before I get accused of Maoribashing, I should add that I would find it equally absurd if these claims were adopted by people of any background.
L T
Prebbleton
Southland Times 10/10/16
A THORNY ISSUE
I see the thorny issue of 'are Maori indigenous' has raised it's head in your columns (5/10/16). According to David Round (law lecturer at University of Canterbury), "nowhere is there any definition of who or what exactly an indigenous person is in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples".
So what makes some assume Maori are indigenous? They have only been here a mere 800 years. How do Maori claim to be indigenous when Japanese (Ainu being the exception) and Britons, who have occupied a country for thousands of years are not indigenous?
I guess the criterion for the UN and those seeking special race-based privileges is 'having ancestors who arrived here first', therefore Sir Ed Hillary owned the top of Everest, the Americans own the moon, and the descendants of our early pioneers have more rights than recent fellow immigrants.
Today virtually all Maori are of mixed European and Maori descent. This is the 'whitening' of New Zealand, as the base colour early 18th Century was brown. If this were not so serious, it would be laughable that these indigenous pretenders can hang a bone fish hook around their neck and claim fellow New Zealanders owe them.
GEOFFREY T PARKER
Whangarei