Post by Kiwi Frontline on Dec 9, 2018 5:47:19 GMT 12
Waikato Times 8/12/18
HISTORY TEACHING BACKED
Pou brings wars to school yard. Guest speaker Sir Harawira Gardiner status – ‘‘a fundamental building block of any civilised society is an understanding of its history.’’ For 150 years, the New Zealand wars had ‘‘Danced in the Shadows’’ of mainstream learning’’.
If we are to teach New Zealand history, be it war history, or general history, then it is our responsibility to start at the beginning, not halfway as mentioned.
Go back to when man first set foot on New Zealand soils.
The real tangata whenua of New Zealand, the Kahupungapunga/ Patupaiarehe/Waitaha peoples.
What became of them, and why are these people and their history being deliberately suppressed even today. "Who are we to deny them their rights to be heard, and to be remembered". Many of their descendents are still living here today.
G B BURLING, Wahl (sic)
Nelson Mail 8/12/18
PC SANTA PARADE
I was not at Nelson's Christmas parade, but I hear there was an attempt at cultural revision, with the red-suited Santa replaced by a man in a traditional Maori cloak. There is no avoiding the reality that Christmas is a Western European festivaL We find space in our multicultural annual diary to observe Diwali, Chinese New Year and Matariki, and long may this trend continue. To the PC bullies-pull your heads in!
BRYAN FORREST, Nelson
DISRESPECTFUL
Santa Claus comes from Europe and is a man in a red suit with a long white beard. Not having a proper Santa in the Santa Parade is disrespecting our European cultures and heritage and does nothing for biculturalism.
CUSHLA MOORHEAD Motueka,
TRY MOTUEKA INSTEAD
I feel that Nelson can no longer call its Christmas parade a "Santa Parade", because there was certainly no Santa as we and the children understand him to look like.
If they are going to continue to celebrate this occasion, please let us keep the traditions of years in place.
Perhaps next year Nelson children should attend the Motueka Santa Parade, where there were 43 floats and a traditional Santa Claus.
J ANDERSON Motueka,
BIZARRE AND STUPID
One of the most important things for any society is to respect, maintain and hold on to traditions that have been part of the makeup of our way of life over many decades.
The portrayal of a Maori Nelson Christmas parade crossed the line, and rightly has caused widespread condemnation among the community.
So what do we tell our youngest children who are still believers?
That the man with the red suit and white beard is no longer part of our Christmas culture?
What makes this bizarre matter even more ridiculous is that Maori has no cultural interface with what is essentially an age-old European ritual originating in Holland.
This was a stupid decision which was obviously very badly thought out.
NEVILLE MALE Stoke,
OUT OF PLACE
Nelson City at this time of year is gloomy enough without having a Santa Parade without a Santa.
I think Mark Soper and his team should be ashamed of what they did.
Did they not realise that a lot of the people and their children at the parade expected to see Santa Claus?
Maybe some families have very little to look forward to this Christmas due to very little money.
The parade could have been their only joy- seeing Santa.
I love to see the proud Maori look amazing in their waka, but it's so out of place on Santa's sleigh.
CAROL AARON, Nelson
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers
HISTORY TEACHING BACKED
Pou brings wars to school yard. Guest speaker Sir Harawira Gardiner status – ‘‘a fundamental building block of any civilised society is an understanding of its history.’’ For 150 years, the New Zealand wars had ‘‘Danced in the Shadows’’ of mainstream learning’’.
If we are to teach New Zealand history, be it war history, or general history, then it is our responsibility to start at the beginning, not halfway as mentioned.
Go back to when man first set foot on New Zealand soils.
The real tangata whenua of New Zealand, the Kahupungapunga/ Patupaiarehe/Waitaha peoples.
What became of them, and why are these people and their history being deliberately suppressed even today. "Who are we to deny them their rights to be heard, and to be remembered". Many of their descendents are still living here today.
G B BURLING, Wahl (sic)
Nelson Mail 8/12/18
PC SANTA PARADE
I was not at Nelson's Christmas parade, but I hear there was an attempt at cultural revision, with the red-suited Santa replaced by a man in a traditional Maori cloak. There is no avoiding the reality that Christmas is a Western European festivaL We find space in our multicultural annual diary to observe Diwali, Chinese New Year and Matariki, and long may this trend continue. To the PC bullies-pull your heads in!
BRYAN FORREST, Nelson
DISRESPECTFUL
Santa Claus comes from Europe and is a man in a red suit with a long white beard. Not having a proper Santa in the Santa Parade is disrespecting our European cultures and heritage and does nothing for biculturalism.
CUSHLA MOORHEAD Motueka,
TRY MOTUEKA INSTEAD
I feel that Nelson can no longer call its Christmas parade a "Santa Parade", because there was certainly no Santa as we and the children understand him to look like.
If they are going to continue to celebrate this occasion, please let us keep the traditions of years in place.
Perhaps next year Nelson children should attend the Motueka Santa Parade, where there were 43 floats and a traditional Santa Claus.
J ANDERSON Motueka,
BIZARRE AND STUPID
One of the most important things for any society is to respect, maintain and hold on to traditions that have been part of the makeup of our way of life over many decades.
The portrayal of a Maori Nelson Christmas parade crossed the line, and rightly has caused widespread condemnation among the community.
So what do we tell our youngest children who are still believers?
That the man with the red suit and white beard is no longer part of our Christmas culture?
What makes this bizarre matter even more ridiculous is that Maori has no cultural interface with what is essentially an age-old European ritual originating in Holland.
This was a stupid decision which was obviously very badly thought out.
NEVILLE MALE Stoke,
OUT OF PLACE
Nelson City at this time of year is gloomy enough without having a Santa Parade without a Santa.
I think Mark Soper and his team should be ashamed of what they did.
Did they not realise that a lot of the people and their children at the parade expected to see Santa Claus?
Maybe some families have very little to look forward to this Christmas due to very little money.
The parade could have been their only joy- seeing Santa.
I love to see the proud Maori look amazing in their waka, but it's so out of place on Santa's sleigh.
CAROL AARON, Nelson
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers