Post by Kiwi Frontline on Sept 8, 2019 6:09:39 GMT 12
Dear Editor (Sent to the Nelson Mail 1/9/19)
Who could possibly disagree with Neville Male (letters, Nelson Mail, Aug.31st)? But the problem, of course, will be how to agree on a curriculum with a “full, factual and balanced history - to be taught without fear or favour” (as Neville Male puts it). This curriculum must also include learning the social facts about the people who are creating the history - in our case Europeans and Maori. The Europeans represented the most developed civilisation the world had ever seen, with a background of 4000 years’ understanding of written legislation, with its culture of ever increasing scientific, technological and philosophical thinking. Maori were an illiterate stone age people - albeit highly developed, culturally and intellectually. Teaching of history must include such understanding.
We can be justly proud of the Treaty of Waitangi - unique in the world. But it must be fully understood that this was not a contract of power sharing between two equal partners. It was a treaty granting to Maori the same legal rights under British common law as those enjoyed by the European settlers. This interpretation was shared by us all, Maori and Europeans alike, until very recently when sadly, feelings have come to the fore among some New Zealanders demanding special rights on racial grounds. I hate racism.
ANDY ESPERSEN, Nelson
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers/unpublished-letters
Who could possibly disagree with Neville Male (letters, Nelson Mail, Aug.31st)? But the problem, of course, will be how to agree on a curriculum with a “full, factual and balanced history - to be taught without fear or favour” (as Neville Male puts it). This curriculum must also include learning the social facts about the people who are creating the history - in our case Europeans and Maori. The Europeans represented the most developed civilisation the world had ever seen, with a background of 4000 years’ understanding of written legislation, with its culture of ever increasing scientific, technological and philosophical thinking. Maori were an illiterate stone age people - albeit highly developed, culturally and intellectually. Teaching of history must include such understanding.
We can be justly proud of the Treaty of Waitangi - unique in the world. But it must be fully understood that this was not a contract of power sharing between two equal partners. It was a treaty granting to Maori the same legal rights under British common law as those enjoyed by the European settlers. This interpretation was shared by us all, Maori and Europeans alike, until very recently when sadly, feelings have come to the fore among some New Zealanders demanding special rights on racial grounds. I hate racism.
ANDY ESPERSEN, Nelson
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers/unpublished-letters