tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post6830075466769872867..comments2023-12-21T23:44:40.324+13:00Comments on Maui Street: Annette Sykes, Maori Elite and Neo LiberalismMorgan Godferyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-78681053654212942322011-04-11T11:46:40.615+12:002011-04-11T11:46:40.615+12:00Well, i finished high school, was married before I...Well, i finished high school, was married before I had kids, and am a professional. Statistically speaking, that makes me Maori elite. I'm also fluent in my reo and know my way round my marae, which the vast majority of my whanau are not and do not. Am I embarrassed of ashamed of being in the so called elite? Hell no, I celebrate it, and I work my ass off to support my whanau to be 'successful' too in whatever way they can. <br /><br />This tearing down of succsssful Maori and the imposition of a class perspective is actually, in my view, the antithesis of what my culture is about. <br /><br />Now I think Annette has a point in terms of political structures and Crown/iwi engagement, but the personal attacks on individual Maori is patronising of the wider iwi base (ie Annette assumes that her experience is representatvie of everyones's, and that all iwi leaders are disconnected from their people). And actually all of the iwi chairs she name checks are regularly re-elected by their people!<br /><br />It is also counter-productive because Annette offers no solutions. So how are iwi supposed to provide services for their people, unless they have an economic base? How can iwi leaders better communicate with their people? Those are all valid questions, but Annette offers no solutions except that tangata need to be more connected with whenua (How? What does that even mean? Labouring jobs?!), the establishment of a Planning Council (comprised of whom? presumably not iwi leaders!) and a series of constitutional hui (didnt we try that in the 80s?)<br /><br />I guess its true, haters gonna hate!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-66466473439832034102011-02-10T10:56:06.643+13:002011-02-10T10:56:06.643+13:00Excellent post. In response to the devils advocate...Excellent post. In response to the devils advocate argument even if becoming a Maori Elite was not something they consciously did it is still negative in its impact on Maori where the advancement of Maori happens only to a few and governments should try and distribute resources to Maori through its settlements in ways that do not allow an elite to be forcibly created within the Iwi. Those Maori leaders if they care for their Iwi should also do their best to mitigate its effects where possible. Len Brown for example was given a supercity with little avenue for providing local public engagement but he took that engagement and increased it himself through the powers he was given. There is no reason statutory created Iwi bodies cannot do the same if given good leadership.Rob Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05863461526329636842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-59627818177519166222010-12-06T15:25:48.773+13:002010-12-06T15:25:48.773+13:00Indeed we are.
There is not a more insidious for...Indeed we are. <br /><br />There is not a more insidious force that undermines Maori efforts for self determination than capitalism. The notion of production for private benefit will never translate into progress for all Maori. <br /><br />So it is interesting watching Iwi leaders pursue capitalist ends such as mineral exploitation rights, intellectual property rights and other property rights. Combine this with the available capital of Iwi katoa and the political clout of Iwi leaders and Maori begin to look like a very powerful people. Perhaps Maori are beginning to use capitalism to their advantage? <br /><br />But we must be aware of the by-products of capitalism. For example the destruction of our traditional food sources through the pollution of waterways or the destruction of our whenua as a result of waste problems. <br /><br />Maori must also be mindful of the past and take into account the experiences of other indigenous peoples if we are to manage capitalism to our advantage. I think it can be done and must be done because I do not see an end to capitalism in the foreseeable future.Morgan Godferyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-75940143031348127852010-12-06T12:26:19.662+13:002010-12-06T12:26:19.662+13:00Kia ora muzza
The issue is complex and this idea ...Kia ora muzza<br /><br />The issue is complex and this idea of what is authentic maori voices is interesting.<br /><br />I probably should have added this footnote (from my post)<br /><br />"So I let myself rant on a bit there - aroha mai. Just remember that IMO empowerment of maori, will empower us all and bring us all together - we are all connected on the same waka.<br /><br />My point around the ranting is that the real enemies for all of us are capitalist, commodification, individualist, selfish and greedy ideologies - they are not maori constructs although some maori follow those false gods with vigour.<br /><br />I oppose those false gods with vigour."<br /><br />I am pretty sure we are in agreement on this.Marty Marshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07434142404949696557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-42855895309887496422010-12-06T11:28:23.052+13:002010-12-06T11:28:23.052+13:00Kia ora Marty,
Initially I was hesitant to define...Kia ora Marty,<br /><br />Initially I was hesitant to define this issue as one of class and economics primarily because I do not like the application of these ideas to Maori because they often do not capture Te Ao Maori, our Maori worldview, so are more often than not inapplicable (I also did not want to sound like Chris Trotter and the commentators over at the Standard). Reading your reply Marty I think I was mistaken to define the issue as such and the other points you make are right. Tēnā koe. <br /><br />However, I am not sure all ideologies are compatible with Te Ao Maori. Although some can be adapted to incorporate Te Ao Maori while others can be understood through Te Ao Maori I firmly believe neo liberalism cannot be reconciled with the Maori worldview. <br /><br />But hei aha, it is far easier to criticise than it is to understand and acknowledge.Morgan Godferyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-13370554426276918072010-12-05T20:31:36.222+13:002010-12-05T20:31:36.222+13:00I’ve been considering this issue of corporate iwi ...I’ve been considering this issue of corporate iwi elite for a while - I’d like to put a counter argument almost as a devils advocate.<br /><br />Maori as people have all sorts of ideologies – they have evolved as we have and they are valid because at the core they incorporate Te Ao Maori. Do we really believe that Tuku Morgan or Mark Solomon have plans to make themselves billionaires whilst their people starve and suffer. Are the members of the ILG and all of the other ones scum who are betraying themselves and their people? Or is it that they are doing their best under an oppressive capitalist worldview, combined with the monumental effects of colonisation, to gather power and influence for maori. What influence do they actually have? What jet airplanes are they flying around in? Mark Solomon’s pay is in Ngai Tahu’s annual report along with all of the various ways the money is being spent to empower maori. So what is the story? They are victims like all maori because they are maori. They aren’t some powerful elite – they are ex truck drivers and school teachers who have been elevated to positions within their iwi. They didn’t ask the government to set up the corporate iwi structures – they were given them and we have seen the scrutiny they get and the ridicule when mistakes are made. By defining maori via class or some other western construct, we devalue our own heritage and kaupapa. We are maori that is the beginning and end of the story. We use whatever to further the empowerment of maori as we always have done. We use the throwaways they give us and we tunnel away and undermine their paltry agendas and when the dust is settled, maori are empowered.Marty Marshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07434142404949696557noreply@blogger.com