Bastion Point 30 years on
Today we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the forcible eviction of protesters from Bastion Point. I for one will be watching the series of documentaries starting from 9 tonight on Maori TV. Like so many events from our past, they are coloured by our impressions from the time as well as the fading of our memories.
I was touched watching a bit of the Marae programme this morning, where a man wrote a song about a young girl who died tragically in a fire during the 507 day occupation. He had never met the girl, and while playing a concert on the beach looked up to see the small grove that is her memorial, and wondered just how many people there had any idea who she was. Joanne would have been 34 this year.
We’ve moved a long way towards settling the Maori grievances since then, and we still have a long way to go. The rush the settlements movement of last election season has mercifully waned, left behind with Don Brash, no doubt. I for one would like to see all the treaty settlements sorted, but not rushed through and half baked. That can only lead to more tears for New Zealand. As the proverb says:
He iti wai kowhao waka e tahuri te waka
‘A little water seeping through a lashing hole may swamp a canoe’Equivalent to ‘for want of a nail …’.
Let’s take our time and rebuild the waka properly with all parties on board.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
“We’ve moved a long way towards settling the Maori grievances since then, and we still have a long way to go.”
……………………..
Yes, since the treaty guarantees Tino Rangitiratanga. Better we all get along and forget who was here first but rather treat people on their merit. The alternative is a race war promoted by people with political ambitions.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:15 am
frog wrote:
“Equivalent to ‘for want of a nail …’.”
I would have thought that it would be closer to:
“to spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar ”
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1O90-DonotspoilthSHPfrhprthftr.html
Trevor.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Trevor - I like the waka analogy better than the sheep dip analogy, even though a bit of tar could fix the problem in either case.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Speaking of protests…
Will the Greens be a part of the official apology to the Vietnam Veterans?
May 26th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Is that the waka that shows that we are all immigrants? That our diverse immigrant DNA is mixing more and more as time goes on and that all born New Zealanders are Tangata Whenua?
New Zealand is the waka and it’s the Greens mission to be it’s guardian for all the future Kiwi.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Should a party that’s not in government - and never has been - be part of an official apology?