A Hikoi Versus a Country

Photo credit: In 2007, a hikoi marches towards Waitangi, demanding government honour the treaty. (Getty Images: Phil Walter ) Same old, same old

By Olivia Pierson
First published on The Goodoil

New Zealand’s history is messy, fascinating, and occasionally absurd. The Maori weren’t exactly sitting around in a utopia when the Europeans turned up. They were busy having a go at each other in tribal warfare and, yes, usually eating the losers.

The British didn’t arrive with halos over their heads either, but they did bring literacy, a legal system and building standards for a life above the dirt. They also brought an uncanny knack for signing treaties which actually meant something substantial when they were signed. The representatives of Queen Victoria would never have signed a treaty in her name without guaranteeing her full sovereignty over that colony. To say otherwise is part of the 'occasionally absurd’ bit.

History is full of uncomfortable truths, and we need to face them without indulging in the fashionable guilt or grievance narratives that dominate today’s hysterical reactions. And I mean hysterical.

Maori were a tribal warrior society. They had their own cultural norms, some of which— like cannibalism — were undeniably primitive in the extreme. But the Europeans didn’t come to destroy Maori; they came to build a civilisation along with the Christian ethic of treating others as equals before God, that was the goal. Thank God it was the British and not the French or Portuguese who did the colonising. British missionaries, in particular, out of genuine affection, preserved the Maori language and even tried to mediate conflicts between tribes hell-bent on bloodlust, like Te Rauparaha's, no doubt screaming their “Ka Mate” haka while carving a bloody gash across the Waikato leaving nothing but misery and slaughter in their wake.

Far from eradicating Maori culture, many of the British were instrumental in safeguarding its survival. They recorded their language, they intermarried and mingled their bloodlines together and above all they formed valuable and much desired friendships. The British and Maori became kinsmen.
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Yet, what do we see today? A toxic culture of division being perpetuated by activists who are only interested in ginning-up resentment. Instead of celebrating the benefits of a shared heritage — one that includes Western advancements that raised the standard of living for everyone — these agitators push for separatism. Co-governance, race-based laws, and constant demands for ‘decolonisation’ are going to rip our social fabric apart.   

​Here’s the truth: no nation can survive on the basis of two separate legal systems, one for one race and one for another. That is not equality, it’s apartheid, plain and simple. And what makes it worse is that this divisive ideology is being peddled under the guise of liberal ‘justice.’ It’s not liberal it’s just woke and it’s not justice, it’s Maori supremacy, brought to you by the United Nations.

We need to reject this path and embrace the only principles that made New Zealand a success: equality before the law, individual rights, and a shared national identity. We should respect Maori heritage, but respect isn’t achieved by bending the knee to historical grievances or rewriting the rules of governance to privilege one group over many others.

Maori culture, like Western culture, is worth preserving — and not through racial favouritism or endless guilt-tripping about colonisation. It’s preserved through genuine pride, mutual respect, and the recognition that we’re all citizens of the same country.

Kiwis are some of the most patriotic people you’ll ever meet. There’s a pride that runs deep in this country — pride in our way of life, pride in the freedoms we enjoy, and pride in the fact that we’ve created a society which, despite its flaws, is still one of the best in the world to live in. We’re fiercely protective of our home, our culture and our shared history.

So when we talk about Maori and Pakeha relations, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of New Zealanders — regardless of their background — are united in their love for this country. They want a future where we can all live side by side as equals, without the need for separate laws or separate systems of governance. This isn’t about ignoring the past or rejecting the Treaty; it’s about building a future that reflects the reality of what New Zealand is today: a diverse but unified country, where every person, regardless of their ancestry, has the same rights and accountabilities.

Many activists will try to tell you that New Zealand’s history is one of unrelenting oppression. They will paint colonisation as an unmitigated evil. Yes, colonialism was never perfect but I'm damn sick of the ‘apologitis’ which has become nothing more than a political virtue signal. When Maori make a formal apology to the descendants of the almost-genocided Moriori, let me know and I’ll die on the spot from pure shock.
 
Maori culture is invaluable and deserves respect, but so does the rest of New Zealand’s history and all of its people.

The Hikoi protest is nothing short of divisive. Protest is a legitimate form of free expression but when it’s used as a weapon to tear apart a nation it crosses a tragic line. The Hikoi is driven by activists who insist on highlighting Maori grievances to the exclusion of everything else and only serves to entrench hatred in this land.

What’s missing from the Hikoi is any genuine effort to heal and move forward together as one people. It’s one thing to acknowledge the past and its injustices, but it’s another entirely to hold the whole nation hostage to those grievances, as if the only way forward is by continually looking back upon one group of people. The reality is, most Kiwis want the same thing — respect for Maori culture and respect for our European heritage which gave us a parliament (and everything else).
 
It’s time to stop using history as a weapon to divide us. New Zealand should be better than this. We don’t need more race-based activism; we need unity, a shared vision for the future, and a commitment to ensuring every Kiwi — regardless of their background— has an equal shot at success.

Christopher Luxon’s weak-kneed approach to the Treaty Principles Bill is exactly what NZ does not need. At a time when Kiwis are yearning for strong leadership that stands up for unity and fair-mindedness, Luxon is pandering to the loudest voices, and it’s not just unmanly, cowardly and disgusting, it’s dangerous.

Rather than taking a firm stand for one law for all New Zealanders, he’s bending over backwards to appease those pushing a race-based agenda. He’s sending the message that we’re willing to accept two sets of rules for two sets of people. That’s not leadership; that’s total capitulation.

Kiwis are royally pissed at the constant ass-kissing. We want a New Zealand that’s united — not a country fractured along racial lines. Luxon should be advocating for the solid democratic principles that once built this country: equality before the law and a shared national identity, not this milquetoast compromising that does nothing but embolden the separatist nutters and their backward bollox of an agenda.

Leadership is about making tough decisions, not chasing “likes.” By not facilitating a way forward for Winston Peters and David Seymour, both important leaders within his coalition government, to work together to achieve one law for all, shows you Luxon does not want that. Never trust a globalist.  He has failed the leadership test. We need someone who will stand up for what’s right, not what’s convenient.

So what’s the solution? It’s very, very simple: equality before the law.
 
One law applies to all New Zealand citizens, no exceptions. We respect the past, but we don’t let it dictate the future needlessly. We celebrate our shared heritage — warts and all — and focus on building a country where everyone has a fair go regardless of their ancestry. That means ditching the guilt trips, the victimhood, and especially the craven  pandering.


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