For me, landlessness is the main problem facing Māori today, a fundamental issue that has endured since the confiscation, alienation, and otherwise dispossession of ancestral lands from the later nineteenth century. I like to think of this in terms of home and land ownership: think of the generations of equity that have built up in land now owned by settler families and their descendants, creating huge privilege, wealth, and power for those people. But Māori have been incapable of collectively amassing wealth on this scale because it was their dispossessed lands that generated such wealth in the first place — so much so, that I think the ‘original sin’ is really the settler dispossession of Indigenous lands. Colonisation, for me, is about resource control and acquisition, through any means necessary: for land really is life, and we of course know how central whenua is to our wellbeing and existence. But the majority of Māori don’t own homes and struggle getting a mortgage, to the extent that by 2061, most Māori will likely be renters. And how do we reconcile being tenants on our own whenua?
So, if colonisation is about the taking of land (simply put), decolonisation for me is about Land Back. While we often talk about decolonising the education and health systems, I think we tend to get lost in the things that ‘look good’ (that are performative), but aren’t about land. I’m not saying that the visibility of our reo, or having Matariki as a holiday, is not something to celebrate — for they certainly are. But politics in Aotearoa are driven largely by white middle-class home owners, who are unwilling to compromise home equity for some kind of parity in Māori home ownership. By and large, Treaty reparations will not give back private land, for it would upset the whole settler land tenure and banking system — the settler status quo. That’s why I’m a bit cautious about people celebrating the increased visibility of reo, tikanga, and so forth in society today — these things, while important, are not, in and of themselves, ‘land back’.
It’s difficult to figure out a way forward, given how fractured the political landscape is, and how insidious white supremacy is in New Zealand. What’s also difficult, again, is the white middle-class home owner base that successive governments rely on to get into power in the next election cycle. Those home owners aren’t willing to give up their home equity, and will vote toward whichever party promises to protect this. By the same token, however, that’s why a complete overhaul of our constitutional arrangements is needed, that meaningfully embeds Te Tiriti (per Matike Mai). My concern is how much backlash He Puapua generated, again because politicians can so easily tap into the underlying white supremacist attitudes that endure today.
More directly, it needs to be made much easier for Māori to get into home ownership, whether through fixed rate, 20–30-year government-underwritten loans, or otherwise. Even with KiwiSaver contributions, continued inflation and rising house prices are crippling for whānau trying to save for 10 per cent or 20 per cent deposits, which year by year requires more and more money as the market surges upwards — even in spite of the pandemic. Yes, this still relies on, and gives credence to, a settler land tenure based system, which violently displaced the forms of Māori land stewardship already here, but it might be more helpful in the interim on the journey towards constitutional transformation.
The Lost Arts of Meaningful Kōrero and Skill-sharing — The ‘don’t talk about it’, ‘man-up’ culture is killing us. Two World Wars and the trauma inflicted left deep scars and generations of silent men. Māori were in the front line. The worse the issue, the less anyone talks about it. Children can grow up without skills, praise or discussing problems, unsupported in their life path, modelling observed behaviour and creating a downward spiral.
Colonisation’s Effects — The Crown stripped Māori of the resources sustaining their life, habitat and identity. Cultural suffocation and religion eroded confidence while fuelling shame, racism, discrimination, inequity and anger.
The Impacts of Poverty — Our physical, mental and spiritual health declines. Domestic violence, child abuse, homelessness and substance abuse — tobacco, alcohol, drugs — fan the growth of societal issues. We aspire to high-quality housing but move forward, leaving people behind — homeless. Access to quality health care in rural areas where Māori live is often unavailable. The cycle isn’t a Māori issue; it’s a global reality for the poor.
Stifling Bureaucracy — We have land but can’t build on it easily. Building in New Zealand is an expensive bureaucratic nightmare. If you have no ID, you are nobody and can’t get a bank account or participate in society. Gangs accept anyone. Web-based departments and the complex English-law justice system are unhelpful.
Revive Ancestral Kōrero and Skill-sharing — Cultivate tamariki by building skills, investing time, instilling values and a sense of self-worth. Kōrero and mahi together are central to learning and understanding respectful behaviour in Te Ao Māori. A word between whānau or kōrero tawhito addresses issues fairly and fosters a communicative community that can resolve problems. Use the Māori ‘university’ of ancestral knowledge to break the cycle. If we educate, role model, encourage, provide tools, and ‘live’ the example, richer lives await us. Traditional Māori education is environmentally sound and supports all learning styles.
Build Culture and Confidence — Celebrate our history, achievements, culture and let go of unhealthy anger. Māori are clever, adaptable and innovative people. Fill every child and lost soul with pride. When we live Māori values, we thrive, and applying our values to society benefits everyone. Māori culture is unique, ecological, and resonates with young people demanding change. A population that measures success in values, not money, and unifies in mutual respect, will diminish racism, discrimination and tackle inequity. As partners in our nation, the Crown should return tranches of unoccupied land to Māori.
Poverty — Commissioned reports recommend the living wage, so pay it. Let beneficiaries take casual or temporary work, trial contracts, or study and draw social security to enter the employment market, pay off bills and debts without penalty. Incrementally move workers off social welfare, if possible, when they are standing — a wise investment versus a begrudged, inadequate handout. Phase out prisons and teach skills, provide rehabilitation and mental health solutions instead. Train rural residents to be doctors and health workers. Escaping poverty changes the housing, health and education equations.
Bureaucracy — Stop creating reports, taxes, council fees and laws and streamline them. Shift culture to help, not hinder. Every human exists, belongs and deserves respectful interactions; people are not tick-boxes. Let teachers teach, builders build (any home is better than none), and doctors practise without onerous administration and reporting. Leaders must make decisions because the risk-averse consultant-created paper mountain excludes people, is costly and useless. Māori are guardians of whenua so let them build and manage independently. A caring community without red tape is a thriving society.
(Student at Gisborne Girls’ High School)
From a young age, Māori know we can’t afford to ignore the effects colonisation has had on not only individual lives, but the lives of our people. From youth we hear of the disadvantages we face. The majority of those incarcerated are Māori. Māori have the highest rates of poverty, and inadequate healthcare systems. Māori have been stripped of not only land but identity. Māori are targets of systemic racism and discrimination and personal prejudice. Māori are politically, socially and economically undermined. It is our people who live with the faults of our systems and are expected to compromise and suck it up. Trying to survive these odds is what drives Māori deeper into participating in this partnership with the Crown without real protection, binding us to a cycle of being forced to deal with these challenges. Without a thick layer of sugar, it’s difficult to consume, but it’s what our country needs to hear and swallow. Because although these issues seem different and personal, they all stem from the inequality Māori face in this country, as we continue to branch out into other aspects of our lives. Our nation portrays itself as one of fairness and unity at the national level, but this is untrue. Despite their claims to do so, those in positions of power merely serve the interests of a select few. What people fail to realise is that, if Māori cannot succeed living in these colonised systems, it’s not the fault of individuals but a failure of the institutions that won’t change. If we struggle financially, economically or socially as Māori, it is the result of intergenerational ignorance towards us. And if by chance we do succeed, it is because of our own ability to overcome the obstacles placed by these mistakes. But what of those who cannot overcome? Must we continue to be twenty steps behind the start line in this race of life?
Recognising that there must be a significant change in the industries, and asking why Māori appear in these statistics rather than blaming us personally, is crucial to the progression our country desperately needs. Things need to change for there to be a change, if they don’t, we will be stuck in a constant world of unjustified inequality that hits minorities the hardest. We must operate in a fair manner, offering the same opportunities and advantages to all, across every aspect of our society. On a national scale, simply acknowledging the Treaty along with the faults in our history is not enough, but it is the first step. Māori will prosper more and experience less disadvantage if Te Tiriti o Waitangi is accepted and validated in its entirety. On a smaller scale, showing the same courtesy to everyone in our community at work, school or on the street regardless of ethnicity, until judgement is passed upon their character, contributes to the creation of an equal country. It will require a change from the masses, but it starts with each of us and whether or not our nation is willing to walk the walk rather than just talk the talk. Māori have long met the Crown halfway; now it is up to the government along with Pākehā to complete the journey.
Inequalities, in my opinion, can set Māori back if we restrict the standards of our aspirations to fit into these limitations. Defining us by these restrictions reinforces bias. We must constantly remind ourselves of the potential and what each individual is capable of. These actions will not only benefit tangata whenua, but other oppressed minorities, so when we all cross the starting line, we do so on equal footing.