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TUI MOTU InterIslands
Independent Catholic Magazine CELEBRATING 22 YEARS 1997–2019 Issue 240 August 2019 $7
People of the Treaty
Whakawhiti whakaaro
Consultation
BICULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS
Manuel Beazley, Tui Cadigan, Richard Kerr-Bell and Rowan Light
CHURCH RELATIONSHIPS
Thomas O'Loughlin, Judith Salamat, Susan Smith and Colin MacLeod
Plus YOUNG VOICES
Jack Derwin and Shar Mathias
CONTENTS
FEATURES EDITORIAL
We are Tangata Tiriti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Imagination, Consultation
Manuel Beazley
Learning From Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tui Cadigan and Consensus
Participating with Understanding and Respect . . . . . 8
I
Richard Kerr-Bell
Ministries in the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 t’s compelling to see mana whenua in action — when
Thomas O’Loughlin the people with sacred connections to the land through
Discuss, Listen, Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 their ancestry take a stand on its use. We’ve seen it
Colin MacLeod before in our country — at Parihaka, Bastion Point, Raglan,
Faith Taking Root in New Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Whanganui — and now at Ihumātao in Auckland. It can
Judith Balares Salamat ripple through us as people of the Treaty, like Pentecost.
Beginning Our Shared History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Personally we may favour practical solutions such as
Rowan Light using the contested land to house people. We may dismiss
Peace, Justice and Quakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 the protestors as a small group of trouble makers. We may
Elizabeth Duke feel confused by media reports. But this protest is not a
passing enthusiasm. The group has been camped on the
COMMENT
land for years. Iwi, local government, police and many
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
groups have been involved. So far there is no resolution
The Right to Despair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 but consultation is progressing.
Peter matheson
What is like Pentecost about this kind of protest is
Turning to Knowledge Once Ignored . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 that those acting with mana whenuatanga are bringing
Jack Derwin
the sacred and spiritual into our secular and commercial
A Nurturing Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 conversation and decision-making. As people attuned
Shar Mathias to the Spirit we, like Māori, can appreciate that the
Crosscurrents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 sacred belongs intimately, publicly and assertively in
Susan Smith our lives together as a nation. We have Māori to thank
Looking Out and In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 for uncovering the shallowness of private religion and
Ann Hassan reminding us of the truth — that we rely on the wellbeing
SCRIPTURE of the land, that sacred relationships must be honoured,
Avoid Foolishness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 that some compromises are a step too far and the
Elaine Wainwright consequences can damage our nation’s spirit. And we can
Awake to Serve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 recognise God, the hospitable heart of creation, in these
Kathleen Rushton truths. Yes, we badly need more housing and suitable land
to build it on — but at any cost?
REFLECTION Sometimes a prophetic disturbance stops us from
Power for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 taking the pragmatic option. It can buy us time to become
Barbara Cameron better informed. It can offer new and imaginative scenarios
REVIEWS to work with. It can nudge us from our certainty towards
humble questioning. When changes are going to affect us
Book and Film Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 28
we want to be involved in the consultation process from
LETTERS the beginning. Then, even if the final outcome isn’t exactly
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 what we wanted, we’ll be able to see how it was shaped by
our participation.
We thank all our contributors for sharing their wisdom,
Cover Photograph research, experience, faith, imagination, art and craft in
by Alex Green on Unsplash this 240th issue. They offer us new ways of thinking of
ourselves as people of the Treaty and of participating in
processes of consultation that affect our national and
church lives.
And, as is our custom, our last words
are a blessing.
Tuimotumag TuiMotuInterIslands Tuimotu
2 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019
C
heap criticism of the school
strikes for global justice and
the largely young members of
Extinction Rebellion forgets one thing:
it’s the very future of these young
The Right
people that is at stake. Their day-to-
day environment in school or tertiary
education is one of constant learning
and unlearning. They don’t have the
to Despair...
luxury of sitting in their favourite chair
endlessly rehearsing comfortable
prejudices — Stammtisch strategists, as
the Germans call them. These young
people have got it. It’s they who will
have to live with the disintegration
of civilised life (lethal heat) that our
generation seems bent on ensuring.
It’s because of us that they are in
despair. We adults have the leverage,
the handle on power, the influence,
the vote, but our short-term, philistine
perspectives steadily deny the young
any hope of a half-decent future. We
continue to assume entitlement to
our four-wheel drives, our overseas
trips, our upgraded bathrooms. We
have earned it, haven’t we?
So one key component of
society today is a full-blooded
intergenerational crisis, created
as much by the vast engines
of the multinationals as by the
pathetic political leadership on the
international scene. We roar forward
as if there is no tomorrow. And, like get fundamental change. look at the TV advertisements for big,
Henry Ford, we know all history is The long line of Hebrew prophets fast, expensive cars: Live your ambition!
bunk. Nothing exists beyond the knew this. In the 1980s Peace The hopes cherished by Extinction
satisfactions of the moment. Movement, which changed the face Rebellion and School Strikers menace
So thank God New Zealand begs of New Zealand forever, the dire all that. No wonder they meet with
to differ. Here we do seem to have warnings of Helen Caldicott and the such furious opposition.
grasped that times are changing. despair workshops of Joanna Macy What ritual hikoi do we need to
Sustainability is less of a slogan and is were fundamental to the success. ground us again in the elemental things
steadily becoming a programme. We We humans are subtle and that alone make life worth living? How
are getting cycleways in place. The intransigent beasts. To transform can we begin to plant metaphorical
trouble, though, is that all this is an our incremental creep towards trees for coming generations? How
incremental creep. Unfortunately, as sustainability into a genuine turnaround uproot the habits of generations? How
last week’s Breakthrough Report from there is no way around the bitter nurture the new humanity the Gospel
Australia made clear, this won’t hack taste of despair. It is the flip side to speaks of? My hunch is that without
it. A total gear-change is required. any genuine hope, as every profound the whiff of despair, without facing
We desperately need to catch the religious or cultural thinker knows. down the menace of hope, we are just
infection of despair from the young. Naturally we are all conservatives, whistling in the wind.
Despair is unfashionable, universally hanging on to the devil we know.
seen as the prerogative of the weak- Smart-arsed cynicism then armours us
minded. And it can, of course, be against believing that anything can ever
incredibly dangerous. In the hands of change for the better. Peter Matheson is a peace
activist, a Church historian,
demagogues like Duterte and Farage A doable programme of Emeritus Professor of Knox
it drives good people to absurdity sustainability will undermine much of Theological College, Dunedin
and inhumanity and worse. Without what we take for granted at present, all and author.
a whiff of despair, however, we never these assumptions of entitlement. Just
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 3
WE ARE Tangata Tirit i
MANUEL BEAZLEY explains our relationship to the Treaty of
Waitangi and encourages us in our rights and responsibilities as
people of this land, Aotearoa New Zealand.
B
iculturalism is an important The Treaty of Waitangi — Māori that our bicultural relationship is not
component in the studies to and Crown founded on race or ethnicity but on
qualify for most professions in In Aotearoa New Zealand, our shared ideals about who we are and
New Zealand. But it strikes me that bicultural relationship has at its who we are to become.
very few graduates seem clear on heart Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti In practical terms, as a Treaty
what biculturalism actually means. brought together two entities. But partner the Crown represents all
For me, being bicultural means a the two entities party to the Treaty people who through the Crown have
relationship between two peoples. are not Māori and Pākehā — they are made Aotearoa New Zealand their
This relationship is based on a shared Māori and the Crown, in the person home. I think of these people as
history and a commitment to a of Queen Victoria as represented tangata Tiriti – people of the Treaty.
perpetual renewal of this relationship by Governor William Hobson. This If we think of te Tiriti in this way,
through successive generations. distinction is important. It means our bicultural relationship cannot be
4 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019
about Māori and Pākehā, it must be on whakapapa and kaitiakitanga.
about Māori and “me”. For Māori, the land is an ancestor GLOSSARY
of humankind, the earth is mother.
Relating to Te Tiriti Whānau, hapū and iwi have Te Tiriti o Waitangi or te Tiriti —
If tangata Tiriti see themselves as stewardship of their ancestral lands The Treaty of Waitangi
people of the Treaty they will ask which places certain rights and
such questions as: “What’s my responsibilities on them. Māori — indigenous persons of
relationship with Māori?” “How much While tangata whenuatanga can Aotearoa New Zealand
te Reo Māori can I speak?” “How be claimed by all who live on and Pākehā — New Zealanders of
much tikanga Māori do I know?” “Do off the land, mana whenuatanga European descent
I know the Māori history of where I is reserved for those who claim
live?” “Who is the local hapū or iwi?” Tangata — People
whakapapa and kaitiakitanga.
“Where is the local marae?” This example may clarify the Tangata Tiriti — People of the
And, as tangata Tiriti, Māori will relationship: I am a Māori living in Treaty
also have questions we must ask Otara, South Auckland and I can claim
Te reo Māori — Māori language
ourselves about our commitment to tangata whenuatanga but I cannot
the bicultural relationship. “What is claim mana whenuatanga here in Tangata whenua — People of the
my relationship to people of other this part of Auckland. That honour is land
ethnicities?” “What do I know about reserved to hapū and iwi such as Te
Tikanga Māori — Māori customs
their tikanga?” “How do I work with Aki Tai, Tainui and others.
and protocols eg, Powhiri ritual of
government agencies to provide
welcome
successful outcomes for my whānau, Our bicultural
hapū, iwi?” relationship stands Whānau — Extended family
But the million dollar question
for all of us is: “Do I want to; am I on the foundation that Hapū — Subtribe (several whānau
make up a hapū)
committed?” we each have rights
Iwi — Tribe (several hapū make up
Tangata Whenua — People of
and responsibilities a tribe)
This Land to each other and
Whakapapa — Genealogy
Another aspect to our biculturalism that this land is our
is our sense of belonging. The saying Mana whenua — Spiritual
goes: “if you’re not where you are,
common home. This connection and relationship of
you’re nowhere.” If we are to be is what te Tiriti O Maori to the land because of
genealogy and guardianship
truly bicultural in this land, we must Waitangi tried to
acknowledge that all people as Mana whenuatanga — Special
tangata Tiriti are in fact also, tangata
achieve for all of us.
spiritual relationship of Māori to
whenua. My ancestry comes from the ancestral land which brings rights
To be tangata whenua is to be Hokianga in the north of the North and responsibilities
a person or people of the land. The Island. There, I can rightfully claim
food we eat and the water we drink Kaitiakitanga — Wholistic and
to be mana whenua, because of my
are from the land — provided for respectful stewardship and
whānau whakapapa and kaitiakitanga
us from THIS land Aotearoa New guardianship of land including
in that area.
Zealand. We live in THIS land as landscape, vegetation, water,
Our bicultural relationship stands
tangata whenua. It is THIS land that birds, animals, reptiles and insects,
on the foundation that we each
holds us as tangata whenua. Because resources, atmosphere.
have rights and responsibilities to
we are here now, we can be nowhere each other and that this land is our
else. We are tangata whenua where common home. This is what te Tiriti
we are right here. O Waitangi tried to achieve for all Painting: Taiao 1 by Miriama Grace Smith ©
of us. The fulfillment of te Tiriti Used with permission
Mana Whenua — Spiritual cannot be left solely in the hands www.miriamagracesmith.com
Relationship to the Land of politicians, or to the legislative
There is a distinction between being processes of our local and national
tangata whenua and being mana government. The fulfillment of
whenua. Being tangata whenua te Tiriti lies with our desire to be
Manuel Beazley affiliates to
describes our physical connection to tangata Tiriti and tangata whenua. Ngapuhi and Te Rarawa iwi of
the land. Mana whenua describes our the Hokianga, Northland. He
spiritual connection to the land. is the Pastoral Assistant at
Mana whenuatanga describes a St John the Evangelist Parish,
Otara, Auckland.
special relationship to the land based
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 5
Treaty audit. It is often assumed that
the adoption of key ancient cultural
rituals, such as powhiri and mihi
whakatau, is a sign of progress, but
violations are only compounded when
they are insensitively and improperly
used — wherever and whenever. And
silence as a response from Māori should
not be read as a sign all is well.
What Then Is Consultation?
What does good consultation look
like? We know the results of bad
consultation: Consider the recent
publicity for Oranga Tamariki around
the removal of Māori babies from their
whānau. We need to acknowledge
that there is a deep- seated reluctance
to accept that Māori resources are
geared to deal with these issues. This
has resulted in poor performance from
agencies, and it is Māori tamariki and
whānau who suffer the consequences.
I have been involved with Te
Rūnanga o Te Hāhi Katorika o Aotearoa
Learning From for the 30 years in one capacity or
another. I am now Te Kaiwhakahaere/
Experience
facilitator of our hui as a consultative
group appointed by Te Huinga o nga
Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa New
Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
(NZCBC). In our hui we discuss the
TUI CADIGAN shares the elements needs, hopes and aspirations of
Katorika Māori within the Hāhi/Church.
needed for whakawhiti whakaaro, a good We are a mixture of kaumatua,
consultation process. wahine, and tane from across the six
I
diocese with an appointed Pihopa in
wi Māori must surely be the I worked for three years as attendance. We have been focused on
most consulted people in all Kaiwhakahaere of Kati Mahaki Ki an ongoing dialogue, "Being Māori —
of Aotearoa. Generation upon Makaawhio my Hapū Rūnanga; Being Katorika" for several years — both
generation of Māori women and and my experience was mainly of strands are critical to our identity.
men have been born into the disappointment and frustration. There is a mutual respect that
struggle for full recognition of their There has rarely been satisfaction exists when we meet and our whole
rights under te Tiriti o Waitangi, from sharing of our expertise and relationship is about consultation and
following in the footsteps of tipuna historic cultural knowledge. I think advice. At times NZCBC ask for our
who never gave up the fight for most organisations operate a policy advice on a specific matter and at other
justice. When change has come it of "consult and ignore" — enough times we raise a concern regarding an
has been in tiny increments — and to check the box marked "consult aspect of pastoral care for our people.
with a battle for each. with local Iwi" but not to measure We don’t always agree but in an
In an effort to address outstanding outcomes for Māori. atmosphere of mutual respect and prayer
violations of te Tiriti, the Crown It isn't only civil organisations or we continue to dialogue with hope.
consulted with Māori at a series of agencies that need to up their game We draw strength from the
hui. One outcome of these hui was in this area of consultation in the knowledge that the Catholic Church
that Crown entities became legally relationship with Tangata Whenua. I came to Aotearoa originally for Māori.
required to "consult" Iwi around am Katorika from birth and a member And we are aware that we have
health, education, environment and of Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa whakapapa within the Hāhi and we
other key issues that affect Māori. Sisters of Mercy for 30 years — and are committed to the process as an
Unfortunately, this consultation is not their relationships with Māori would advisory body. We do not have the
always done, and rarely done well. struggle under the spotlight of a power to determine direction but
6 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019
we do have the best grasp of Māori however bizarre they may seem.
pastoral needs and we can shine a light Shutting people down only builds GLOSSARY
on that for the NZCBC to act upon. frustration, — and frustrated people
We are the group that reflects the eventually boil over into anger, or — Kaumātua — Persons of status
Māori perspective as we have both worse — disengage altogether. within whānau
wahine and tane in our group and a Wāhine — Women
diverse tribal membership.This balance A Good Facilitator
of views and experience enhances our Also vital is a good facilitator. A good Tāne — Men
discussions. facilitator is not indoctrinated to Pīhopa — Bishop
any particular point of view. In my
Get People Engaged at the Start experience very few facilitators have Katorika — Catholic
The time to engage with the the skill to carry that off without Hāhi Katorika — Catholic Church
stakeholders/Iwi/parish/Crown is at the showing a glaring bias.
Rūnanga — Assembly
very start of the process. I emphasise In the professional era the
this as a kaumatua of Poutini Kai Tahu facilitator and those who called the Oranga Tamariki — NZ Government
descent with considerable experience group together for consultation need Ministry for Children
in consultative processes with multiple to ask themselves one question:
Tamariki — Children
organisations over many years. What do I have to fear from an open
If engagement starts down the track process? Those who opt for an open,
the essential elements for success.
after a plan has been agreed, when the inclusive process have the greatest
There must be a proposed plan to
finance people have determined what chance for success.
begin discussions. Prayer as part of any
resources will be allocated and what
The time to engage discernment is vital. Those instigating
the final outcome needs to be, it is an
the consultation need to share their
exercise in futility. with the stakeholders is information with stakeholders — last
Those involved need to know that
their opinions are valued — and that
at the very start of the minute suprises must be avoided.
consultation process. The facilitator must be professional
even if their ideas aren't adopted in the
and independent from the proposing
end, they weren't ruled out before they If engagement starts group.
were heard.
In my opinion, fear and power
down the track after a Documentation needs to be written
plan has been agreed, in plain and unambiguous language.
are two key factors that hinder good
There must be sufficient time in the
consultation. resources allocated and process — all who want to contribute
The Right Intention what the final outcome orally or in writing need to have the
needs to be, it is an opportunity. Allowing time for all to be
The right wording is crucial. When a
heard will bear fruit when it is time to
document uses expressions like "this exercise in futility. make a decision. We invite all to come
is a proposal for the future direction of
to the table with openness, courage,
this organisation", I know immediately It is impossible to please everyone,
hope — and the knowledge that a
that considerable work has already but compromise is a sign of courage
compromise may be the best outcome.
happened to set the direction before and willingness to risk. Whoever finds
And stay positive: despite the best
any engagement with the broader themselves in a position of power in
intentions it may not go the way we
group of stakeholders, including Iwi, a consultation process needs to tread
hoped.
takes place. softly to avoid being seen as abusing
And remember that the last word is
The vital missing ingredients are this power.
never really the last word! Māori know
words such as "draft" or "discussion
Careful Preparation this better than anyone — we've been
paper" — words like these indicate that
dealing with the aftermath of the "last
there is openness to other points of Preparing is also important — the
word" of Te Tiriti o Waitangi since 7
view and proposals or amendments. gathering of balanced opinions and
February 1840 — the day after Trititi
The paper that sets out to confirm knowing the pros and cons. Do not
was signed.
what a small group has put together fear difference or the unknown. And
and wants rubber stamped by the remember, it takes courage to hear the Painting: Tui 4 by Reina Cottier ©
masses is flawed and lacking in integrity breadth of opinion within the gathered Used with permission www.reinacottier.com
www.facebook.com/reinacottierart
of intention. community. But knowing as much as
The desire of the consultation possible about what the group thinks is
Tui Cadigan affiliates to te Hāpu
must be to engage as many as possible an advantage. o Kati Mahaki ki Makaawhio
of those who will be affected by any and is of Poutini Kai Tahu descent.
change. Ingredients of Good Consulting She is a member of Nga Whaea
A good Māori process encourages After many years participating in Atawhai o Aotearoa — Sisters of
Mercy.
everyone to give their thoughts, consultative processes, I have learned
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 7
“Whakarongo ake au
Ki te tangi a te manu
E rere runga rawa e
Tui, tui, tui, tuia
Tuia i runga
Tuia i raro Tuia i roto
Tuia i waho
Tui, tui, tuia
Kia rongo te ao
Kia rongo te pö
Tui, tui, tuia
I listen I listen,
where up high a bird flies
Its cry rings out
Sew, stitch, bind it together
From above
From below
From within
From outside
Sew and bind it together
During the day
and the night
Sew, stitch, bind it together"
Participating with Understanding and Respect
RICHARD KERR-BELL reflects on three aspects of consultation
that will involve us in our bicultural heritage.
I
believe that all of our learning and ancestors and their language, despite of Catholic immigrants from
understanding of another culture colonisation and legislation directly Europe who had married into Kai
adds to our ability to listen and and indirectly designed to remove Tahu Whakapapa. They described
understand better. It does not make these. They have become a gift for all the impact an area of the house
us experts nor does it give us a shared people in the bicultural relationship. was having on whoever occupied
experience of the story of another but They ground us all in the land, on the a particular room — the person
it can give us insight into the value of land with people who are of the land experienced becoming depressed
difference. binding us together in Aotearoa. and having an emptiness about them.
The main point of biculturalism Tihewa mauri ora! They’d also noticed that their horses
in Aotearoa is that there are two became disruptive when they came
parties. From the signing of Te Tiriti Working with Whānau near that part of the house.
o Waitangi, they are Māori and Several examples come to mind So they called and I came. I too
everyone else represented by the when I reflect on my own bicultural became aware that one of the rooms
British Crown. Understanding this relationships in everyday life. I'm and the adjoining space felt harmful
provides a context for bicultural often called on to lead rituals and and oppressive. As I moved about the
relationships and consultation. explain a deeper meaning in our home and immediate property, I felt
As indigenous peoples organised in connections with the land. that some atrocity had occurred and
whānau, hapū and iwi, we have mostly I was asked to do a whakawātea, those who had suffered remained
been able to retain the historical or clearing of the house, for family trapped in their trauma in some way.
traditions and practices of our friends. The family were descendants In the ritual we acknowledged the
8 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019
pain, injustice and the lives affected. whanau and community. introduction. I then explained the
The family later communicated that Second is reciprocity: if we are process and the reasons for it and gave
they now experienced a calm, a new not giving anything back materially, a brief translation of the karakia I would
peace and were all able to move on we need at least to be present and use. I prayed in te reo Māori, starting
from whatever had affected them. give our best to the process – even to by acknowledging the beginning of all
This is an example of bicultural preparing the kai. things, God and Tangaroa. Then I prayed
relationships — a mutual respect and And third is participation by a Trinitarian blessing upon the water
understanding of the gifts each brings. making suggestions and working we used for the clearing. I mihi to Tane
I have been called many times to in such a way that is inclusive of in the materials they would use and
lead, advise or participate with whānau everyone concerned. Papatūanuku upon which we stood.
in processes that are important in their We moved around the space
lives. These include blessing of a new clearing anything negative and
house, removing or clearing a space of GLOSSARY retaining all that was loving, creative
negative spirits or energy and attending Mihi whakatau — arbitrations and life-giving. We acknowledged
an area where a death has occurred. those who first walked on the land,
Tangihanga — funerals the mana of Kai Tahu Whānau whānui
Consulting with Groups Karakia — prayer (wider Kai Tahu iwi), the ancestors of
A critical element of community work the settlers and the many who have
Whakawātea —clearing of the
is to take an open mind and heart into since worked or travelled on or over
house
the meeting or conversation. Each the ground we were standing on.
person brings a different perspective, Tikanga Māori — customary Then we gave thanks for the gifts
priorities and for some, a different system of values and practices passed down to the young performers
way of meaning-making in the world. that have developed over time and and their use of them to uplift all
So openness is vital to ensure each are deeply embedded in the social people of Aotearoa. The kapa haka
person, whānau, or group feels and context group sang before a karakia on the
trusts they can participate equally. Kapa Haka — Māori cultural kai which we all ate enthusiastically,
The last thing we want is people to performing group especially the children.
feel that they are not heard or valued. I realised that for most of these
Te Reo Māori — Māori language
Consultation requires patience, young people it was their first
a preparedness to listen to the Tangaroa — ancestor with participation in tikanga of the land.
collective intention, to clarify who influence over the sea and fish Through their kapa haka group they
the decision-maker(s) will be, as well Tane — ancestor with influence will grow in understanding and
as the values that will underpin the over the forests participate more in the future.
decisions. Clarity around the process
is the starting point. Papatūanuku — Earth mother Whakamutunga — Last
And it is vitally important to bring Thoughts
our authentic selves to the process. Tikanga in the Community Our hope for good bicultural
Nothing is more destructive than a I’m often asked to lead mihi whakatau, relationships lies in the many
lack of congruence between what we tangihanga, karakia, weddings and communities, marriages, children
feel and our words. We all need to be whakawātea in the community. and opportunities in our whānau,
able to respect and trust the truth. For many people these are first communities, Churches and society.
And as we discuss with one another, experiences of tikanga Māori. Faith invites us into bicultural thriving
we need to listen for possibilities on For example, recently I was invited and by speaking, listening and being
which we can agree — so we can find to lead the ritual that acknowledged, authentic we will grow in understanding
a pathway together. blessed and cleared from negative and appreciating each other more.
I cannot stress enough — do not influences a newly renovated office I te kore ki te po ki te ao marama —
call a process consultation if the space for an accounting and advisory from the nothingness to the night to
decisions presented are not open firm in the city. The invitation to do the the full light of day.
to amendment. It is essential that blessing at the opening came through
the key stakeholders or advisors are my football team manager. The firm had
included at the very start of a project some Māori staff and a past partner was Painting: Ancestral Guardians
and all the way through. of Kai Tahu descent, so they recognised by Darcy Nicholas © Used with permission
www.darcynicholas.co.nz
the opening as a spiritual event and not
Accountability, Reciprocity, just business as usual.
Participation On another occasion I supported Richard Kerr-Bell is the Kaihautu
I’ve found three principles are my wife and students in a ritual around Wairua/Mission administrator for
the Sisters of Mercy Incorporated
essential for consultation. the preparations of a Catholic college Ministries. He's been involved in
First is accountability to those kapa haka group. My niece, who works education for over 23 years.
we are working for and with, to their in the college, gave the welcome and
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 9
Ministries in the Community
Ministry belongs to all the baptised, writes THOMAS O’LOUGHLIN, and
reclaiming that understanding might change the need to close parishes.
M
eet any group of Catholics ritual requires expertise, and the amount presented as transient.
today and within minutes of expertise required is usually a direct Moreover, while Jesus was presented
someone will mention function of the length of the group’s as appointing messengers/preachers
that their diocese or local area is remembered tradition. But there is (apostles), there is no suggestion that
undergoing a “re-organisation”: a binary model at work here: a sole these were thought of as ritual experts.
parishes are being combined; the minister or small ministry-group which And, while leaders emerged in the
ordained ministers being spread more acts, leads and preaches/speaks/teaches various early churches with a variety
thinly around communities, and the on one side and, opposite them, a much of names it took generations for those
access to gathering for Eucharistic larger group that attends/listens/and patterns to be harmonised between
activity being curtailed. receives ministry. We see this model in communities and then systematised into
The process is sometimes given a nutshell in the statement: “the clergy authority structures.
an elegant name but this does not administer the sacraments”. There is no suggestion in the first-
hide the reality that it is driven by two This is a valuable and widely century documents that leadership
key factors: fewer and ageing priests. appreciated model because it fits at the two key community events,
Moreover, there is little prospect well beside other expert service Baptism and Eucharist, was restricted
that this situation, even with the providers in society, such as medics in any way or the preserve of those
addition of priests from India or the providing healthcare to the rest of who were community leaders, much
Philippines, will change any time soon. the community, and so full-time less a specially authorised group. The
In answer to this, we need to reflect “ministers of religion” are aligned by link between (a) leadership of the
on the basics of ministry and not society, and often by themselves, with community and (b) presidency at the
merely imagine that what has been the those other experts. Because society Eucharistic meal would not be forged
paradigm of ministry in the Catholic needs a “chaplaincy” service, we have until the third century, and only
Church since the early 17th century a justification for the clergy and their later again would “the history of its
is either set in stone or in any way liturgical ministry within society. institution” by Jesus be constructed.
ideal. Rather than being an ideal it was
instead a pragmatic response to the Discipleship as Community The Church within Society
Reformation which, in terms of Trent’s Service It has long been an illusion of the
vision of “the priesthood”, was perceived In stark contrast to such highly various Christian denominations that
as an officer-led rebellion that was to be structured notions of ministry or a study of history could provide either
prevented from recurring. priesthoods, Jesus was not a Levite; a blueprint for ministry or a conclusive
his ministry barely engaged with the answer to issues relating to ministry
Liturgical Ministry formal religious expert systems, and that have arisen in later situations.
Every religion and Christian denomi- when those structures are recalled Not only does this quest fall victim
nation has religious leaders who take — eg, Luke 10:31-32; John 4:21 — to the anachronism inherent in all
the leading roles at its rituals. Moreover, they are the objects of criticism or appeals to a perfect original moment,
10 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019but it assumes that ministry as it later Similarly, the notion that women, had occurred they had to ask what
developed was not itself the outcome as such, can be excluded from ministry made them different and what
of multiple, often conflicting, forces on the basis of some pragmatic special religious quality did they
in particular societies, as well as historical appeal, fails to take account have that others did not possess:
adaptations by Christians to well- of the fundamental role of Baptism in the answer came with the notion of
known inherited religious structures. all Christian existence and action. a power "to consecrate", and then
So, for example, the clerical system, this power (itself the subject of
within which was/is located liturgical Community Ministry rhetorical inflation) became the basis
ministry, for much of Christian history The second criterion is that we must of "ontological difference" between
related originally to the political needs also respect the awareness that all them and "ordinary Christians".
of the Church as a public body within action and ministry by Christians is After more than 1,000 years of
the Roman Empire. Given that there Christ-ian in nature. these confusions in Christianity, it is
was no “original” plan for liturgical Christians form a people, a priestly very hard for many who see themselves
ministry in the Church and, as a result people. We conceive of worship on the as "ministers" in a church to break free
of centuries of disputes, there are basis that our priest has come to us and of this baggage. Tradition can be like a
many conflicting views about what is with us as a community.Therefore, great oil tanker turning at sea: it takes a
constitutes someone within ministry, where two or three are gathered in long time to overcome inertia, and for
so it is quite impossible to produce a the name of Jesus, he is with them (Mt the ship to answer the helm!
systematic basis for liturgical ministry. 18:20), and so their actions together
However, given that ministry occurs — such as celebrating a meal — take Where Do We Start?
and is needed, we can set out some place in presence of the Father, because In every community there are those who
criteria that can help individuals and Christ, present among us, is always our have the skills that have brought that
communities to develop a pragmatic High Priest. This theological vision has group together and given it an identity.
theology of liturgical ministry. important implications for individual The task is to recognise these actual
Christians who find themselves ministers and to facilitate them to make
Criteria for Ministry — Baptism performing specific acts, ministries, that ministry more effective and fruitful.
Every specific ministry is a particular within the Church. Within Christianity, Some will have the gifts of evangelising
variation of the ministry of all the the ministry is that of the whole and welcoming, others the skills of
baptised, and in Baptism there is a community. leading in prayer and the offering of
radical equality: “there is neither Jew the thanksgiving sacrifice of praise,
nor Greek; there is neither slave nor Every specific ministry is a others the gifts of teaching, others of
free; there is neither male nor female; particular variation of the reconciling, others for the mission of
for you are all one in Christ Jesus” each community to the building up
(Galatians 3:28). ministry of all the baptised, of the kingdom of justice and peace,
This radical equality is a and in Baptism there is a and some will have management skills.
characteristic of the new creation radical equality. None is greater and none is less!
brought about in Christ; therefore, We need to heed Paul's advice to
any subsequent distinctions, such the Church in Corinth (1 Cor 12:4-13)
that particular ministries are not Language and Priestly Ministry around 58 CE as he presents ministry
potentially open to every baptised It is also worth remembering that as the working out of the presence of
person, are tantamount to a defective language plays us false in understanding the Spirit in the assembly.
theology of Baptism by which all "priestly ministry" in particular. The Old If his statements reverberated
ministry is brought into being. Testament cohen (priest), performed through our discussions today we
So, by making further demands for special tasks on behalf of the rest might need to talk less about "closing
“signs” of particular divine election as of Israel. This was rendered in the churches" and "combining parishes"
indications of suitability for ministry Septuagint by the word hiereus — a and move on to the more fruitful task
fly in the face of the incarnational word commonly used for pagan temple of discovering the wealth of vocations
dispensation seen in Baptism. officials — and then, later, into Latin that is all around us. But there is only
Likewise, regulations that restrict by sacerdos. The early Christians did one certainty: the future will not be
ministry to particular states of life — not use these words for their leaders: like the past; and when the present
demanding celibacy as a condition hiereus/sacerdos belonged to Jesus seeks to recede into its past, it is
for priesthood — have to be seen as alone in the heavenly temple. Christian untrue to its own moment.
an undue concern with the status of leaders were designated by their
certain ministries implying that Baptism relation to the community: as the one
is merely some basic entry requirement who oversaw, led or served it.
for “Christianity” rather than that Our word "priest" is etymologically Thomas O’Loughlin is Professor
of Historical Theology at the
which creates the new person who can from the word "presbyter" but University of Nottingham.
minister, and in that new creation no conceptually it relates to the
such distinctions exist. sacerdotal functions. Once this
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 11Discuss, Listen, Trust
COLIN MACLEOD outlines the processes of consultation a Dunedin
pastoral area engaged in before deciding to form a new parish.
I
believe one of the most challenging lived. He would continue living in his described the extra workload, others
Gospel passages is when Jesus tells presbytery and ours was to be rented the different state of finances, the
Simon to “put out into the deep” out. We were not happy about this, benefit of one "plant" over the other,
(Luke 5:4). I see it as a confronting but in Bob Dylan’s words we felt: “The the presence or absence of a Catholic
metaphor of change. The security times, they are a-changing.” school, the change in Mass times
associated with being on familiar, solid And the changes continued: The and the grief or blessing of having a
ground, or at least close to the shore, is bulletin switched orientation from resident priest. The conversation was
replaced by an uncharted “unknown”. our “portrait” to their “landscape” with cyclic, often returning to the same
Yet, like it or not, we are called to the both parish names in the header. That points, meeting an impasse and then
deep. This is my reflection on our was a major issue — with angst and moving on. But it was early “dialogue”
putting out into the deep — a journey actual tears. We had lost our identity! and through it we began to get to
from a single parish to joining with I later heard from the other parish know one another.
one other and then combining four that most of their information didn’t Both parish councils agreed that
parishes into one new parish. seem to make it into the bulletin. we were not the parish. We needed
They felt as hard done-by as we did! to support others in coming to
The First Shock The two parish councils came terms with the engagement too. We
Our parish lost its resident priest in together for their first meeting in organised a combined “social” — a
2003 and our new priest announced 2004, and as well as covering the dance in the other parish’s church.
our “engagement” — his word — with nuts’n’bolts, spent time talking Around 120 people came along,
the adjoining parish in which he about how things felt. Our priest talked, and danced to a band made up
12 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019of parishoners from both sides. We than less. We made an effort to hear from these groups. We weren’t
had a raffle and a pot-luck supper. It one another's “voice”. For example, very successful in getting young
was brilliant! we had some meetings immediately people along, but then they also said
after Mass in the church, where we combining parishes just wasn’t a
More Changes broke into small groups and addressed problem for them.
Then our priest retired which caused specific questions like: “What is your At the end of the four weeks we
bigger changes. Our new parish priest greatest fear about this change?” celebrated with a Youth-Mass, a well
lived way over in another parish “What might be better in this future?” attended social at the local Rugby
about 4.5km away. His ministry now We wrote down and considered what Club and a three session “mission”
included our two parishes and two people said. on Catholic spirituality and theology.
other parishes besides. We listened to those who were Finally the whole pastoral area
hurting and angry and endeavoured gathered for Mass in the Catholic
Parish Councils Take the Lead to hear their wisdom to help map the high-school auditorium, followed by
Quite quickly our parish councils path ahead. a huge shared lunch and a one-hour
decided to be proactive and co- We were honest about what was meeting where almost everyone voted
operative rather than resistant. happening. We published summaries to formally ask to become “one parish”.
Although we believed that “the of meeting minutes in the bulletin and
church is the community, not the shared information about the issues, Property Decisions
buildings” in practice that was the reasons and decisions being made. After that decision we had to deal
difficult for us all. Each parish held to with the practicalities: renovating a
their own buildings — and we didn’t community-friendly pastoral centre;
really think about those of the other Once we’d refurbishing St Patrick’s basilica;
parishes. Renovating, selling and demolishing or selling the other three
demolishing came later. acknowledged that churches; building sacred spaces for
For two years we held combined change was necessary, the Catholic schools that no longer
meetings with representatives of had a church. It all took much longer
we chose to look for a
the four parish councils rotating to a than we had anticipated, but we knew
different parish each month. The host way to be “more than where we were heading and why.
parish prepared the agenda and meeting we were” rather than
summaries and chaired the meeting. Naming Ourselves
And the individual parish councils
less. We made an effort As the basilica renovations drew
continued to meet to cover the to hear one another's near completion we asked people to
day-to-day needs of their local “voice”. suggest names for our new parish. We
communities. Then, to help our priest, then voted and adopted Mercy Parish
we decided to all meet at his large – Whānau Aroha as our name.
presbytery, in different rooms on the Building Mutual Trust During the process, sadly, we lost
same night, and come together at the The bishop and priests shared the some good people. But so many feel
end. Eventually, this became a formal journey but let the pastoral-area a sense of belonging to Mercy Parish
pastoral area council. council lead the process. Our priests because of the journey we shared in
didn’t claim to know the destination getting there. There’s still lots we are
Looking Back — What Helped? any more than we did. There was a working on.
Looking back now I can see several high level of trust. Looking back I can see that we
things that helped us change. were comfortable near the shore, and
Talking Together at Home although we were forced out into the
Coming Together It was perhaps Crossroads, a four-week, deep, I feel that in the deep we learnt
First we consciously kept returning home-based discussion programme we to put down our nets and appreciate
to the centrality of our shared designed based around the Gospels, the catch — a new unity in faith.
faith in Jesus Christ. We created which helped us come to know one
opportunities to get to know one another, accept the changes and
another — socials, combined Masses, begin creating a new combined parish
Painting: Under One Roof by Elenita Dumlao ©
picnics, meetings and we introduced together. Each week had a different
Used with permission
a four-week small group programme, theme — the experience of loss; a www.bestofdavao.com.ph
Crossroads, to take place in people’s place to begin; difficulty and conflict;
homes across the parishes. creating the future.
We mixed up participants so that Colin MacLeod lives in
Speaking, Listening, Informing each group had people from the Dunedin. He is director of the
Once we’d acknowledged that change four parishes. Although we didn’t National Centre for
was necessary, we chose to look for a record the conversations, much of Religious Studies.
way to be “more than we were” rather our emerging understanding flowed
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 13FAITH
TAKING ROOT
IN NEW SOIL
JUDITH BALARES SALAMAT
shares how her faith has grown
through the relationships and
opportunities she has had in
Aotearoa.
“ I
grew up in a devoutly Catholic family. I still
remember the time when my siblings and I
would take turns in leading the family rosary
before dinnertime. I grew up seeing my mother
reciting novenas at nighttime or early morning
and myself joining her sometimes.”
I can vividly remember those six-o’clock
family rituals in the Philippines when I was
five years old. I reflect now on how those
experiences affected me and my family,
uprooted from the Philippines eight years ago
and learning to be at home in New Zealand.
Moving to New Zealand wasn’t my first
experience of living overseas. I had lived (and
studied) in Australia for two years and visited and
tasted the cultural flavours of other countries as
a part of my work and academic experiences. But
it is only here in New Zealand that I have lived as
a resident in an adoptive country.
Looking back, I can describe my social,
cultural and religious community in very
different terms from how I would have 30 or
so years ago. Then, I lived in a totally Filipino
community in my native city and barangay
— now I have a Church community not only
comprising some of my compatriots but also
people of many other ethnicities. We come
together with our different skin colours,
languages, foods, occupations, preoccupations
and religious and spiritual backgrounds. As a
community, we are like growing seeds — we
have the promise of flourishing.
Growing and Transplanting Faith
I remember the family prayer times when I was
little. We had good memories to be able to
recite those long prayers. As I got older, I started
to focus on Bible-based prayers and biblical
passages. I led spontaneous prayers on special
occasions, read the Bible with a small group and
14 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019made Bible reading and reflection an everyday practice. with community. It is through these relationships that I
I continued this focus in New Zealand and perhaps find meaning in daily life here. Faith and family have always
by fate, also broadened it. I joined a Church community been central to my life, but now, as a migrant/adoptive
and participated in the events and activities — a series of child of New Zealand, they also provide an unbroken link to
recollections, regular cell-group Bible studies and sharing, my past — I am in a different place and a different culture,
outreach programmes and informal outreach experiences but my faith and my family remain constant.
with Filipino and other migrants. I’ve realised that I belonged
(and still do) to a Catholic community of many cultures. Loss — A Gainful Experience
In the Philippines, I frowned upon Bible study groups From my migrant perspective, my understanding of faith
as I thought of them as gossipy and critical. But in New is about believing in the unknown and calmly listening to
Zealand, I feel differently. It may be because God seems that “voice in the wilderness”. I’m like those others who’ve
so much closer now that I live far from the rest of my experienced loss — a job, a family member, or failing a test.
extended family, out of my comfort zone and with all the We’ve all suffered loss. However, we triumph when we
experiences and pain of separation, anxiety, inadequacy, believe that although we suffer loss, and always will, our loss
together with the adjustments to the climate, people and is experienced within a framework of divine love — of God.
environment. This separation and adaptation make daily
life seem like a spiritual experience — “living-out God’s Introduction to Māori
way” every day. Just as a gardener doesn’t know if the seeds will germinate
and flourish, I didn’t know what was in store for me and
my family when we came to New Zealand. I have found,
appreciated and absorbed some practices here in New
Zealand that have helped our family to be at home here.
One is our contact with Māori mainly through the
liturgy. We have been introduced to Māori prayers and
We have been introduced to Māori prayers rituals — for example, a pōwhiri as the introductory rite of
and rituals. These practices signal that the Eucharist. We’ve had the reading first in te reo Māori then
Church values our bicultural context and in English, we’ve sung the hymns in Māori.
helps new migrants to New Zealand to These practices signal that the Church values our
bicultural context and helps new migrants to New Zealand
engage with Māori. to engage with Māori.
Nourishment of Many Cultures
Growing New Relationships My faith has grown in New Zealand. My Filipino faith —my
As I mature spiritually, I become more focused on the primary root — has taken its secondary roots in New Zealand
things that provide me with a stronger relationship soil. I feel like a transplanted plant blooming because of the
with God. I find I am less focused on doctrine and more prayer and nurturing of my Church community as well as
interested in being myself with God. I think of faith as many other people. I feel as if I’ve joined a common faith
“holding on to what we hope for, being certain of what we journey now where “we hold to what we hope for” as we
cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1). participate in God’s mission on Earth.
Now, I think of my spirituality in two ways: first, my It’s taken a while for me to understand the important
relationship with God is nourished by rituals such as the emphasis on “bicultural” here because I’m one of the many
daily family Bible reflections and prayer sessions, and cultures in New Zealand. As an immigrant, being in New
our cell-group sharings; and second, my relationship to a Zealand is a bicultural and a cross-cultural experience. I’ve
bigger community of believers and others. This means that learned that it is by participating and working together —
I also perform my work with spiritual values and a sense with Māori and other cultures — that we build community.
of mission. I think of my work as ministry. It is comforting We’ll continue to respect and honour te reo Māori in the
to know that my fellow group mates understand and also liturgy just as we’ll respect and honour one another’s
practise what I believe in. And at the end of each day, I different faith practices in community. As migrants
think back to see how my work, the way I’ve related to from multiple cultures with a strong faith in Christ, we
people, and the attitude towards my role, have pleased understand the “cross” as we grow together.
God and have been for God.
We found that the Church also honours the other
cultures in this country. For example, we’ve often had
the Prayers of the Faithful read by representatives of the
ethnicities in our community. This practice is a welcoming Judith Balares Salamat is a literacy and
and inclusive gesture and reminds us all that the Church is numeracy tutor for adult learners and
made up of people of many different cultural backgrounds. primary schoolers in Kāpiti. This role
As I become more at home here, I realise I’m focusing contributes to her faith-journey.
more on building relationships — with God, with family,
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 1516 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019
Power for Life
From where do they come, these seeds of violence
In what hard ground, what barren soil are they sown
Who can be tempted to eat their bitter fruit?
Like a cancer it grows from stored resentments
Generation after generation passing on the brokenness
The pain of the oppression, the injustice, the poverty
Feeding the desire for revenge, the thirst for power.
In the misuse of intelligence,
In the abuse of human rights,
the scene in the garden is reenacted
as man competes with God for power
as he uses death in a misguided search for life.
The big violence is only the sum of all the small violences
That live in the brokenness of each of us.
It can only take root in the critical thoughts of the mind
In the self deprecating feelings of the heart.
But, hope, to recall “the darkness cannot overcome the light”
Peace is possible with the healing of hearts
The positive energy healing unleashes
Transforms the energy of violence into power for peace for life.
— Barbara Cameron
Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019 17Our Shared History
N
ew Zealanders, barely clear historical narratives like the Cook cultural divide, drawing on established
of the centenary of the First encounter are constructed — put ways of thinking about the world and
World War, find themselves together over the years to suit also fashioning new ones. 1769, for
in rougher waters with another debate particular tastes and politics. example, reconnected Māori with their
about our national past. We now have a chance to think of Polynesian heritage. It also provoked
2019 marks the 250th anniversary 1769 in a fresh way — to use the past reflection on who they were as "Māori"
of the arrival of Captain Cook at to understand our relationships in — what was ordinary — as opposed
Tūranganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay in the present and, through a particular to "Pākehā", beings who came from
October 1769. narrative or story, shape our future. another, external place.
Although Abel Tasman had returned The Government has allocated
to Dutch authorities in 1643 with tales over $20 million to mark the Story of Cook's Place in NZ
of the “moordenaers” (murderers) of anniversary. A flotilla of waka and History
“Nova Zeelandia”, 1769 marked the other ships, including an Endeavour The controversy in 2019, however,
first encounter between Europeans replica, will visit four of the main Cook is less about Cook the explorer, a
and tangata whenua. Like many such landing sites, starting in Gisborne. man of his time and place, and more
meetings of worlds, this encounter Should we be dedicating time and about the way in which his image and
was marred by misunderstanding money to the commemoration of such memory has been used at different
and violence. The Endeavour crew a seemingly divisive moment in New times in New Zealand history.
responded to perceived threats of Zealand history? Interestingly, the first monument
violence with musket-fire, killing at least to Cook's 1769 landing was raised
eight Tūranga Māori. Setting aside the narrative of in Gisborne only in 1906. The 150th
Cook went on to circumnavigate the “discovery” offers a richer story anniversary in 1919 was a similarly
North and South Islands, meeting with local affair.
of cross-cultural encounters
Māori at the Bay of Islands where, with the The excitement and pride of
help of Tahitian navigator and translator between Europeans and these commemorations located New
Tupaia, he developed a much more fruitful tangata whenua, marred by Zealand in a grand story of British
relationship with tangata whenua. tragedy, but also exchange. civilisation and progress.
The first pōwhiri accorded to Pākehā Later, the 18th-century Cook
was performed. Gifts were exchanged. I think that to make this 250th was re-imagined in the 20th century
Cook compiled the first cartographic anniversary meaningful to New as “the first of a Pākehā pantheon
map of the coastline and catalogued the Zealand — to construct the story of deified ancestors” (to use James
distinctive animal and plant life. we want to tell about ourselves as a Belich's famous phrase), who augured
nation — we need to unpack the three an imperial destiny.
Reviewing our Narratives stories at stake. The statue dedicated to James Cook
Certainly, Cook was one of the great The first is the story of the in Christchurch, the city in which I live
explorers of his age. But his voyages encounter between Cook and Māori and work, is a good example of this
foreshadowed the 19th-century in 1769. story. The handsome Carrara marble
wave of colonisation which saw the The second is how that story has monument was commissioned in 1928
decimation of indigenous cultures been told by some New Zealanders by Matthew Barnett, a self-made
across the globe. over the past 250 years. businessman. The Governor-General,
In recent times, we have been The third is how that story could be Lord Bledisloe, unveiled the statue in
encouraged into one of two views told in the future. 1932. Photographs of the ceremony
of Cook, both equally reductive. show the monument draped in the
Either Cook is a “syphilitic pirate” and Māori Story of Encounter Union Jack, bestriding Victoria Square.
“imperial vanguard murderer”, or he with Cook Lord Bledisloe celebrated Cook's
is the Great White Hope and shining The Māori story of the encounter at 1769 arrival as the first and foremost
herald of progress. Turanganui-a-Kiwa has too often been of “three outstanding landmarks” in the
Now, 250 years later, we have forgotten by historians. Encounters history of New Zealand, followed by the
an opportunity to remember that make demands on both sides of the arrival of Christianity and the signing
18 Tui Motu InterIslands www.tuimotu.org Issue 240 August 2019You can also read
