Phil Green
When is a karakia (prayer or incantation) a karakia?
As the Mayor of Kaipara is finding out, it’s whenever the self-appointed councillor for spiritual interests, in this case, Peri Paniora, decides.
As New Zealand is rapidly discovering, many things about Maori culture which have earlier been exalted as evidence of our inclusive nature are rapidly becoming an albatross around our multi-ethnic necks.
When Jacinda Ardern was giving an interview last year to “Accredited” media in the Far North, she was interrupted by someone asking her uncomfortable questions about the vaccine. To the side was a young Maori woman who was heckling the PM, who began to be jostled by the cohort Ardern relies upon for protection.
This young woman sang her waiata (song) as a personal protest, which I personally found moving, especially as it was apparent this young woman was a rebel and not cowed by the vaccine propaganda the Prime Minister was pushing. Stirring stuff. There’s much about the Maori world which can’t be erased because of the actions of a few.
Never forget, that while we fight these unconstitutional changes by a rabid socialist government, the same sweetness that fostered cross cultural relationships hasn’t gone away.
If we ever truly believed in the ‘One people’ principle then this is the time not to be cajoled down a cul-de-sac of separatist bile.
Nevertheless, there are instances where seemingly innocuous events, like a council meeting, are being hijacked by an agenda. Call me paranoid, but if it weren’t for the political pressure on local councils to sign up for the 3/5/all-Waters scenario, it’s likely this Kaipara incident would’ve gone unnoticed, or possibly endured but, more tellingly, Peri Paniora wouldn’t have even bothered in the first place.
What’s significant about an otherwise insignificant story about a council meeting, is the pseudo-religious fervour of Maori spirituality. Nobody of a certain age can look at the present theme without thinking how different that story is from our memory of growing up with our Maori mates.
That’s because it’s a false story we’re been fed. Huge surprise and spoiler alert. I was brought up at a primary school where Pakeha students were in the minority. I never thought about it. We had lovely Maori teachers, Maori songs at assembly, hangi at fundraising day and the girls twirled their poi-poi. I learnt the haka at secondary school. If that’s a racist society, then I’m looking forward to how they’re going to improve on that.
Oh, they can’t.
Now my children receive lessons on white privilege. That’s Willy Jackson’s utopia. Never mind. The point of my observations is that despite my personal affection for the karakia and waiata in particular (I’m always moved to tears seeing the Maori Battalion return home to the wailing of the mothers), there’s an accelerating movement that sees the karakia in particular as the vanguard in a process which is rapidly alienating those of us who otherwise would be showcasing Maoridom to the world, including our tats and bone carvings. I’m not so sure now; and I no longer wear my bone carving. That’s sad.
newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/kaipara-mayor-craig-jepson-unrepentant-over-his-ban-on-karakia/