OPINION
Topics: Education, Media, Government
Last week a Northland school librarian hurriedly removed history books from a high school library lest student minds become contaminated by the “racist” propaganda. Why the panic, you ask, and how did the books get there?
2023 is the first year that NZ history is a compulsory subject in schools. Stuff have outdone themselves with accounts of horrifying reactions to books on NZ history that challenge the “authorised” (substitute sanitised) version of the Treaty, essential to implementing co-governance, separate Maori law and institutions.
An opinion or publication that supports the notion that Te Tiriti created one people, one nation, must be challenged because it threatens the government’s rewriting of the Treaty and subsequent separation of governance.
Under the headline ‘Racist propaganda’: The undercover campaign to infiltrate school libraries, a “controversial publisher” sold books to the Kerikeri High School library while librarian Julia Smith wasn’t on guard to stop a shocking racist attack on teenage minds.
“I shared it with the head of history and Maori teachers who were both horrified,” Smith said. “There were even tears.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300899633/racist-propaganda-the-undercover-campaign-to-infiltrate-school-libraries
There are, of course, very many events of historical significance besides the Treaty but the message is clear – only government-approved NZ history will be made available to NZ students even at high school level, where debate and discussion should be acceptable and encouraged. Crying is acceptable because emotion beats logic, doesn’t it?
Historian Vincent O’Malley claims Tross Publishing’s books are “full of misinformation”, “Tross has a reputation for producing works that I would describe as racist propaganda” and the books are “racist propaganda” with the publisher a reputation for “distorting history”.
The Stuff article refers to the book “One Treaty, One Nation” first published in October 2015 and available through Tross Publishing. It is written by Hugh Barr, Don Brash, Mike Butler, Reuben Chapple, Peter Cresswell, Bruce Moon, John Robinson and David Round.
Coming from a variety of political backgrounds and with strong academic backgrounds, they are qualified to hold opinions on NZ history. However, their account of NZ history is a threat to the “authorised” version of the Treaty:
- Before 1840 was a veritable shambles
- There is only one Treaty
- Colonisation brought benefits and not disaster
- Treaty “partnership” and “principles” are pure fiction
- Maori sovereignty is the enemy of democracy and equality
- The country’s name is being changed by stealth
- Indoctrination is closing the nation’s mind
- The Maori seats in Parliament have long passed their use-by date
- The Waitangi Tribunal is causing such harm that it must be abolished
- Treaty settlements enrich the pale-faced tribal elite without helping others
- We are losing our beaches to the tribal elite
- Wealthy and commercial tribes pay no tax
- Local government is being tribalised by stealth.
Tross Publishing
https://trosspublishing.co.nz/publication/one-treaty-one-nation
Why is “One Treaty, One Nation” held in the National Library of New Zealand collection if the book is misinformation?
Another critic of Tross Publishing is the President of the NZ School Library Association, who considers herself trained to recognise misinformation.
“Manawatu primary school librarian and SLANZA president Sasha Eastwood said many students weren’t equipped to recognise misinformation.”
SLANZA Mission Statement
http://www.slanza.org.nz/
SLANZA provides community, guidance and professional development on library practice and programmes for school library staff in Aotearoa New Zealand while reflecting the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
It’s quite some feat if Sasha is to meet the nebulous principles of the Treaty of Waitangi criteria for every book on every subject in every school library in the country, isn’t it?
By the way Sasha, what is propaganda? Here’s an example I prepared earlier:
“These works aren’t going to provide any kind of accurate account of New Zealand history. They provide a totally distorted and misleading racist interpretation that bears little resemblance to what actually took place.”
The books put forward a curated narrative: “It’s a view where Maori [are portrayed as] a backward, barbaric people until they’re saved by the British Crown.”
Vincent O’Malley
O’Malley ignores backward, barbaric Maori practices prior to colonisation including euthanising female babies, regularly going to war and collecting slaves to keep and eat in times of famine.
Esteemed Maori leader, Sir Apirana Ngata, deserves the final word.
The Treaty made the one law for the Maori and Pakeha. If you think these things are wrong and bad then blame our ancestors who gave away their rights in the days when they were powerful.
The Treaty of Waitangi An Explanation by the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata