Racism reports call for cogovernance, constitution
WELLINGTON: Two reports out yesterday from the Human Rights Commission detail the effects of racism and colonisation on Ma¯ori.
Both are calling for the Government to commit to constitutional transformation and cogovernance with tangata whenua.
For the first report, Ki te whaiao, ki te ao Ma¯rama, researchers talked to Ma¯ori, Pa¯keha¯, Pasifika and Asian people about how to develop a national action plan against racism.
Some said they found it hard to even imagine a world without racism.
‘‘It’s difficult to imagine a future where there is no racism. It’s quite disheartening to feel that way.
‘‘[Even] as a rangatahi [young] Ma¯ori growing up in the ko¯hanga reo [revival of te reo Ma¯ori], in kura kaupapa [te reo schooling] . . . it’s still . . . difficult to imagine such a future. I guess [that is] the living evidence of the [extent] of colonisation and assimilation that has happened here in Aotearoa,’’ a participant said.
One woman told of being harassed in a supermarket and noone coming to help her; another person felt they had been passed over for promotion several times because of their skin colour; and immigrants spoke of a dehumanising system that treats them as secondclass citizens.
The second report, Maranga Mai, looks at the effects of 180 years of colonisation and racism on Ma¯ori.
It cites poverty, poor health and lower life expectancy.
Race relations commissioner Meng Foon said the longterm goal was an end to racism.
‘‘Eliminate racism in Aotearoa in all forms, in all organisations whether it’s government, nongovernment organisations, businesses, amongst our communities.
‘‘Build a good culture, so that we can all strive and thrive in Aotearoa,’’ he said.
The report recommends appointing a permanent indigenous rights commissioner, establishing a truth and reconciliation commission and the government committing to constitutional transformation.
Antiracism task force cochairwoman Tina Ngata said the country’s constitutional arrangements such as the electoral and justice systems were based on centuriesold racist ideologies and were the roots of racism here.
‘‘Until we have a look at the unjust nature of our constitutional arrangements in Aotearoa, we’re going to consistently keep winding up with these symptoms of racism and we will continue to struggle to deal with racism,’’ Ms Ngata said.
The reports feature a call for He Whakaputanga, the declaration of independence, and the Treaty of Waitangi to be recognised as New Zealand’s founding documents.
Mr Foon said the country was making progress in tackling racism although the political arena was another matter.
‘‘Some politicians make it a political football . . . the betterment of sharedgovernance, cogovernance or goodgovernance tends to be seen as a racist matter,’’ he said.
‘‘Sometimes I think we go one step forward and we go two or three steps back.’’
Ms Ngata said backlash would definitely follow the push to end racism.
‘‘All of these things, as we start to move towards justice, will provoke the anxieties of white supremacist movements and they will get increasingly more antagonistic.’’
But she still urged people to take part in a conversation about how Aotearoa New Zealand could become the best nation for everyone.
Mr Foon said the most important step now was whakatinana ai, turning these plans into actions. — RNZ