No time to celebrate

Rosemary Macleod’s recent column in the

Taranaki Daily News on ‘S*** Life’ and the inverse racism that is prevalent in parts of our society was very poignant, and oh so true.

This Saturday’s editorial calling for better acknowledgement of NZ history – ie the Land Wars to be better commemorated – can be seen as a further extension of that inverse racism.

The NZ Wars history is well acknowledged and proudly celebrated in certain parts of the country such as Northland.

It isn’t in Taranaki.

The Ngapuhi, and the NZ Army, both held several official commemorations for the 150th anniversary the first (Northern) Wars, all of which was prominently reported on by the Northland

Age, and the Northern Advocate, and even made the evening TV news.

For those of your readers who are not aware, this was where and when the Northern tribes dished out several resounding lessons (defeats) on trench warfare and the effective use of muskets to the imperial forces (Mana).

Roll the time frame forward a few more years, and when the time came to call for commemorations in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the second Land Wars (Taranaki) it was deemed inappropriate and culturally insensitive to hold any official commemorations and all slipped quietly by with next to no acknowledgment. Sour grapes? Rubbing salt into the wounds?

Unfortunately there is still at least one local ‘thorn in the side’ that should be correctly addressed prior to any national day of recognition: The Waitara lease lands have yet to be returned to the rightful owners.

For some there is still very little to commemorate, least of all to celebrate at this time.

When that leased land is returned to its rightful owners, maybe that should be the day upon which we can all commemorate the Land Wars? T W Busby, Egmont Village