How Pa¯keha¯ contribute to racism
As Pa¯keha¯, growing up in Aotearoa I never considered myself to be racist or connected to racism in any way. I was taught to view racism as something other people exhibited on a personal level, such as attitudes of racial superiority, prejudice and casual derogatory remarks about other racial groups.
‘‘That’s racist, but nothing to do with me,’’ I thought righteously.
In recent years, however, I have become much more acutely conscious of how racism is institutionalised in all aspects of New Zealand life as a result of colonisation.
I’m not talking about racist individuals or even racist intent.
Instead, I now understand that racism operates as a system – a system that my own Pa¯keha¯ privilege is closely tied up in.
It is the structures, policies and practices of our institutional arrangements and how they have been designed to maintain Pa¯keha¯ dominance over Ma¯ori.
An example of blatant institutionalised racism is the legislation that surrounds the establishment of Ma¯ori wards in local government.
The Ma¯ori ward is the only ward that can be overturned by a binding referendum, if a petition showing five per cent of the voting constituents oppose the councillors’ vote to establish it in their district.
All other wards are decided by councillors alone, but the one that directly impacts on Ma¯ori representation is riddled with roadblocks.
The legislation that allows the establishment of the Ma¯ori wards to be overturned disadvantages Ma¯ori populations from gaining guaranteed representation on our local councils and is a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which affirmed Ma¯ori Tino Rangatiratanga, which I understand as absolute and complete authority and decision-making over their own affairs.
‘‘That’s racist, but nothing to do with me,’’ we Pa¯keha¯ may think.
But what if it had everything to do with Pa¯keha¯?
What if we understood ourselves to be part of that system. You see, the way that racism operates is that just as one group of people is systematically disadvantaged there is another group of people who are advantaged by the very same system.
As Pa¯keha¯, we benefit from the systems, structures and institutions that we built and continue to control. This structural advantage is the other side of racism.
The design of our local government structures and legislation is a result of Pa¯keha¯ holding institutional power so as a result, local government systems of representation are designed to meet the needs of Pa¯keha¯.
This is our privilege.
When it comes to representation of Pa¯keha¯ in local government decisionmaking, the numbers have only ever been stacked in my group’s favour.
As Pa¯keha¯, I can’t ever know the pain that comes with the intergenerational struggle to have my people’s voice heard. Sure, I’ve witnessed the pain and I have shed tears but engaging in issues of racism is entirely optional for me. I can walk away unaffected.
This is my privilege.
I think those of us who hold such privilege have an important role to play in dismantling the systems that uphold racism experienced by Ma¯ori.
Tackling racism in Aotearoa requires the dominant Pa¯keha¯ majority to be willing to engage in power-sharing with tangata whenua.
Supporting guaranteed Ma¯ori representation in all of our systems of decision-making, including a single New Plymouth District Council Ma¯ori Ward, is one way that we can be anti-racist. After all, if we are not actively dismantling racism, then we are passively enabling it.
Striving towards more equitable representation of tangata whenua in local government decision-making requires us to examine our own Pa¯keha¯ privilege and be willing to share power.
Pa¯keha¯ ma¯, the time has come again. I believe the difference is this time round, we are willing.