Rights advocate takes Cook complaint to UN
A complaint has been made at the United Nations over the 250th anniversary commemorations of Captain Cook, while the Government pushes ahead with plans to roll out a ‘‘First Encounters’’ programme in schools next year.
Indigenous rights advocate Tina Ngata laid the complaint in April on the grounds that New Zealand’s discovery narrative – promoted by events planned for the Tuia Encounters 250 commemoration – ‘‘underpinned the denial of indigenous rights’’.
Ngata, who teaches indigenous and human rights at university level, said she felt New Zealand had failed to condemn the actions of Cook. These actions included theft, abduction, genocide and imperial expansion.
‘‘Trying to glorify this and memorialise this becomes problematic and goes against where we want to be heading.’’
At the forum held in New York, Ngata saud the ‘‘Doctrine of Discovery’’ put New Zealand ‘‘a step behind in realising indigenous people’’ as it went ‘‘against human rights in the global community’’.
The Doctrine of Discovery was a document used by European monarchies to legitimise the colonisation of lands outside Europe.
Tuia Encounters 250 co-chair and former prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley said there would be ‘‘no Doctrine of Discovery celebrations’’ happening next year.
‘‘Quite the opposite, in fact. We are celebrating our shared society and exploring that theme of what New Zealand has in common while facing up to realities, both good and bad.’’
Ngata, from Ruatoria near Gisborne, said New Zealand needed to address the human rights abuse that had occurred since Cook’s arrival in 1769.
‘‘We’re just starting to wake up to the reality that we have some real race issues we need to address. It would be counter-intuitive to celebrate that act.’’
Ngata said her statement was ‘‘well supported’’ by UN officials.
Her complaint also drew the backing of many other indigenous rights groups from other nations, she added.
‘‘We are one step in a much broader journey to highlight what injustices were done.’’
Tuia Encounters 250 was being led by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, with a focus on the themes of dual heritage and shared futures.
The event’s name was a blend between the Ma¯ ori world, Tuia, to weave or bind together, and the European concept of time and commemoration, Encounters 250.