Witehira on his design
Manawatu¯ designer and artist JohnsonWitehira (Nga¯puhi, Tamahaki) explains howhe chose to visually represent the historic apology toMa¯ori:
What are the ideas behind the design?
The concept is really simple. I wanted to show how, through this project, the true essence of Ma¯ori life and experience might finally start to come to the fore in Stuff’s journalism.
You can see a hand wrenching up a red hei tiki from under the weight of racist texts.
These texts have appeared in papers associated with Stuff over the past 160-plus years.
I anticipate that some Ma¯ori will see this and think: ‘‘Whatever, we have never been held down or buried by the media.’’
However, I think that reading would be too literal.
Why did youwant to be involved?
I basically wanted to be involved to tautoko Carmen Parahi, the Pou Tiaki editor from Stuff who is leading much of this work. I know how lonely and difficult it is to be ‘‘the Ma¯ori’’ at work, trying to push for changes that in some ways you should not even have to.
And, what is worse, there is no right or wrong way to do this type of transformational change. You are going to make mistakes and you are going to be criticised. If the kaupapa (discussion) is tika (fair) though, that is all that matters.
The othermain reason I wanted to be involved is that I am worried about how, globally, the news media is trending towards polarisation. We need to actively develop our own culturally affirming and inclusive approaches towards representation.
What do you think ofMa¯ori portrayal in the media?
Ma¯ori continue to be represented unfairly in the media and there is one simple reason why. Many of our leading news outlets, this one included, continue to hire and promote people who clearly display racist opinions. So what can the media do? Change your culture. Make your workplaces so inclusive and so diverse that it becomes unbearable for those bigots to show up.
What do you think this project symbolises for race relations?
If Stuff can remain true to this kaupapa, they will be signalling to their readership that racism is no longer supported within one of New Zealand’s largest media organisations. That is huge.
What is your background in art and design?
I aman artist, designer and academic. I hold the first doctorate in Ma¯ori visual arts, from Massey University, and have spent more than 10 years working in the contemporary Ma¯ori design space.