FROM THE EDITOR
This week Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the first public holiday for Matariki (June 24, 2022). “Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday; a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Maori,” Ardern said. Today is Waitangi Day. What better time, then, to consider and reflect on cultural appropriation.
I’ve always viewed the term “cultural appropriation” in the same way as I do “PC” or “political correctness”. Seems to me it’s about manners, consideration and not being a dick. Like those who get drunk in overseas bars and annihilate the haka, labouring under the misapprehension that it’s entertaining, amusing or a rite of passage. Answer: none of the above. As actor and director Katie Wolfe says in Joanna Wane’s feature this week, it’s about giving a s***. Wane talks with writers, artists and academics about the concept of cultural ownership. It’s a minefield, but she traverses the scale of appropriation — from the how-could-you, industrial grade (influencers, fashion designers and celebrities) — and gains insight from tangata whenua and commentators from different cultural backgrounds about the current state of affairs in Aotearoa. It’s a riveting and important korero. Also, this week we start a new column, Taonga, which will alternate fortnightly with Soundtrack to My Life. First up, haere mai Taane Mete — dancer, sage, and a total delight. And photographer Jos Wheeler shares his portraits of protest.
Nga mihi nui