All the same or else .....

Tu Tangata, Issue 2, 1 October 1981, Page 12

All the same or else .....

The first issue of Tu Tangata (Aug/Sept) contained an editorial on the Chairman of the New Zealand Maori Council, Sir Graham Latimer’s speech given at the New Zealand Toastmasters’ Conference in May this year.

Sir Graham received this letter from the Rev H M Oatway, All Saints Parish, Ngaio, Wellington, in which he writes:

“I came to this country some 30 years ago; I make no pretence of being a Maori or trying to be one, but there is no question that I am a New Zealand, glad to be and proud to be.

“Your reported statements infer that as a race only Maoris remain on the land or value it. This is not so.

“Many Maori people live in the cities, many have found the weather brighter in another country, i.e. Australia, and many came here because the weather was brighter to the detriment of the Moriori people.

“The way forward is not be recriminations about the past, but by mutual love and forgiveness for New Zealanders of all ethnic origins have made and will probably continue to make mistakes and it seems to me that whilst we should be proud of our ethnic origins, we should stop talking about Pakeha or Maori and begin talking about New Zealanders.

“Unless we do this I fear we may move back to the sentiments expressed in this poem by Carl Sandburg:

“Get off this estate.” “What for?” “Because it’s mine.” “Where did you get it?” “From my father.” “Where did he get it?” “From his father.” “And where did he get it?” “He fought for it.” “Well, I’ll fight you for it.”