Mere Mangu responded positively to Andrew Little's speech in te reo at Waitangi this week. But how bicultural is New Zealand? Photo / John Stone
Mere Mangu responded positively to Andrew Little's speech in te reo at Waitangi this week. But how bicultural is New Zealand? Photo / John Stone
Opinion
COMMENT
Culture is one of the most complicated words in the English language.
Whether conscious or unconscious, it encompasses and influences every aspect of human life. Most people live their daily lives at the intersection of multiple cultures whether through sport, professional, art, rock, religious, pop, ethnic, familial, gender -the list goes on.
By definition, culture shapes everything we care about, do and identify with. Interestingly, what we often forget is the role culture plays in what we know, how we seek and share knowledge, particularly with our successors. In New Zealand, this is not well observed.
We have become really good at forgetting that our institutions, public spaces and many private places are products of a cultural world view. A world view that is not from this land. We have become really adept at believing, and behaving like, these products are culturally benign, universal even.
The consequence is that this is the "universally appropriate norm" and products from alternative cultural world views are less relevant, applicable or useful.
This is the time of year in Aotearoa when discussions about culture are plentiful as we enter into our annual celebrations of, arguably, the founding of our nation, or at least the signing of our nation's founding document – Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
There are countless positions taken today on the topic of biculturalism. From its empty promise and disappointment in its inability to assure and ensure genuine partnership with Māori to its irrelevance in the wake of an ever-growing multicultural or global New Zealand society.
The reality is, however, that biculturalism influences our ideas of identity and nationhood and is commonplace in New Zealand public policy.
But what does it mean? Are we there yet? And how would we know?
Esteemed professor Ranginui Walker asserted the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in determining bicultural aspirations and claimed: "Te Tiriti o Waitangi can be interpreted as a charter for biculturalism".
By definition, biculturalism would see that our "attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterise our institutions and organisations" are equally shaped by both treaty partners? Traditionally, this is tangata whenua and the British Crown. Today the British Crown is commonly accepted to be represented by the New Zealand Government, in turn representing all New Zealanders who are afforded citizenship as defined by them.
Are we there yet? Many, or should I say "middle", New Zealanders would respond with an emphatic "yes" and would rattle off a list of examples as evidence.
Indeed, Māori culture and our pristine lands and waterways are our defining features abroad. The exercise of Māori ceremonial customs are common in national and many local events of significance. Te reo Māori is receiving great press, never before have we seen such commitment by our national media to proliferate Māori language and attend to accurate pronunciation. Our national anthem is routinely sung in te reo Māori as well as English. Most kids will be familiar with at least one haka and/or waiata and would usually be expected to be able to count to 10 in Māori. But, are we there yet?
How would we know? Well, are Māori cultural patterns of knowledge, belief, and behaviour as normal aspects of everyday life as for products of our British cultural heritage? Is Māori culture entrenched in our nation's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge? Are Māori attitudes, values and goals embedded in the strategic and economic infrastructure of our institutions and organisations? Are Māori culture and identities naturally and unsurprisingly modern and dynamic while also being steeped in history and tradition? Do New Zealanders comfortably converse freely and fluently in English and te reo Māori whether we are a citizen by Māori whakapapa or by Te Tiriti?
These are questions we are engaging with at Toi Ohomai. We are embarking on a "critical bicultural" journey, stretching ourselves beyond our current levels of comfort to learn more about our part in nurturing an authentic and meaningful biculturalism.
On Waitangi Day we are reminded about the promises made by our ancestors to work together to negotiate a bright future for their collective descendants.
Kelly-Anne Panapa. Photo / supplied
Our journey at Toi Ohomai is guided by a mana ōrite (equal mana), indigenous-settler relationship. We are learning that a mana ōrite relationship is fraught with tension and sometimes conflict but one that is enduring, reciprocal and rewarding.
If we can find the courage to stay engaged through discomfort we know the experience will teach us something and provide us with growth and reward us with a sum much greater than its parts.
• Kelly-Anne Panapa is the head of Māori success at Toi Ohomai, a tertiary education institute with campuses in Rotorua, Tauranga, and other towns in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato.
