Kia ora Koutou, a short not very sweet busk this week.
Just recently I’ve filled in two forms. One for the Blind Foundation and one for a Colmar Brunton Poll who are doing a survey on behalf of Creative New Zealand.
Both of them asked for my ancestry. Maori? European? Pasifika? Asian?
Wouldn’t you think in 2018 in Aotearoa New Zealand there would be a slot you can tick for Maori/Pakeha? In the Colmar Brunton poll you had to put it in a section called ‘Other’ ???
Hello? I can’t be the only one with a Maori mother and a Pakeha father. This is Aotearoa New Zealand right?
On my wall I have a framed poem by Keri Kaa, which Keri gave me some years ago. She writes about the time when the Census asked us to say how much percentage Maori and how much percentage Pakeha we were. She has a bit of fun with this concept but its bitter sweet fun.
Are you Maori. Are you Maori.
Yes I am, Yes I am. Says the Paua to the Koura
How do you know? How can you tell? squawked the Koura.
‘Cos I’m black, BLACK, shouted the Paua.
But, pressed the Koura, are you 7/8 or full?
WHO CARES, said the Paua
Me, squeaked the Koura,
You see when I’m cooked I turn bright red, so what am I then?
You think you’ve got troubles, shrieked the Paua, when they can me boy, for export, they wash me with baking soda and I turn WHITE…
but
on Census night I’m all black and full Maori…
Keri Kaa
So – here I am in December 2018, thinking is it me? Am I the only one put in this position of having to choose? I du t it. I chose Maori for the Blind Foundation because I had to choose one and if it comes down to it I’ll always choose my mother over my father. But as far as the survey is concerned I’m over it, I dipped out, reneged, didn’t finish. Ho hum…
Renée
