Finally it’s happened. A political party has had the courage to put one of the biggest wrongs in this country to right. It seems pretty innocuous at first glance. But the Green’s announcement to make Te Reo compulsory for all students from Year 1 to Year 10 is a game shifter and the reaction to the announcement is a strong reminder that we still have a long way to go in Aotearoa. In fact it shows that implicit bias and privilege are still strong and prevalent in our society. So strong that many people can’t see the damage that both of them consistently inflict on New Zealand. The reality of that sobered me up very quickly and it saddens me.
What do I mean by implicit bias and privilege? Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, is a set of presumptions, thoughts and ideas of which we are unaware but which is can be easily become a default way of thinking without us realising. An example of it was in the news recently when Sir Bob Jones referred to Māori as fat and lazy in his attack on beggars. Or less confrontational is the perception that we all start on the same page and if Māori simply worked hard they could be successful (for a helpful test on our implicit or unconscious bias click here). Privilege, meanwhile, is simply elevating one race over another. More than likely that’s a “white” majority dominating a minority, and for those of us of European extraction, it is an invisible privilege. A great insight into invisible privilege in Aotearoa came from Sacha Norrie four years ago. The reality is that Pakeha in New Zealand are in a privileged position and we need to recognise that and seek to change it. We also need to challenge the implicit bias and privilege (mild forms of racism) when we encounter them.
So for all the people who commented on the Green’s announcement saying “no way”, “only make it optional”, “it should be up to Māori alone to learn”, “it’s not my language so why should I learn it?”, “it’s a dying language so what’s the point?”, “we should make more useful things compulsory before Māori”, I say you may be entitled to hold that opinion but it is wrong, racist and shows a complete and utter disdain for our history and the Treaty of Waitangi. It’s you sitting on a pedestal of superiority. It’s high time us Pakeha got down off the pedestal.
What do I mean by implicit bias and privilege? Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, is a set of presumptions, thoughts and ideas of which we are unaware but which is can be easily become a default way of thinking without us realising. An example of it was in the news recently when Sir Bob Jones referred to Māori as fat and lazy in his attack on beggars. Or less confrontational is the perception that we all start on the same page and if Māori simply worked hard they could be successful (for a helpful test on our implicit or unconscious bias click here). Privilege, meanwhile, is simply elevating one race over another. More than likely that’s a “white” majority dominating a minority, and for those of us of European extraction, it is an invisible privilege. A great insight into invisible privilege in Aotearoa came from Sacha Norrie four years ago. The reality is that Pakeha in New Zealand are in a privileged position and we need to recognise that and seek to change it. We also need to challenge the implicit bias and privilege (mild forms of racism) when we encounter them.
So for all the people who commented on the Green’s announcement saying “no way”, “only make it optional”, “it should be up to Māori alone to learn”, “it’s not my language so why should I learn it?”, “it’s a dying language so what’s the point?”, “we should make more useful things compulsory before Māori”, I say you may be entitled to hold that opinion but it is wrong, racist and shows a complete and utter disdain for our history and the Treaty of Waitangi. It’s you sitting on a pedestal of superiority. It’s high time us Pakeha got down off the pedestal. So is there a point in making Te Reo compulsory? Absolutely! Are there advantages? Definitely! Firstly, it is an official language of this nation. We all have to learn English at school so why neglect Te Reo? Not only is it an official language but the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by two signatory parties - English and Māori. It is time we elevated Te Reo to the place that English has held by itself for over 150 years. Not only would it be recognising, honouring and fulfilling the Treaty promises, but by making Te Reo compulsory, we as a nation will grow closer together. Learning Te Reo will see the future generations understand Māori thinking and view points better than we do now, leading to greater appreciation and respect. Also it will show to Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa that they, their culture and language are accepted and embraced. For too long they have been ostracised, isolated and abused simply for being Māori. It was only a few generations ago that children were physically punished for speaking Te Reo at school. By embracing Te Reo as a language we validate Māori. Finally, studies show that bilingual children have greater opportunities in life. Being bilingual makes learning a third, fourth or even fifth language easier. I can’t think of a better start in life for our children and grandchildren.
So, for all non Māori in this beautiful land, it’s time to acknowledge the privileged position we have held in the past and it’s time to set the wrongs of history to right. By making Te Reo compulsory for our children and learning it ourselves, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Let’s embrace this idea and encourage the other political parties to get on board too.
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For a great resource on issues of race and racism, I have found the On Ramp Podcast immensely helpful. Each episode is short - normally around 15-20 minutes and are created for an American audience but those outside of the US can learn plenty from it as well.
