Comments on: Colonial Cast Offs

By: Mark Cross

Mark Cross — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:12:32 +0000

Oh dear, More of the same, but at the same time I guess necessary in the evolution of a young nation.

Art is supposed to reflect the world at a certain time in human history. If this is the case, New Zealand is still stuck in a time warp of parochialsm, introspection and nationalistic neurosis. When will New Zealanders of all races get their head around the idea that Aotearoa isn’t the centre of the universe? When will they use their identity as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. The product of that mindset is trite art which conversely suggests New Zealanders are self absorbed thinkers without a notion of the rest of the world. This frame of mind is akin to religious fundimentalism and like such social structures, it has an undercurrent of sinister control over how its people should think. Get over it and move on. There is a universe out there.

One place to start would be to lead the world in conservation, something that New Zealanders have failed horribly at over the last 900 or so years. Conservation is a facade of New Zealand’s tourism industry when in fact it is a huge lie. But its not too late, the population is such that negative environmental impact can be controlled and reversed so that we could be a global model.

I could go on and on about the contributions that New Zealand could make to the world. But until we get over our self absorbtion we are just another boring outer island.

Mark Cross
Niue Island
(Currently in the Ile d’Orleron)

By: Whina

Whina — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:19:43 +0000

WOW great to see that we can have a civil korero about our New Zealand\Aotearoa identity without all the BS. Are we growing up, maturing as a nation of many different cultures?

response to the one who calls themself “Waylander” Aotearoa is NZs real name buddy try pronouncing New Zealand without sounding like an Aussie or worse, from Tawa.

Alot of NZers and not just Maori unoffically use Aotearoa already in marketing, conservations, emails etc..

NZ anthem needs some sprucing up the language is kind of last century. In Maori and English. Cheers, Whina

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:44:11 +0000

Hi Waylander… good to see another David Gemmel fan commenting. I assure you I do appreciate this country of ours but that doesn’t mean that I’ll be uncritical of it. On the contrary it means I long for it to make real progress – not towards the shibboleth of economic growth but towards harmony, justice, compassion and vision.
You’re quite right – changing the name would be hugely expensive but all good change costs. Getting rid of slavery was costly. Changing to MMP was costly. Even changing the name chinese gooseberry to kiwifruit was an expensive marketing exercise.
If you only considered the cost, you’d never change anything. What we should really be asking is whether the cost is worthwhile, whether the end result justifies the expense. In the case of changing our name to Aotearoa, I believe the advantages would thoroughly outweigh the dollars spent.

By: Tweets that mention Colonial Cast Offs | The Humanitarian Chronicle -- Topsy.com

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:40:27 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Frank Ritchie, Nigel Webb. Nigel Webb said: Colonial Cast Offs http://bit.ly/awqUo3 what do u think? Via@TEARFundNZ [...]

By: Waylander the Slayer

Waylander the Slayer — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:43:24 +0000

Man you’re down on our flag, our anthem, our name and who knows what else. You claim to be a proud New Zealander but then you’re critical of everything about your country. The flag and the anthem have served us well…leave them alone. As for your ridiculous idea of changing our name to Aotearoa… No one would be able to spell it or pronounce it overseas and what about the billions that have been spent establishing brand New Zealand and the billions that would have to spent changing it. Your idea is totally impractical, unpatriotic and plain stupid. The name’s New Zealand, buddy, love it or leave it!

By: Jonesboy

Jonesboy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:03:12 +0000

We’d need a decent name for the anthem. Advance Australia FAIR is clearly a misrepresentation…

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:17:27 +0000

Kia ora Anahera… brilliant comment. You’re right – what a great values statement changing our name would make to the international community.

The haka is tremendous but I think we need a flag as well. On the rare occasions that we win medals at the Olympics we need something to hoist up the pole.

Personally i’d be happy to adopt the Tino Rangatiratanga flag but I guess that would tread on too many toes… Maori and Pakeha.

By: Anahera

Anahera — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Some interesting thoughts and I agree, there are some things that could be organised properly. But like the name change from Wanganui to Whanganui, could you imagine removing New Zealand and putting in Aotearoa? My goodness that is going worldwide… what a great impact that would be.

In relation to a flag. Why do we need one? We already have the haka that has made more of an impact around the world than the flag or the national anthem?

Remembering of course that Thomas Bracken wrote the National Anthem, but he wasn’t consigned to write it? What then is the background behind the writing of it let alone the whole lets also have a flag?

I love the link to Eddie Izzard, absolutely fantastic and brings back memories of one of the First Nations talks about the cross and the flag and how this all played a major part in getting in first to claim a country that was already occupied.

By others understanding tangata whenua were not civilised, yet tangata whenua bathed regularly, didn’t litter as everything went back to Papatuanuku properly and with respect…and the list could go on.

By: Damian

Damian — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:27:04 +0000

My 2c:
1c. Our national anthem is pretty weak when you look at it with an objective eye.
2c. I’d like to see us become a republic with a well-thought-out constitution.

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:14:33 +0000

Thanks for your comments Paul. Why not rewrite the national anthem? I’m sure Dave Dobbyn could write us a ripper. It’s always bugged me the the Aussie’s have the bold “ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR” whereas we have the timid “God defend New Zealand”

I’m not sure why you think that if Aotearoa became a republic we’d all have to “find our way back to where ever we’d come from.” I don’t know where the Clutterbucks came from. I was born in Wellington and that’s not difficult to find.