We’re told it’s to let the maunga rest after a fire. Fair enough, nature heals, but why does that mean ordinary Kiwis are banned from walking their own tracks? Fire and Emergency are already doing the recovery work. The mountain doesn’t need a week of spiritual ceremony, it needs common sense.
This is the problem with rāhui. When do they end? Who decides? What started as a short pause for reflection is now being used as a control mechanism by a handful of self-appointed iwi elite who think they own the bloody mountain. Next it will be our lakes, then our beaches, then every national park fenced off in the name of healing the “whenua.”
Tongariro belongs to all New Zealanders. No one is stopping us from walking there except a group of elite Māori who have decided they know better than the rest of us. That is not kaitiakitanga, that is gatekeeping.
If this keeps up, we’ll be the ones needing a rāhui from all this cultural overreach.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
This is the problem with rāhui. When do they end? Who decides? What started as a short pause for reflection is now being used as a control mechanism by a handful of self-appointed iwi elite who think they own the bloody mountain. Next it will be our lakes, then our beaches, then every national park fenced off in the name of healing the “whenua.”
Tongariro belongs to all New Zealanders. No one is stopping us from walking there except a group of elite Māori who have decided they know better than the rest of us. That is not kaitiakitanga, that is gatekeeping.
If this keeps up, we’ll be the ones needing a rāhui from all this cultural overreach.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
These rahui are just another power grab. They are statements that Maori are in charge.
Often there are scientific and health reasons why people shouldn't tramp or swim in certain places, but these decisions should be made for logical reasons by people with expertise. Rahui are normally decided by a bunch of Maori truck drivers (like the late "king"), labourers and social workers. They want to be seen as being part of the action, but they contribute nothing apart from their egos.
Unfortunately that's the way this country is increasingly being governed.
It's a land grab.
People just have to say no. I don't recognise any rahui. It's not legally binding. The other day a guy in his 20s with a cell.phone who did not look homeless decided to sit on the footpath in royal.oak and beg. As I walked past he said " do you have any spare change miss?" I replied " absolutely not. Get stuffed." I kept walking and then looked back and he had gone. If you don't pander to it, it can't happen.
Rahui are a means of sticking it to colonists thereby gaining mana Brownie points. Very few dare question. The alienation of the Waitakere Regional Parks from serious trampers, previously major users, began with a hui utilising the kauri dueback excuse.
Slowly we will lose access to our treasured national parks and nature - the Waitākere Ranges, the Uruweras, Cathedral Cove now, then Mt. Egmont (it’s a person now - can’t walk on a person), Tongariro, all of Northland etc etc.
Part of being a Kiwi is access to nature, it’s a part of us and an amazing gift. We should fight this banning and exclusion with everything we have.
And if we're going to get all touchie-feelie, why not close the road every time someone dies or, for that matter, any place where someone passes away, especially in untimely circumstances? I'll also wager, where poor little Ruthless Empire met his end, the Police didn't respect any rahui placed there during their investigations - nor should they have? People have the right to believe whatever stone age hocus pocus they want - just don't expect everyone else to follow and respect it, for that would be disrespectful to all others' rights of freedom.
rahui is just a load of hui. the best response is just to ignore it.
Has the legislation that Ardern put in overnight to allow Maori to set up road blocks during covid been rescinded ?
I can see Maori using the same techniques on National to allow them to stop trampers into that area (unless a lot of koha, aka as a bribe is paid, tax free).
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