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BOOK REVIEW If you have read a book you would like to share, do write a review under your name (or a constant "review Name" - see 'Ethics')
Michael King was a brilliant and culturally unbiased historian who died in a car crash earlier this year. His carefully researched works have seen him accepted and honoured by Maori from whom he has received information that was rarely imparted to Pakeha in the earlier years of his life work. In a comprehensive interlocking of historic components of NZ’s past, he boldly states both positive and negative aspects of Maori and Pakeha interaction. NZ history is presented in a logical, structured and understandable way which shows how one thing led to the next. I tagged some 20+ quotes for future reference. This is a book that we recommend should be in every NZ home as a reference available beside Dictionary and Thesaurus. Points from this book would be a basis for many and varied discussions on NZ life. As an example, one matter of particular interest (and which relates to John Tamihere’s book [Ref:*1] ) is that, while fully supporting the concept of “Taha Maori” (customs and culture that is Maori) as protected by the ‘Treaty of Waitangi’, Michael also suggests NZ should document and uphold “Taha Pakeha” (P518). There needs to be legislative procedures to protect the values and sensibilities of Pakeha culture. This created substantial discussion here. It led to the consideration that one influence of the influx of new immigrants (not genuine new NZ citizens - more below) is bringing about basic changes in society that undermine basic “Kiwi Culture”. For example, Kiwis have always been known as “do it yourself-ers”. New laws will make self-building illegal other than minor works. The Public Service Bureaucrats advising MPs and drawing up laws may even be highly paid persons from overseas. The “inspectors” may also be new to NZ from countries where obedience is demanded. This is not a criticism of the truly new immigrants who come to NZ as a chosen place where they want to live for the rest of their lives. Some immigrants are just 'running away' from the country they leave; they move on to other countries as they become unhappy here. Their entrenched "behaviours" many bring with them into our government services is what is wrecking 'Kiwi Culture'. We need to be vigilant and fight back, not just respond with a pathetic, "She'll be right" - she won't.. Let me illustrate how this happens. For motorists who come from a country where they drive on the Right hand side of the road, the ingrained reflex in an emergency is to pull right – a disastrous response in this country. In the same way, direct attitudinal differences to the way we do (did?) things here in NZ will destroy our culture if allowed to over-ride it. The Kiwi way is to achieve a satisfactory outcome through discussion.) How something is done is critical to any culture. “Ask” not “tell” is the Kiwi way. It is a way that works. In Japan too, freedom of choice over, for instance, family size, results in family averages of 1.7 children for 2 parents. Whereas China demanded one child per family only but the resultant infanticide and abandoned children destroys family standards of living and failed to achieve its goal.
What a loss it is that Michael King is
not here to expand on his so valuable contribution to our society. Return to social activities VillagePRESS Other BOOK REVIEWS VillagePRESS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||