File spoon-archives/marxism-thaxis.archive/marxism-thaxis_1998/marxism-thaxis.9802, message 12


Subject: Re: M-TH: New Zealand
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 98 13:09:41 -0000
From: Bill Cochrane <bc1961-AT-xtra.co.nz>


Comrade Proyect writes
>Yeah, it would be nice to hear something of substance from you on this
>subject, but all I've heard is some bullshit about how the Maoris are out
>to get rich just like the corporations that are encroaching upon them.
>Nobody knows what you are talking about, least of all me. Facts, names,
>dates, etc., would be useful, but I expect that this sort of subject
>doesn't exactly interest you otherwise you would have written about it in
>the past. If you want to debate the nature of Maori land struggles in New
>Zealand, I'd look forward to it, since I find what you posted thoroughly
>conciliatory to the bourgeois status quo and repulsive
Firstly a close inspection of my post will show I did not say or imply
>Maoris are out to get rich just like the corporations that are encroaching >>
>upon them.
but rather said
>'struggles for indigenous peoples rights' frequently amount to little more >
>than the struggle by highly undemocratic traditional elites to reestablish 
>control over both property rights and the lives of whatever people make up 
>their 'nation'
which is a somewhat different proposition.To clarify what I mean let me 
say that we should exercise due caution in supporting struggles until we 
have identified who in fact is conducting the struggle and to what end.In 
New Zealand the process of settlement between the crown and the iwi 
(tribal groupings) have frequently been conducted on the maori part by 
tribal elites with no democratic mandate in direct contradiction to the 
wishes of large numbers of the iwi's actual membership. Further more a 
sizable part of the maori population (25%) is not even 'represented' by 
iwi as they either do not identify with a particular iwi or identify 
instead with an alternative organisation such as an urban maori 
authority. It has been held that these non-iwi organisations have no 
right to be party to negotiations or the procceeds of settlements as they 
where not party to the treaty of waitangi.
Further more most of the iwi have adopted, or will soon, a corporate 
organizational model that prioritizes commercial objectives in the 
disposition of assets, resources, settlements etc, the consequence being 
that the settlements effectively pass into the hands of tribal elites who 
treat these resources as their personal property and those in most need, 
the marginalized majority of the maori population, neither have a say in 
the disposition of the resources or access to them.
This process I find repugnant and concilatory to the status quo which is 
why I have generally supported those Maori who have argued for democratic 
control of the settlements and genuine participation by all maori in the 
disposition of these assets. I see nothing progressive insanctioning the 
transfer of public assets to what are in effect private corporate 
entities.To make sure that this is clear I favor resolution of the 
grievances between the maori and the crown however I do not support the 
transfer of public resources to undemocratic tribal elities.
>Nobody knows what you are talking about, least of all me.
In fact I would suggest a number of people on this list know exactly what 
I'm talking about and I'm surprised that you would even ask given your 
dicta to Russell Pearson regarding the need to do your own research.
 


Bill Cochrane
Ngaruawahia
New Zealand



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