For over 55 years we have seen the flourishing of Kaupapa Māori movements leading to much healing and reconnection. As this has happened poverty levels have stayed around the same. We have seen the somewhat mainstreaming of Te Reo Māori, while 1 in 3 or so Māori live in poverty. This is about the same for Pasifika families, and about 1 in 6 for Pākehā. This poverty for me is really at the core of the injustice in our country. Capitalism can only operate with an underclass. We have seen liberal governments give the cultural nod in support of Te Reo Māori and Matariki holidays etc, while neo liberalism continued its havoc and poverty grew. We have a current government who is hostile, racist or indifferent towards Māori Kaupapa, while pushing neo liberalism and growing the poverty gap even faster than its predecessor.
311 families own as much as the bottom 2.5 million of us. The government made a choice this year to give wealthy landlords 2.9 billion dollars in tax breaks. They also made life on the dole even harder, and early reports from those working with the homeless say homeless numbers are increasing fast. Culture assimilation serves as a valuable personal technology; wealth redistribution serves as a relational gain, meaning someone’s personal and external relation is given new value. we should advocate for the poor, so they are also able to join us fully in Kaupapa Māori, or any other programs that uplift their lives.
Anei pea ngē e taku rangatira, me hei tāua ki te pōtiki tangi kai, e tomo ai a Ia, ki tōna wharenui
Maybe here my leader, we should give importance to the livelihood of the crying young one, so she may enter her house of learning.
I have attached an article on class and culture interact over the history of the New Zealand Education Curriculum
And a wonderful foundational video by professor Walter Benn Michaels on a Socialist view of the economy / class/.race/ anti racism / and justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay3MbwuwQ-w&list=WL&index=59&t=1713s
Provocative and an area not often discussed in kaupapa Māori Ed circles. I look forward to checking out the links. Thanks so much.