Kia Mau: Resisting Colonial Fictions

by Tina Ngata, Valerie Morse (Editor)

Tina Ngata's book of critical essays sets out to examine the decision by the New Zealand government to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Captain James Cook and the implications of that decision both for Maori and for the wider global struggle against colonialism. Analysing these thinly veiled celebrations alongside the role of the Doctrine of Discovery while charting Cook's crime spree of murder, rape and pillage, Ngata urgently calls for a practice ethical remembering that requires unlearning the falsehoods of "exploration" and "discovery" and coming to terms with the horrifying reality of ongoing colonisation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Politics

94 pages

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for all who call themselves (or would like to call themselves) New Zealanders.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A provocative, thought-provoking collection of essays exploring the ongoing process of colonisation which occurs through the public remembering of colonists and colonial wrongs. This collection focuses on the Tuia250 commemorations (celebrations?) of Captain Cook’s arrival in New Zealand. These stories are an important part of our history, and a reminder that we are all participants in what is remembered and what is forgotten.

[Te Aniwaniwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent as always. My favourite part is always the breakdown of TUIA250 as narcissistic abuse and us being stuck in an abusive relationship with the crown. Working with tauiwi you see the same problems; text book narcissistic abuse. The book is so accessible and so clearly demystifies colonial fictions. I really loved the "Cerebrum Coloniae" art display it's so clever are creative expressions are important.

[Erica Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall interesting, although I would have liked more references.

[Fionn Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now my bible

[Joshua Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This doesn't explain how The Doctrine of Discovery was extensively implemented into New Zealand's constitution, which confused me. The legal matters concerning how it was implemented to justify the confiscation of millions of hectares of Māori land and nullify Te Tiriti o Waitangi - none of which had any reference to a supposed proclamation dating back to 1769 made by Cook. Cook's hoisting of flags and proclamations in actuality were only tentative and did not proclaim absolute British sovereignty over Aotearoa (or elsewhere, Cook had little regard whether lands he claimed were either peopled or penguined), compared to the governorships of Hobson and Grey decades later. There is an essay explaining this by Jacinta Ruru from the book The Doctrine of Discovery in the English Colonies (written 9 years before this) which seems address this in detail (which I have yet to read). It's indeed correct to attest that Cook's arrival signaled a disruption for certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific. However this assumes colonialism was inevitable because of Cook and doesn't acknowledge how Māori strategically sought to utilize European contact for their own material benefit whilst actively attempting to keep settler colonial incursion at bay in the 1769-1840 period.

It is indeed wrong to frame Cook as a "discoverer" and founding figure of Aotearoa/New Zealand. It is indeed that petulant diseases spread and killings made by Cook's crew were abhorrent and certainly don't warrant 'celebration' or 'excuse'. However, to call them acts of colonial violence when it was clear that Cook sought to avoid bloodshed with indigenous people is to paints a caricature of what was a complex historical figure, overlooking the complexity of first contact, the role of the Ra'iatean interpreter Tupaia in mediating these interactions and the tension that ensued between Cook and his crew over how to treat indigenous people. I think attributing all first contact violence to pathological colonial spite is very simplistic, which doesn't account that plain stupidity can inform cross-cultural violent interaction as much as ideology. Cook and co. of the Endeavour indeed had their own ethnocentric ideas about humanity and necessarily setting out to murder indigenous peoples.

Tuia 250 was (at least to my tauiwi perception) about acknowledging the first meetings between Māori and Pākeha and the first attempts of making sense of one another, not about the celebration of an Eurocentric gaze upon a passive indigenous 'other' and its conquest of nature. Regardless of personal sentiment, 1769-70 was a pivotal moment in Aotearoa history. Ethical remembering is a pertinent matter and could have perhaps been better executed (as Ngata highlights), as well as ensuring such historic-centered events are initiated by Māori. Disagreement and protest was also welcomed and encouraged - I don't see how this entailed whitewashing anything. I would have liked to have seen some concrete examples of Tuia 250 being 'narcissistic abusers' given during the span of the commemorations. If there was any semblance of good that came from the event, it was a dialogue about our history, which led to a government initiative to teach New Zealand histories in schools by 2022 (take that for what you will). I think publishing it before the end of the event may have been a bit premature and some research analysis makes of decision making processes by iwi could have better served this book

This book seems to read more as a diatribe, with blogs re-hashed from Tina Ngata's Non-Plastic Māori blog than an in-depth historical narrative insight or an extensive examination of New Zealand's colonial structures.

[Chloe Fergusson-Tibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential

[Soph]

This is a very accessible way to understand the origins of colonisation & gives clear, simple answers to racist myths that continue today. All through the lens of criticising the 250th anniversary celebrations of Cook’s invasion of Aotearoa, it’s a short but powerful read.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all in Aotearoa.

[Chriss Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend. I learned a lot particularly about the Doctrine of Discovery - it's heritage and ongoing life.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery

[Mikaera Topia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read. Thought provoking & flips common retellings of history on its head immediately. Exactly the angle I needed to read from after being exhausted by repetitive European-centric versions of our histories. Fast read that gets straight to the point & brings history into the current day. Powerful.