I know this is a deadly serious issue - but I just snorted ( very loudly) at the " Luxon has the leadership skills of a half-sucked Air New Zealand lolly" .
It summed it all up perfectly. Keep writing and reflecting because it matters - to all of us who read your thoughts. I suppose we need to care about the important things - this is such a critical issue - but God it is painful. It tears at my heart, again and again. How have we come to this? People say to me - oh but we didn't vote for this ....really?? Let's rephrase that - you just didn't think! Keep being yourself. We are with you.
All the time. I listen to people who used to be quite clear headed - and they are spouting gobbledygook. I can only shake my head. Nothing I say will change their minds.
*sigh* this was what I needed to read after the stoopid “info campaign”~ too true we must focus on what is important and that which takes us in the direction of the light of our ancestors!
I was a flag flyer at Haki Ātea ~ It was transformative, powerful, enriching and humbling.
Such a gift and I’ve been sharing it with all my loved ones and community since 🤍
This is excellent. You’re so right - Seymour and Peters are so good at knowing how to court publicity and stir shit, and luxon can’t be assed to show some leadership. I’m interested to see what Shane Jones (minister for porn) does in all of this - he’s positioning himself as the mediator but again doing fuck all to put seymour in his place. Ive been reading/watching a lot of Moana Jackson to help counter the madness. Your boys, and many other tamariki I know, give me hope x
I'm so greatful to Tāme. He imagined for us a most poignant expression of unity.
He led us, the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, a step, no a gentle leap closer to a place that transcends rascism.
We are all the beneficiaries of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We know who we are.
And we will continue to show who we are - that is what we do best. We lead our children, our communities, our politicians when necessary - by that good example.
Just be. That is enough.
"I don't really care what that Government is going to do - not my issue - we've just got to carry on and be who we are" Tāme Iti.
We can learn a lot from Tāme's statement, because it comes from a place of deep knowing, of what it is to be betrayed, misrepresented, oppressed by your own government.
Tāme's mokopuna Te Rangi Moaha Iti performance (and words) were extremely moving for me.
I was fortunate enough to see HONO when it was performed on Wellington's water front last year.
"It's a new breed, smart, they don't carry the trauma that we carry, it's a new breed coming up. I'm so excited," Tāme Iti.
I love Otaki artist, activist Hohepa Thompson. His perfect blend of youthful discontent, unapologetic righteousness, assertiveness packaged in polite charm, creative collaborations and slick graphics is disarming.
I share Tāme's excitement. I trust his observation. As a beneficiary of his protest and of his mahi - I owe him that trust.
I have a precious and somewhat stranger than fiction photo of me with Tāme. Taken by none other than Hone Harawira.
I was at the performance space on the waterfront last year. Tāme was there with a few others, they had just finished talking with a bunch of school kids.
Hone called out " you wanna picture with this fulla?
'I'm good'. I said. 'But thank you for bringing this beautiful work to Wellington' - I directed my response to Tāme.
But Tāme was gracious enough to get up from his seat, so I walked over and we stared at one another. I felt a big lump swell in my throat. The painful urge to burst into tears was interrupted by Hone Harawira saying 'give me your phone'. He then laughed and put my phone into his pocket. 'Oh that's a GOOD phone, kia ora'...... Then he took a photo, a few.
Poor Tāme sat, with me next to him.
I'm greatful to have seen HONO, but I'll never share the photos of me with Tāme. It was a moment, but it also felt like a pound of flesh he didn't owe, or have, for me.
Ugh!! Fuck these guys!! This is our Trump era, and it's fucking embarrassing. He knew/knows how to get media attention, and they lap it up. The people who agree with him love it, and the people who don't are so exhausted and frustrated by it that they disengage. How do we pay attention to be informed, but not so much that they get the attention they want?! My husband and children have Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori whakapapa, too. We don't know as much about it as we'd like, though. That's one of the things we plan to learn more about this year. It's been hard for them to shake that blood quantum mentality and feeling too white and not Māori enough.
We're whānau! My husband turns 40 this year and we are hoping to save enough for him to go back to Rekohu he hasn't been there in 25 years. It's so expensive to go. The trust is great at supporting the whakapapa journey you should get in touch with them x
We are!! It is really hard to save anyway, but especially right now 🙄 hope it all comes together for him to get back there this year! It will be very special to visit after such a long time away 🥰 We’ve been hesitant because we feel a bit like imposters, but it’s really nice to hear they’re supportive in that way! Thank you x
You might already know but there's two trusts one for those who are Māori and the other for those from Rēkohu and that one is https://www.nmow.iwi.nz they will help you trace your whakapapa and then you'll be registered and one of I think only about 900! ♥️ You can also call them and just have a chat about next steps it's Wharekauri time which is +45 minutes x
I saw a really great short film at a museum the other day- it was a native Hawaiian elder talking about claiming your ancestry. He was saying - v heavily paraphrased - that we (meaning his people today) can’t possibly live the lives and be exactly like their ancestors as they’d grown up under a different sky (collectively meaning social/political/cultural place) BUT we should look to them, learn and be proud of where we came from, what can be applied and used. Looking to those ways and practices to evolve in this time and place as indigenous people.
I thought it was a beautiful way to challenge that feeling of imposter syndrome - you don’t have to be the same, you can be different from your ancestors and still worthy of your heritage.
Love it. The hikoi was so beautiful and moving. I think many people did what your tamariki did; moved away when the three-headed taniwha was speaking and concentrated on more important things.
I have been trying to get this very thought out of my head for weeks now - thank you so much for actually writing it down … so much more eloquently (three fart sniffers!!!) than I ever could!
I’m putting the kids to bed and I just laughed out loud. So devastatingly serious yet so stupid it’s hilarious; you always phrase it so well. Thank goodness for the kids!
I know this is a deadly serious issue - but I just snorted ( very loudly) at the " Luxon has the leadership skills of a half-sucked Air New Zealand lolly" .
It summed it all up perfectly. Keep writing and reflecting because it matters - to all of us who read your thoughts. I suppose we need to care about the important things - this is such a critical issue - but God it is painful. It tears at my heart, again and again. How have we come to this? People say to me - oh but we didn't vote for this ....really?? Let's rephrase that - you just didn't think! Keep being yourself. We are with you.
I think "how did we get here" so often.
All the time. I listen to people who used to be quite clear headed - and they are spouting gobbledygook. I can only shake my head. Nothing I say will change their minds.
At least we’re not in the USA… the sane folk over there must be crying every day.
*sigh* this was what I needed to read after the stoopid “info campaign”~ too true we must focus on what is important and that which takes us in the direction of the light of our ancestors!
I was a flag flyer at Haki Ātea ~ It was transformative, powerful, enriching and humbling.
Such a gift and I’ve been sharing it with all my loved ones and community since 🤍
It was so moving and important and powerful.
This is excellent. You’re so right - Seymour and Peters are so good at knowing how to court publicity and stir shit, and luxon can’t be assed to show some leadership. I’m interested to see what Shane Jones (minister for porn) does in all of this - he’s positioning himself as the mediator but again doing fuck all to put seymour in his place. Ive been reading/watching a lot of Moana Jackson to help counter the madness. Your boys, and many other tamariki I know, give me hope x
I'm so greatful to Tāme. He imagined for us a most poignant expression of unity.
He led us, the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, a step, no a gentle leap closer to a place that transcends rascism.
We are all the beneficiaries of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We know who we are.
And we will continue to show who we are - that is what we do best. We lead our children, our communities, our politicians when necessary - by that good example.
Just be. That is enough.
"I don't really care what that Government is going to do - not my issue - we've just got to carry on and be who we are" Tāme Iti.
We can learn a lot from Tāme's statement, because it comes from a place of deep knowing, of what it is to be betrayed, misrepresented, oppressed by your own government.
Tāme's mokopuna Te Rangi Moaha Iti performance (and words) were extremely moving for me.
I was fortunate enough to see HONO when it was performed on Wellington's water front last year.
"It's a new breed, smart, they don't carry the trauma that we carry, it's a new breed coming up. I'm so excited," Tāme Iti.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxPJ_FrpJJ1/?igsh=d2Z2dXRzbTVncnJm
I love Otaki artist, activist Hohepa Thompson. His perfect blend of youthful discontent, unapologetic righteousness, assertiveness packaged in polite charm, creative collaborations and slick graphics is disarming.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2oeIcVrO_K/?igsh=MXdsdGRkN2dtd3pucw==
And since we are all about community....
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz9ODCvJdGQ/?igsh=Mmk4eWxwd3Btc2U4
I share Tāme's excitement. I trust his observation. As a beneficiary of his protest and of his mahi - I owe him that trust.
I have a precious and somewhat stranger than fiction photo of me with Tāme. Taken by none other than Hone Harawira.
I was at the performance space on the waterfront last year. Tāme was there with a few others, they had just finished talking with a bunch of school kids.
Hone called out " you wanna picture with this fulla?
'I'm good'. I said. 'But thank you for bringing this beautiful work to Wellington' - I directed my response to Tāme.
But Tāme was gracious enough to get up from his seat, so I walked over and we stared at one another. I felt a big lump swell in my throat. The painful urge to burst into tears was interrupted by Hone Harawira saying 'give me your phone'. He then laughed and put my phone into his pocket. 'Oh that's a GOOD phone, kia ora'...... Then he took a photo, a few.
Poor Tāme sat, with me next to him.
I'm greatful to have seen HONO, but I'll never share the photos of me with Tāme. It was a moment, but it also felt like a pound of flesh he didn't owe, or have, for me.
I loved HONO. That was enough.
Kia kaha Emily.
Pō mārie 🌙🏳
He's an incredible leader ♥️ thank you for sharing your beautiful words! You have such a lovely way with words ♥️
It is so cathartic reading you put my feelings into words. I really appreciate you
Thank you - it's cathartic to write!
Your description of the 3 stooges is so good! It’s crying out for a Toby Morris cartoon.
Ugh!! Fuck these guys!! This is our Trump era, and it's fucking embarrassing. He knew/knows how to get media attention, and they lap it up. The people who agree with him love it, and the people who don't are so exhausted and frustrated by it that they disengage. How do we pay attention to be informed, but not so much that they get the attention they want?! My husband and children have Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori whakapapa, too. We don't know as much about it as we'd like, though. That's one of the things we plan to learn more about this year. It's been hard for them to shake that blood quantum mentality and feeling too white and not Māori enough.
We're whānau! My husband turns 40 this year and we are hoping to save enough for him to go back to Rekohu he hasn't been there in 25 years. It's so expensive to go. The trust is great at supporting the whakapapa journey you should get in touch with them x
We are!! It is really hard to save anyway, but especially right now 🙄 hope it all comes together for him to get back there this year! It will be very special to visit after such a long time away 🥰 We’ve been hesitant because we feel a bit like imposters, but it’s really nice to hear they’re supportive in that way! Thank you x
You might already know but there's two trusts one for those who are Māori and the other for those from Rēkohu and that one is https://www.nmow.iwi.nz they will help you trace your whakapapa and then you'll be registered and one of I think only about 900! ♥️ You can also call them and just have a chat about next steps it's Wharekauri time which is +45 minutes x
I saw a really great short film at a museum the other day- it was a native Hawaiian elder talking about claiming your ancestry. He was saying - v heavily paraphrased - that we (meaning his people today) can’t possibly live the lives and be exactly like their ancestors as they’d grown up under a different sky (collectively meaning social/political/cultural place) BUT we should look to them, learn and be proud of where we came from, what can be applied and used. Looking to those ways and practices to evolve in this time and place as indigenous people.
I thought it was a beautiful way to challenge that feeling of imposter syndrome - you don’t have to be the same, you can be different from your ancestors and still worthy of your heritage.
Love it. The hikoi was so beautiful and moving. I think many people did what your tamariki did; moved away when the three-headed taniwha was speaking and concentrated on more important things.
I have been trying to get this very thought out of my head for weeks now - thank you so much for actually writing it down … so much more eloquently (three fart sniffers!!!) than I ever could!
Perfectly stated🤗
That was great.. angry and uplifting all at once. Thank you.
So smart,funny and true.
Emily for PM.
I’m putting the kids to bed and I just laughed out loud. So devastatingly serious yet so stupid it’s hilarious; you always phrase it so well. Thank goodness for the kids!
Emily I love this so much. Now please remind me how I can buy a gift subscription. I understand you have lost some. Want to add my daughter XXX
Oh you are so so lovely! Yes, it's been a stressful time. I understand cost of living is hitting folks hard (me too!) thank you so so much https://emilywrites.substack.com/subscribe?gift=true
I was just coming here to ask this 😊
♥️♥️♥️ you're the best Jacq x
"half sucked lolly" 🤣 thank you for the much needed chuckle.
You say it so well!! I enjoyed your children's reaction.