New Zealand press group asks Maori ‘pardon’

“This is our fault!” »And the “Excuse me!”. Bilingual front page headline of The Wellington Daily Dominion Post It seems like a historical mistake from one of New Zealand’s oldest dailies to the 1 million Maori (out of 5 million people) in the country. “Our monocultural approach to Maori reality shows that we have not always provided an honest and balanced representation of Tangana when they (“People of the Land”, the original name of the Maoris)”, the editorial acknowledges always one language and always bilingual. “We have been racist, contributing to injury, marginalization and stereotyping against Māori. We apologize to Māori”.

in the land “long white cloud” Wanting to present itself as a model of coexistence and integration among its citizens, this act of remorse for the big media will help illustrate the history of New Zealand, which has not always looked at the Maori people with benevolence. “We have decided to question the work of our journalists who have unfairly described Māori”, The new editor-in-chief Anna Fifield, herself a former reporter for Washington Post In China, he returned home last summer.

‘We were racist and we apologize to the Maoris’

In order to rebuild mutual trust, Anna Fifield writes, Going forward, we will adopt a multicultural approach in order to better represent Maori and all the people of Aotearoa (editor’s note, the Maori name for New Zealand). It is a major project to question our role in the division of New Zealand society.”.

In its version dated November 30, Dominion Post Two journalists were sent to the scene of the long standoff between Maori and the municipality of Wanganui (the west coast of the North Island) in 1995 for 79 days over Maori land rights. “We understood that at that time, the newspaper gave word only to the white authorities of the city, Journalist Mandy T details, Hardly quoting a few Maori at the end of the article.”. Her colleague Katharina Williams adds: Our readers have never heard the Maori version because of the “anemic white” officials in our newspapers. Maori grievances are not made clear. We preferred a white view of history..

In fact, the current Dominion Post It is a fusion (in 2002) of the old Evening Post, It was established in 1865 in Wellington, Dominion, founded in 1907, which championed white immigration laws a century earlier. “The Eurocentric vision prevailed, and we didn’t always do good journalism” Katharina Williams still confesses.

This genuine examination of conscience, so rare in the media world, is part of a dynamic launched by the popular Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to assert “original face” from New Zealand.

There is still ‘institutional racism’

Maori, along with English, is the country’s other official language. Several members of Parliament are Māori, and for the first time last month Jacinda Ardern appointed Māori foreign minister, Nana Mahuta, 50.

compared to its Australian neighbour, “ New Zealand is arguably the most successful country in making peace with its indigenous peoples.”, admits David Camereau, himself an Australian, researcher at the Center for International Studies and Research in Sciences – Po Paris, specializing in the Asia-Pacific region.

However, there is still work to be done, as protecting Maori lands remains an ongoing struggle. Clashes erupted again last year in Ihumatau, south of Auckland. In addition, last year, the decision of the Health and Safety Committee referred to a “institutional racism” prejudice the Maori. which are largely represented in poverty indicators.

The unique approach you launched Dominion Post It will help reduce persistent mistrust, ease tensions, and promote reconciliation already underway.