Patricia Berwick

Unauthorized Power Patricia Berwick

Unauthorized PowerInstitutional racism, love of wealth, ignorance of others, and lack of understanding, led to the shocking actions at Parihaka. These appalling actions reflected events carried out in the name of powerful governments throughout the world. They were all-powerful. They knew what was best for all. Parihaka is used as an example of the damage caused through such narrow-minded colonial thinking and how such thoughts led on to problems in today's world. We have not learnt. And what of Maori? How are they faring as a result?The statistics are no prize for the New Zealand Government, but for some reason Maori are blamed for having the highest imprisonment rates, lowest education and housing figures, and poorest health data. And yet, before the New Zealand wars, the ancestors of these people were the most educated, and had the most successful farming and business enterprises in Aotearoa-New Zealand. What happened?