Pn33 Te reo naysayers: build a bridge, and don't be the troll under it
Sarah Moore, Stuff, August 16 (link to article, click16.)
...'. scratch below the surface a little and you'll discover a vibration of racist energy of which many of us are blissfully unaware. Because it's ugly, we try not to see it-- Sarah Moore.
OPINION: This is the column I hoped I wouldn't have to write.
Setting out on my te reo Māori pathway, I naively imagined a positive response to a series of articles on learning a new language. I expected a few 'why bother?'s, but hoped for mostly messages of support and encouragement.
But my second column established the opposite. It was live for less than 12 hours before Stuff disabled comments.
READ MORE:
* My te reo class: the stories of our journey to a better understanding of our country
* Making te reo part of everyday life is harder than expected
* Getting Maori place names right is all about respect
* Bad pronunciation with a chance of pronunciation-with-a-chance-of - bungles?
More than 200 were published, while 80* were blocked in the moderation process, never seeing their moment in the spotlight, for breaching the guidelines of decent and productive content for this online forum. [*That's over a quarter. ACW]
Of the 200-plus comments that remained on the article, cynicism, ignorance and resistance thrived – while every positive sentiment or message of support wishing me well in my studies was downvoted.
That smells suspiciously like fear to me.
So I thought I'd introduce readers to a few of my colleagues. My friends. People who are respected and appreciated throughout our workplace. People who all identify as Māori.
These are also the individuals who read the comments that have been shared on Stuff since I started my weekly te reo column - and, amongst other news, stories pertaining to Māori matters.
And I'm curious – who would say to their faces that they're not interested in their culture? That te reo is "dying", "dead", "gobbledygook" or "serves no purpose"? That they'll "learn to speak Māori when Māori learn to speak English properly"?
Regardless of how you feel about the culture, the language and, dare I say it, the Treaty: how do you feel about the people?
This journey is taking me down many different avenues – no less, it's uncovered sentiments I've been largely unexposed to in my world.
Scratch beneath the surface
I'm the first to admit that just a few months back I rolled my eyes when Taika Waititi described New Zealand as 'racist as f...'. But scratch below the surface a little and you'll discover a vibration of racist energy of which many of us are blissfully unaware. Because it's ugly, we try not to see it.
It's important to acknowledge that racial intent and casual racism flies in all directions – towards all ethnic groups – but this column is about te reo Māori and for some insidious reason it appears to have hit a nerve. And, just a hunch, I doubt the same vitriol would have existed if this was a column about learning Spanish or Japanese.
So I dedicate this column to everyone – Māori and non-Māori – who is doing their bit to breathe life into te reo. To those who refuse to accept those negative comments are a common view, or an acceptable one.
To my Māori colleagues, friends and family – and to anyone who identifies as Māori both here and around the world – who has experienced discrimination for being who they are: aroha nui.
To the reo naysayers I say: build a bridge. And please don't be the troll under it.
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A Guide to meanings and the correct pronunciation of place names.
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