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Title: Anarchism: a Māori Perspective
Author: Metiria Turei
Date: 1993
Language: en
Topics: New Zealand, Class, colonialism, gender, environmentalism, indigenous anarchism, indigenous
Source: Retrieved on 2020-04-15 from https://www.azinelibrary.org/approved/imminent_rebellion_1.pdf
Notes: Believed to have been originally published in State Adversary before being republished in Imminent Rebellion. Originally printed in 1993 and reprinted with Metiria’s consent. Metiria may, however, no longer hold the above views especially considering she is now an MP for the Green Party

Metiria Turei

Anarchism: a Māori Perspective

BEING Maori, identifying with Mana Maori and believing in the principles

of anarchism is a seemingly huge paradox, full of insurmountable

contradiction.

Maori who are part of the struggle for Tino Rangatiratanga (Maori

sovereignty) see their political and social ideal in the return of Mana

Whenua, the control over their own physical (fisheries, land, forests,

seas) and intangible (Te Reo Maori, health, justice, beliefs) resources

and the working in partnership with the colonial government on issues

affecting the nation.

How can this reconcile with the political and social ideals of

anarchism, where every person is free to organise themselves and their

lifestyle as they please, in co-operation with others and the

environment; without oppressive hierarchical or discriminatory

structures, especially as the traditional Maori structure of society is

hierarchical, patriarchal, oppressive and sexist?

Hapu and iwi were ordered into rangatira (ruling class), tutua

(commoners), and taurekareka (slaves). Power was handed down from the

chief to his eldest son, although if he was a bad or inadequate leader

he could be usurped by one of his younger brothers. Women, if a member

of the chief’s family (sister, daughter) were accorded the mana of the

ruling class, but did not become chiefs. They were used as bartering

objects to build stronger alliances with other hapu and iwi. This

enforced marriage/slavery often led women to choose suicide as their

only option. Women were also prevented from being involved in some tasks

because of menstruation, which was considered unclean and capable of

rotting vegetable crops and spoiling food.

There are many aspects of traditional Maori culture which work contrary

to basic anarchist principles: Maori were a warrior race, who actively

sought to invade other communities, killing, brutalising and enslaving

the inhabitants, destroying their homes and crops and stealing their

possessions.

Yet there are some aspects of Maori culture which are living examples of

anarchist co- operation – the concept of whanaunatanga, the extended

family, was the basis of all Maori society. The hapu was simply a larger

whanau with a leader (chief) and iwi were related hapu to a common

ancestor. The whanau was usually made up of three or more generations,

who worked and lived together for the good of common existence. Each

generational group had a particular role to play, and each role was

recognised as equal in value for the good of the whanau.

Adults made up the regular labour force of working the gardens,

maintaining the buildings, cooking, making clothes, fishing, hunting,

and any other heavy labour work, including war parties. Having and

raising children was considered the primary function of the whanau and

their care was left mainly to the elders, who were greatly esteemed for

their knowledge and life experience.

Everybody took responsibility for the children regardless of who the

parents were. This collective responsibility is demonstrated through the

language were matua applies to mother, father, aunt and uncle, and

tuakana, teina, tungane and tuahine applies to brothers, sisters and

cousins.

Overall the whanau and the hapu worked collectively for the benefit of

everyone, crops were collectively worked and shared amongst everyone.

Fishing and hunting successes were also shared. Each hapu worked for

themselves, and traded with neighbouring communities if necessary or

desirable.

One of the most important and significant aspects of Maori culture is

the relationship of the people to the land. Maori cosmology forms the

basic premise of the creation of the world and its people and prescribes

the way people must behave and relate to the earth and its resources.

Many stories and myths describe exactly how to fish, plant, and catch

birds while still respecting environment’s need of time and space to

recover.

People’s relationship with the earth is one of child to parent, where

Papatuanuku is revered as the giver of sustenance, provider of life, as

well as the receiver of a person’s body for protection and comfort at

death. Every living thing: plants, trees, animals, and even inanimate

things eg. rivers, mountains, waka, wharenui have a mauri, an essential

lifeforce which is respected and valued. Any handling of these things

required chants, rituals and expressions of appreciation and concern for

its well-being.

This principle of respect and value of the earth is still an essential

part of Maori identity and many practices are still maintained,

especially with fishing and the collecting of flax and other natural

resources for making cloaks, kete etc. This area is one maintained

predominantly by Maori women.

Working with our natural resources rather than against them is a basic

premise of a successful anarchist society.

A culture is not a static institution but a living, growing response by

a self-identified people to their changing environment. But a people

whose culture is threatened by imminent absorption (destruction) will

hold steadfastly to its remaining ideals and practices in an effort to

protect and preserve itself.

Maori culture was nearly wiped out by colonial invasion. Maori people

were decimated by a combination of introduced disease and government

sponsored genocide; the Maori population declined by 60% in only 20

years.

The assault against our culture forced Maori who had the knowledge of

our cultural ways into staunchly keeping them alive through rigid

practice and rejection of change. This ‘cultural freeze’ is a

self-protective response to a threat of destruction and the very real

fear of being ‘pakehafied’.

Maori feminists have struggled for years against a barrage of

accusations of ‘having gone the Pakeha way’ or that feminism is a Pakeha

thing and anti-Maori. Yet Maori women continue to struggle not only

against white New Zealand patriarchal dominance, but also Maori

patriarchal dominance, believing that “unless Maori feminism is

harnessed and the sexism of society, including Maori society,

challenged, the successful attainment of the goals of Maori development

will elude Maoridom”.

A society under siege had no room for development, only

self-preservation. There is no way Maori culture will change or grow

unless guaranteed by white society security from interference or

integration.

So, how can this contribute to anarchism’s movement towards free,

non-hierarchical collective communities? I have already given a few

examples of some aspects of Maori culture which relate directly to many

anarchist’s ideas of anarchist society. There are many more, such as

holistic healing and real justice and rehabilitation for victims and

offenders.

Many ways of doing things inherent in our culture and which were

suppressed by the colonial government and its institutions, correspond

with many anarchist principles.

But only through the restoration of Tino Rangatiratanga to Maori people

will our culture have the freedom to grow. And only through cultural

growth will Maori society be able to discard the oppressive and

hierarchical structures of the past and develop into a free and

egalitarian society.