Across the Post-Colonial Divide: Reflections on the Treaty of Waitangi

Human Rights, <strong>the</strong> Treaty of Waitangi and Asian Communities
<strong>Across</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Post</strong>-<strong>Colonial</strong> <strong>Divide</strong>: <strong>Reflections</strong> on <strong>the</strong> Treaty of
Waitangi
Ruth DeSouza
Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research
National Institute for Mental Health and Public Health Research
Auckland University of Technology
ruth.desouza@aut.ac.nz
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa
Ko Air New Zealand te waka
Ko Ngati Goa te iwi
Ko Kilimanjaro te maunga
Ko Zuari ke awa
Ko Ruth ahau
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa
Overview
• My positioning-I don’t claim to speak for all.
• Indians in New Zealand-diversity.
• Do we have an obligation to know about <strong>the</strong>
Treaty
• What are <strong>the</strong> distinctions between biculturalism
and multiculturalism
• Learning from a localised health model.
• What does <strong>the</strong> future hold
Indians in New Zealand
• ‘Black Peter’ drawn here by <strong>the</strong> gold rush in
1853.
• Most Indians are from Gujarat or <strong>the</strong> Punjab
• Many from Fiji, plus refugees from Uganda in
1971.
• Between 1916 and 1966 ‘race aliens’, in
particular ‘Indians’ or ‘Hindus’, rose from 181 to
6,843.
• 2001 census 60,213 people identified as
Indian and 1,983 as Fijian Indian.
• Visibility
• White New Zealand League (1926) ‘Keep New
Zealand a White Man’s Country’.
• Formation of New Zealand Indian Central
Association in 1926 to fight oppressive
legislation and discriminatory immigration
policy, and to promote harmony between
Indians, Maori, and Pakeha; and to respond to
misleading propaganda concerning Indians
living in New Zealand.
Indian ethnic group (2001)
• 26% of <strong>the</strong> Asian population.
• 29% New Zealand-born.
• Home ownership home ownership 41%.
• Highly qualified.
• More likely to receive income from wages and
salaries than <strong>the</strong> total New Zealand population,
and equally likely NZ population to receive
income from self-employment.
• Less likely to receive DPB.
• Second highest median annual income among
<strong>the</strong> Asian ethnic groups ($16,000).
• White collar employment.
Discourses
• ‘Too successful’
• Commodification of culture for consumption
(food and restaurants).
• Packaging absolves <strong>the</strong> consumer from caring
about <strong>the</strong> au<strong>the</strong>nticity of <strong>the</strong> product, its cultural
meaning, its technical sophistication or its
historical origin.
• Foods, clothing and rituals fetishised into a
decontextualised barren image.
• Sari material, yoga, ayurvedic medicine and
Eastern spirituality enjoyed without
understanding of social, political, cultural and
spiritual significance.
• Despite consumption of ‘Indianness’, little
emphasis given in debates over citizenship.

Ruth DeSouza
Responsibilities of migrants
• ‘Success’ in new home.
• Preservation and maintenance of culture.
• How does understanding history help those two
aims
• Can we relate effectively to a history that is not
our own Can we care for this country without
identifying with <strong>the</strong> past
• Can we ethically belong to New Zealand without
an ethical relationship to New Zealand’s history
of colonisation
• If we <strong>the</strong>n work on having an ethical relationship
with <strong>the</strong> Treaty partners and get nothing back
what is <strong>the</strong> point
Tensions between Bicultural and
multicultural
• Normative biculturalism.
• Pragmatic multiculturalism.
• Systems remain largely mono-cultural with
occasional concession to difference.
• Lack of consultation with Maori and Pakeha
about migration.
• Lack of dialogue prevents <strong>the</strong> incorporation of
new arrivals and <strong>the</strong> cohesion of our society.
• No onus on immigrants to extend <strong>the</strong>ir loyalty
Lack of development of multicultural
• Migration source countries shaped activities
and concerns.
• Issues of indigeneity and relationship with
Tangata whenua debated.
• Specific rights afforded to Māori under Article
two of <strong>the</strong> Treaty relating to resources.
• Addressing of historical grievances.
• Linking bicultural and multicultural
• Outcome of a network of completed bicultural
negotiations.
• No process suggested.
• Concern that Maori become first migrants and
lose Tangata whenua status.
• Maori and Pakeha threatened.
Biculturalism and multiculturalism
Bicultural
• National minorities
• Self-government and sovereignty.
• Māori prior sovereignty and Treaty allows for
autonomy, self-determination and free and full
development.
• Decolonisation
• Article two
• Preamble
Multicultural
• Ethnic minorities
• Polyethnic rights
• Civic nationalism-
• National identity is shared equally by citizens
regardless of origin
• Preservation of identity, which leads to
wellbeing and integration
• Anti-racism
• Article three
Impact
• Silos
• Limited inter-cultural engagement
• Co-existence versus Interaction
• Withdrawal
• Poor access
• Under-ultilisation of services
A way forward
• Locally relevant response to cultural diversity
that complements or expands on <strong>the</strong> bicultural
(Māori and Pākehā) and Treaty of Waitangi
initiatives that have occurred (Bartley &
Spoonley, 2004).
• Section 20 of <strong>the</strong> New Zealand Bill of Rights Act
1990 (enjoy culture, profess and practice
religion, use own language).

Ruth DeSouza
Cultural safety
• Developed by Māori nurses in <strong>the</strong> 80’s.
• Conceptual framework for understanding power
inequalities structuring relationships and
practical strategies.
• Requires that all human being receive care that
takes into account <strong>the</strong>ir uniqueness (culture,
gender, religious backgrounds)
• Not a checklist of customs or practices
• Focused on knowledge and understanding of
<strong>the</strong> individual nurse/midwife
• Important to understand one’s own culture and
<strong>the</strong>ory of power relations
Four principles
• Improve <strong>the</strong> health status of New Zealanders
(Treaty, access, health gain of marginalised
groups).
• Enhance <strong>the</strong> delivery of services through a
culturally safe workforce (power relationships,
empowering users, understanding diversity in
own context and <strong>the</strong> impact of that, going
beyond tasks to relationships).
• Broad application recognising impact of context
(inequalities as a microcosm, impact of history,
employment etc, legitimacy of difference,
attitudes as barriers, quality improvement and
rights).
• Close focus on individual nurse (culture bearer,
power relationships which favour providers,
balancing power differentials, moving towards
equitable delivery and minimising risk to
marginalised).
Simply put
• Culturally safe
• Recognise
• Respect
• Rights
Implementation
• Treaty of Waitangi pivotal for resource allocation
for Maori.
• Compulsory in nursing education for <strong>the</strong> last ten
years.
• Driven by education providers ra<strong>the</strong>r than
service providers with little impact on negative
Maori health outcomes
Steps
• Cultural awareness: understanding that <strong>the</strong>re is
difference.
• Cultural sensitivity: alerts to <strong>the</strong> ‘legitimacy of
difference’ and to self-exploration.
• Cultural safety: enables safe service to be
defined by those that receive <strong>the</strong> service.
Health
• Labels have implications for resource allocation.
• MC and BC not mutually exclusive.
• CS can hold both but has focused on Maori.
• Need for expansion of cultural safety.
• Understanding self, <strong>the</strong> rights of o<strong>the</strong>rs and <strong>the</strong>
legitimacy of difference should prepare <strong>the</strong>
nurse to work with all people who are different
from <strong>the</strong>mselves (Nursing Council).
• Need for ongoing dialogue and discussion.
Conclusion
• The ethical relationship needs to go both ways,
try understanding our history our hopes and our
dreams, make space for us.
• The consumption of Indian ness needs to be
supplemented with understanding of social,
political, cultural and spiritual significance and
political power.
• Expand bicultural dialogue.
• Need for intercultural engagement.
• Need for a vision of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
• Develop multicultural policy that is sensitive to
bicultural issues and Maori.
• Cultural safety an example