August 06, 2018
Bad taste attraction removed
A Te Arawa elder is welcoming the removal of a sign at a well known tourist attraction that was seen as promoting a grotesque racial stereotype.
The board at Tikitere-Hell’s Gate featured a tubby, tattooed Māori man eating from a cooking pot containing a Pakeha tied up in rope, with the face cut out for photos.
It was removed after a complaint from Māori blogger Moata Tamaira who objected when she saw a photo of a friend's child pop up in her Facebook feed.
Tā Toby Curtis says he’s pleased the managers of the thermal park, which is now owned by a Ngāti Rangiteorere trust, acted quickly once the complaint was received.
"While some people obviously enjoy having their photo taken, we should be above that, particularly in Rotorua as the tourist capital of Aotearoa. We have got to do things with much better taste," he says.
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