#opinion: Dr Rawiri Taonui – Hastings District Councillor Steve Gibson out of step with te reo and community

At the end of January, Hastings District Councillor Steve Gibson refused to attend a strategic planning session at Waiohiki Marae. He stated that marae ceremonies and beliefs were against his Christian faith. Gibson also said, “extended addresses” in te reo Māori “without translation” limited “the participation and understanding of non-fluent councillors”. His decision prompts a reflection on the constituent expectation that elected leaders respect and serve the whole community.

Protocols

Gibson is out of touch. In an increasingly multi-cultural world, it is common to attend meetings, events, and services where the hosts, in the language of their culture, welcome people before business begins in English.

Māori elders hosting non-Māori groups for booked meetings deliver short addresses in well known formats. There are one or two speakers for each side. They welcome the group, acknowledge ancestors from both sides, and speak briefly on the kaupapa or topic of the day.

These formal preliminaries do not require the participation of non-te reo speakers. After the speeches are over, ample chances exist to ask questions about the kōrero over a cup of tea.

Translation

Te Reo Māori is undergoing a significant revival. According to Statistics New Zealand, the number of people capable of holding a conversation in te reo Māori increased by 44.1 percent between 2013 and 2023 to 213,849.

Young Māori and Pākehā are leading the way. Last year, more than 292,000 children studied te reo in Māori and English medium primary education. Te reo is the most popular language choice in high schools, with 40,000 learners. Well over 35,000 young people and adults took te reo at wānanga, polytechs and universities. Hundreds more attended te reo training in government and other organisations. There are significant waitlists for beginner level courses. Pākehā learners sometimes outnumber Māori.

Between 50 and 60 percent of New Zealanders agree that the government should encourage the use of te reo, te reo should be a core subject in primary schools, and that the acquisition of te reo fosters a deeper connection to our history, culture and national identity.

Gibson is not one of these people. If he chooses to remain an Anglophobic mono-lingual, with its research proven cross-cultural limitations and cognitive impairments, that is on him. Entitlement without effort does not earn a personal translator.

Secular Spaces

Gibson said that the council should only hold meetings in “neutral civic spaces”. There is no evidence he opposed a Meet the Candidates event at the Baptist Church Hall in Hastings during last year’s local body elections.

He also stated that just as he would not attend a meeting in a church promoting doctrines like conversion therapy, so will not attend hui at a marae. That crosses a line between reason and bigotry. Gibson will not attend those few churches whose doctrines he opposes; but will not attend all marae because they speak te reo.

Contrary to Christian Beliefs

Gibson says he is not comfortable holding council business meetings in Māori spaces because Māori religious beliefs and spiritual practices are inconsistent with his Christian faith.

Contrary to what he thinks, many pōwhiri open with Christian references. The ten most recent pōwhiri I have attended did so. The strict binary he draws, that Christianity is Pākehā, and Māori are non-Christian is ill-founded. The largest Māori religions, Rātana and Ringatū, are Christian based. Mainstream faiths, particularly Anglican and Catholic, have significant congregations and services are in part or fully in te reo.

If Gibson is terrified of Māori polluting Christianity, it may only get worse. The continued survival of Christianity in Aotearoa, in no small way, depends on pews filled with immigrant Christians from the Pacific, Philippines, Malaysia, China, South Korea, India, Latin America, Africa, and other countries. Unfortunately for Gibson, among these congregations are those who conduct services in their own languages.

Clearly God does not mind which language you use to worship him/her, if you can show love for all people through Christ and embrace the diversity of the church.

Representing the Community

Where Gibson rejects other cultural beliefs, he is not representing or supporting nearly half of the Hasting’s community. Including an overlap of 18.6 percent with Pākehā descent; Māori, Chinese, Indian, South-East Asian, Pacific Peoples, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African, and other cultural communities make up 45.3% of the Hawkes Bay region.

Waiohiki Marae

His decision insults the Māori community. Marae have repeatedly proven their role as critical civic infrastructure during times of crisis. From the Tarawera Eruption (1886), Christchurch Earthquake (2011), Kaikōura Earthquake (2016), Auckland Housing Crisis (2016), Edgecombe Floods (2017), Whakaari Island Eruption (2019), Cyclone Gabrielle (2023) to this year’s floods. The community at Waiohiki played a critical role during Cyclone Gabrielle. Alongside other marae, like Ōmahu and Waipatu, they provided shelter and food for scores of evacuees.

Waiohiki was a first point of refuge for 120 people before flooding overwhelmed its facilities. One marae member saved several lives venturing multiple times into the waters using a front-end loader right up until it was nearly washed away. Another gave sanctuary to 50 people in their home. After the flood and despite severe damage, the marae became a hub for the long-term cleanup and recovery planning.

The actions of the community and marae were crucial in preventing loss of life. Eleven marae are now part of the Hastings District Council’s 44 Community Emergency Hubs. They have

earned their place and our respect. Marae aided Māori and non-Māori alike. When disaster strikes, no one questions the colour of the helping hand.

1931 Earthquake

Gibson’s rejection of Waiohiki echoes the darker side of that history. In the aftermath of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, Māori from rural areas streamed into Hastings and Napier. Māori were sworn in as special constables to prevent looting. They fed hundreds of people at temporary campsites.

Research shows that Māori workers are often exposed to higher risks than non-Māori while searching the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors and demolishing unstable buildings. Yet despite those brave efforts, officials removed Māori from “white camps” and segregated them in separate “tent cities” on the basis they were dirty.

Endnote

Encountering diverse cultures, beliefs and languages is part of living in an increasing multi-cultural world. Prejudice is the old and respect is the new. Gibson stands for an anachronistic Eurocentric past.

Gibson served one and a half terms as a Manawatū District Councillor. I live in the Manawatū. We apologise for sending him to Ngāti Kahungunu. Unfortunately, in this instance, we do not accept returns or provide refunds.

Disclaimer

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