August 26, 2021
Wero sparked Acord’s Pakeha anti-racism mahi
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The work of Oliver Sutherland and his Auckland Committee On Racism and Discrimination is highlighted in a new documentary released this week in the Loading Docs collection.
When Nobody Was Looking was directed by Alex Sutherland, who says the story of his uncle’s campaigns against unjust and abusive treatment of young Māori and Pasifika in the court and prison systems feels timely set against the work of the Royal Commission on Abuse in State Care.
He says a pivotal moment was in 1973 when Dr Sutherland and a colleague from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Nelson presented a paper to an anti-racism conference in Auckland about the high numbers of young Māori going through the courts and into jail with no legal representation – only to be challenged by Syd Jackson from Ngā Tamatoa and Will Ilolahia from the Polynesian Panthers.
"They stood up and said 'that's all well and good, but what are you going to do about it?' That racism was not their problem but a Pākehā problem and challenged Oliver to do something. That really was a catalyst for Oliver to realise 'I'm not actually meant to be on the Nelson Māori Committee, I'm meant to be starting our own thing with Pākehā taking responsibility for this issue,' and that's where Acord started," Sutherland says.
When Nobody Was Looking can be viewed online via www.loadingdocs.net
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