Embedded Files
April 9th 2016 So much for democratic process and the argument that results were only 54%.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11619417
Just unbelievable....but not really.......there is a mention of the Chinese situation below
April 2016... Finally someone asked the right questions in the right places....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11615070
School Children from Kaukapakapa interviewed in March 2016 ( The PM's Electorate )
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11602207
Pre 1801 Post 1801
Maoridom had seen both Flags and understood the meaning
It is said that when flying the straight lines appeared to the Maoris of the day as the fern frond symbolism so often used elsewhere in the time since.
To the Justice and Electoral Select Committee.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11441353
Flag poll message clear: Leave it alone
Flag poll message clear: Leave it alone
5:00 AM Friday May 1, 2015
Kiwis’ support for change drops from 40% a year ago to 25%
Before I allow the standard text here are some points of discussion;
1)
The "accepted" view that the current Flag is an Imperialist relic from a bygone age denies the fact that at the time the Maori tribes saw in it a principle of Unification, such as the unification of the 4 tribes of Britain.
Meeting house patterns preserved. Details in the link above.
The Image above contains one such example from their meeting house decorations with the cross symbolizing the process of meeting and understanding each other at a Hui.
Maori have a specific name for this feature and I would encourage the committee to simply ask questions of people that know the history to discover the truth behind that acceptance of the "Jack" as a Maori symbol.
In fact a Maori flag version exists in a modern context......
http://www.nswiki.net/images/Maori_Flag.png
In accepting this flag as a symbol of unity this concept matured into Tino rangatiratanga and subsequently a version of that as a flag has emerged.
It is said that when flying the straight lines appeared to the Maoris of the day as the fern frond symbolism so often used elsewhere in the time since.
Hone Heke actually cut down the Flag pole at Waitangi over this issue of using the full Union Jack as the United northern tribes had developed a shipping ensign. The northern United tribes did not represent all of Maoridom however and thus the Jack became a very acceptable symbol of unity.
It is said that when flying the straight lines appeared to the Maoris of the day as the fern frond symbolism so often used elsewhere in the time since.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/taming-the-frontier/united-tribes-flag
Some Maori tribes to this day utilise the red ensign with jack and simply place their tribal name along the base of the flag. https://flagspot.net/flags/nz_mao.html#red
This "accepted view" that the flag needs changing is a culturally insensitive, probably white dominated set of assumptions with out due consideration for a whole set of historical precedents and understanding.
Basically it can be argued as a continuation of Ignoring the principles of the Treaty that Maori fought so hard for with the modern examples of Whena Cooper's Land march and Bastion Point as prime examples of what was needed to rally public opinion in the face of privileged "white" denial.
These opinions have been gained over many years of discussion with peoples from Ngati-Wai, Ngati-Whatua , Maniopoto, Nagti Porou to name a few.
2)
Just like the Silver Fern there are many local or cultural symbols present in our culture. Tino rangatiratanga Flag, The Kiwi, Silver Fern, the Beach, the Mountains, the Kea, the Moa, Rotoura hot pools, Pohutakawa, Taniwha; the list goes on and on. Promoting any of theses to a level above its common usage is too exclude the others and their common usage.
None carry the Mana and history and that the existing symbols do. This is probably why the past attempts at changing the Flag have fallen flat and this current effort also seems destined to as well.
3)
Comparisons with the Canadian Flag are common as a reason to change to a more relevant Flag. The Maple Leaf design certainly described the survival of the migratory Europeans and the oft mentioned reinterpretation of the Leaf as the Quebecois and Brits arguing face to face is well known.
What it did do was to completely exclude the First Nations status and contribution to Canadian Culture, something the Canadians are still woefully behind NZ on rectifying. This would be a grave mistake for a new flag design of NZ to not consider.
And whilst we are here lets look at the cultural equivalent of the Silver Fern or Kiwi Canadian symbol as a flag.
Maybe an underground Canadian common symbol, but not flag material.
4)
One of the more amusing things by way of reply when questioned by foreign Nationals about the differences in our Flag to the Australians' is that essentially we took the concept of accepting the differing cultures with a little more care than lining up Aborigines along a cliff face and executing them all as vermin as happened in Tasmania.
For Kiwis the Jack actually carried with it the concept of point 1) above, it's an attempt to unify the peoples of the land and it happened when the locals outnumbered the Brits by a significant ratio.
5)
Outdated Naval origins.
Try telling this to Team NZ in the Americas Cup endeavours, with historical links such as Thomas Lipton and as a legacy of racing Ocean vessels competing in the Tea trade. In our most Hi-Tech Sporting competition and possibly the countries most prestigious sporting even to date; Naval connections are as important and relevant as they ever were. Try telling our Super Yacht Industry the Maritime link is week.
5 Pointed Stars of the Southern Cross, White Fimbrulations Variation of 8 Pointed Stars and Black Fimbrulations.
Shaw Savills shipping line which used a 6 pointed star version showing the 1834 United Tribes Flag adoption and subsequent use after 1858 with the Treaty signing shown on a post card of the early 1900's.
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=71682&l=mi Different interpretations in our art history about the significance of either flag.
6)
Offered by the Prime Ministers Official Social Media Consultant on a LinkedIn discussion; Markham was a disreputable person, thus the design has disrepute.
Markham is bagged as an insignificant officer that then proceeded to bump of a few natives very shortly after coming up with the design, and hence a reason to denigrate his outdated Naval origins Imperialist Flag, from none other than the Office of the PM's Social media advisers opinion.
The flag of New Zealand as designed by Markham in 1869
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_New_Zealand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hastings_Markham
" killing at which he showed disgust was the drawn out deaths of whales, which he saw on Arctic voyages.[5]"
The comparison is with Te Rauparaha's haka as a similar cultural icon form about the same time period.
Te Rauparaha probably is responsible for the greatest number of Maori deaths in the formation of the country, even more than during the so called "Land Wars" but we remember him for his Warrior and Tactical skills, we don't denigrate the Haka because he went on to kill people.
7)
Using the Haka as a comparative similar icon we can test the need for change.
Lets have a panel to reset the words to a modern Rap song, with pentameter and pace to suit modern tastes to make it more relevant to the population. In the absence of any current suitable alternatives, lets have a quick competition such as X Factor and see if we can crassly choose an ethereal temporal music fashion trend to represent the full historical scale and intent of the Haka. If were are not happy lets have several goes at it.
This is essentially how we are treating selecting a "new and more appropriate" flag.
8) Misuse use of Political Imperative
Public opinion has something like 65% opposed to changing the flag at this time. Consistently so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flag_debate
The concept of splitting the question into smaller options is a "divide and conquer" technique common used by politicians the world over to force through policy against public opinion. If there was some urgency or real reason to do so it may be understandable, but in the current context there is no imperative for change. One can only speculate as the the motives of the PM as a legacy of changing the flag as the only possible alternative explanation.
9)
ANZAC Ties
The Quinn's Post Flag, flown in 1915 Gallipoli Campaign complete with soldiers signatures in the Fimbrulations.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/quinns-post-flag
European NZers and Maoris fought under this flag.
Not a lot has to be said about the very obvious and the crass ill timed nature of the submission the bill closing on the eve of 100 years of Gallopili remembrances.
Please accept my submission on the matter of our flag referendum.
It’s right that New Zealanders get a say on their flag. But we need to do that in a cost-effective and democratic way.
Please include a question in the first flag referendum that asks New Zealanders whether they want to change our flag.
Asking that question is the common sense thing to do: it could potentially save millions of dollars, and the need for a second referendum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuaUtr9p5p0
In 2004, the NZ Flag.com Trust was founded by Lloyd Morrison with the aim of bringing about a non-binding referendum on the subject. Under New Zealand law, a referendum may be held on any issue if 10% of electors sign a petition which is presented toParliament. The Trust launched their petition for such a referendum in 2005. Their campaign used a stylised silver fern flag designed by Cameron Sanders.
The petition attracted 100,000 signatures out of the required approximately 270,000 and was withdrawn in July 2005, well before the general election in September. The NZ Flag.com Trust cited public apathy to change as the main reason for withdrawing the petition.[23]
So why are we where we are now?
As per the above video clip the PM wants the flag changed despite public opinion.
Despite previous referenda attempts, despite repeated polling.
In January 2014, Prime Minister John Key floated the idea of a referendum on a new flag at the 2014 general election.[25] The proposal was met with mixed response.[26][27]
Later in March, Key announced that New Zealand would hold a referendum within the next three years asking whether or not to change the flag design should the National party be re-elected for a third term.[28] Following National's re-election the details of the referendum were announced.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flag_debate
FLAG DEVELOPMENT
England St George's Cross Royal Navy 1800's
Sottish Union 1660 Australian Colonial Flag
Bingle and Nicholson 1823
Irish Union 1801 United Tribes 1835
In reality the Unification of Britain had only just reached its conclusion in 1800, the Jacobian Flag, for King James ( Jacobius in Latin ) unifying England and Scotland was not a Naval Flag as such. Neither was the Irish cross inclusion particularly Naval.
It's also why the Flag Cook sailed under was not the current Union Jack with the Irish Cross in the Saltire but the Jacobian English and Scots Union Flag.
Governor William Hobson was of Irish decent and fresh in his mind would have been the Irish Union of 1801, adding St Patrick's Cross to the Union Jack as a symbol of National Unity, something on offer to the Maoris who had written to the crown asking for assistance. The same can be said of the missionaries opinion of the Flag no doubt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_HobsonThe reference to New Ulster is an indication of the carryover of Irish inclusion.
http://www.treatyofwaitangi.net.nz/LordNormanbysBrief.html
Lord Normanby, who advised Hobson to enact a Treaty, was no less than the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and then Home Secretary and a prominent Whig politician, of the Party responsible for 1800's Political reform in England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_Phipps,_1st_Marquess_of_Normanby
Pre 1801 Post 1801
Born
Died
26 September 1792
10 September 1842 (aged 49)
Maoridom had seen both Flags and understood the meaning
Bentham became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism. He advocated individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state,freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce, and the decriminalising of homosexual acts.[1] He called for the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty, and the abolition of physical punishment, including that of children.[2] He has also become known in recent years as an early advocate of animal rights.[3] Though strongly in favour of the extension of individual legal rights, he opposed the idea of natural law and natural rights, calling them "nonsense upon stilts".[4]
Macalays New Zealand.docx
The Psychological Womb.docx
''And she may still exist in undiminished vigour when some traveller from New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude, take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's.''
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1840) Essay, On Ranck's ''History of the Popes".
The influence, to the contrary or otherwise, of contemporaneous thinkers of Macaulay, such as Jeremy Bentham, David Hume, Emanuel Kant, and his role in Colonial Politics and Law making coupled with his Judeo-Christian heritage defined his bleak outcome juxtaposed with his optimistic and reformatory modernist ideals.
These names and dates seem remote to us now, but they constructed the framework and attitudes of a “New Zeal” as we were taught in school, to do things better than before, to define a country that would behave in a “moral manner”, of which the Treaty of Waitangi was held as an example, even though some 150 years passed before we as a Nation acknowledged its legacy and principals.
Doré, Gustave and Blanchard Jerrold (1872) London. A Pilgrimage. London, Grant & co. Alexander Turnbull Library.
This is Gustav Dore's etching of the scene MacAualay pictured, the original is part of the Alexander Turnbull Library collection
When our first Rugby Team visited England in 1888, such was the infamy of Macaulay’s New Zealander that the occasion did not go unremarked upon.....
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/nz-natives-rugby-tour/the-noble-maori-arrive
“On 3 October, after performing a haka and wearing black uniforms, this team which had caused much curiosity efficiently defeated a scratch Surrey 15 4–1. But these ‘aboriginals’ were not as black as they had been painted by their promoter; even the full-blooded Maori members of the team could ‘only be said to be badly sunburned’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Grey
George Grey continued with Hobson's vision. - His mother was Irish.
However someone else of note was commenting on this vision also.
It was around this time that the great Whig historian Thomas Babington Macaulay began to promulgate what would later be coined the Whig view of history, in which all of English history was seen as leading up to the culminating moment of the passage of Lord Grey's reform bill.
Lord MacAulay wrote in 1840, using New Zealand's Treaty, as offered by Hobson, as an example of how an outlying colony would adapt and outlast the society of Britain unless things changed in terms of Reforming the Political system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Babington_Macaulay,_1st_Baron_Macaulay
This is why the original Rugby Tour of 1888 had some interesting expectations associated with it, and its where we also find the "Black" colour we are still prevaricating over.
Most likely Hobson and indeed Lord Normanby were sympathetic to the contemporaneous thinking of Bentham's utilitarian ideals and we often here refer to this as "Gods little Country" or "God's Own" from Governor Grey's description just after Hobson's untimely death in Auckland. The Treaty he helped draft is full of this type of new attitude to rights and law that Bentham was espousing and has become the basis of our modern democracy.
These Natives played a British game in a ‘fair orthodox’ style. The savage New Zealander surveying the ruins of London in Thomas Macaulay’s famous essay had turned out to be a dutiful imperial citizen who attracted little or no attention off the field – except for one occasion when several of the team donned black masks at a railway station as a joke.” - Dore's New Zealander was caped and hooded in his visual depiction of 1872 and would have been well circulated and viewed.
These concepts of a fair and equal Colony were quite at odds with what the British Empire was up to in China at precisely the same time.
1839-1842 Gun boat Diplomacy to "Open up Trade" with China.
This is Imperialism defined, but not what we experienced in New Zealand
We seem to have a lack of historical appreciation for what was going on in New Zealand in contrast to elsewhere in the Empire. Today most Kiwis probably know more about J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit than we do of our own identity.
England's attempts at a Black Flag
In 2003, a private individual started a campaign – dubbed "reflag" or "Union Black" – to interpret the Union Flag in a racial context, and introduce black stripes in it. The proposal was universally met with opposition and was denounced by MSP Phil Gallie as "ridiculous tokenism [that] would do nothing to stamp out racism".[47] The campaign is now defunct.
Welsh inclusion in the Jack, also a defunct campaign.
Looks like a Taniwha perhaps ?
http://www.lesterhall.com/flag/index.htm
St George's Cross with Australian Colonial Southern Cross Star placement and Koru extensions
ROTORUA CRASS TOURIST $1o TEA TOWEL KITSCH FLAG DESIGNS
Knock yourselves out......
UENUKU
Uenuku is just as powerful as the Fern frond Koru and completely ignored in the current offerings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uenuku
The Wiki is quite light on information.
Uenuku was the God you prayed to to get you to Aotaeroa across the seas, under the Southern Cross.
The 4 knuckles in your clenched fist represented the upright waves and the 3 spaces made room for the 7 colours of the Rainbow.
This symbol was usually carved on the prow of the Waka to ensure the Waka arrived safely at its destination. Uenuku is the God of the unknown that leads to to your loved ones. He also helps you defend your loved ones with that same fist if you pray to him for strategy and inspiration before battle. The legend says Tainui brought Uenuku to Aotearoa in their canoe.
We have all come to NZ by a Waka of some sort, canoe, ship, plane, looking to make a home with our loved ones here. Maybe this is a far better inspiration that a Fern frond?
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