2010s: “10 Decolonisation Skills for Non-Maori Kiwis”

July 13, 2019

By AHNZ

Jenny Rankine’s meme has been doing the rounds again lately. A University of Auckland academic specialising in internet racism to the point where we may soon have to address her as Doctor Rankine¹.

Serious instructions? Or another meme created by people to advertise/signal what they already do: Look at me!

Jenny says ‘understand the treaty’ but really means understand HER interpretation of the treaty.

Jenny says ‘understand the history’ but really means understand HER version of history.

”Recognise pakeha culture’– Something tells me that’s not supposed to be with relish but with shame. Am I wrong, Jenny?

‘Pronounce Maori words properly?’ Maori have long taken up English names and made them their own and has anyone complained? Hone is John, Pita is Peter, Wiremu is William, Tomasi is Thomas, Tohu is Mark, Tomasi is Thomas…assuming there were but one Maori language and dialect (preposterous!) you’d think they’d start with that.

I’ve got a theory

The Australian lesbian pakeha comes to New Zealand. “Gidday Mate!” She tells us how to pronounce our words. She tells us our history. Tells us what media to consume, with whom to have relationships, and to learn and abide by the norms/tikanga. She complains about colonisation. OK.

Classic psychological projection!

Because isn’t she the one colonising Maori activism? Taking over and defining their fight?

Appropriating Maori grievances, replacing their ideas with her own social justice terminology language?

As a lesbian activist in her sixties, Rankine has been first in line for breaking down norms/tikanga and for refusing to let others tell her what to read or watch or who she can have relationships with. Even her Aussie accent must stick out, or used to, but rather than process her own issue she’s projected it into the people around her and attacked them for it.

Wild speculation? Yet it certainly fits the profile of every Victimhood Culture exponent you can think of. We’ve only to read their biography to see the parallels. For example, the life of Jessie Mackay.

“Jenny is doing serious and important work”

Commenter: “Jenny is doing serious and important work. It is constructive to critique ideas it is not helpful, necessary or kind to attack her as a person. Shame on you ….”²

Anarchist History of New Zealand Heather Came, are you implying attack? If so could you be more explicit.

Commenter: Outing her, accusing her of colonising Maori activism etc if you want to have a debate talk about the ideas not the person. Jenny is a hard working dedicated activist challenging racism.

Anarchist History of New Zealand 

Heather Came, this hard-working activist in public life for decades past, journalist for much of that time, signed her own name under her meme for distribution.

So what do you mean by saying that I’m the one “outing her?” I’m talking about the person as well as ideas. The idea I’d welcome you talking about is this Australian’s colonisation of someone else’s fight. Is that kaupapa?

Thanks for commenting. But I suspect after this you’ll have to change your name to Heather Gone.

—

1 Ms Jenny Margaret Rankine, Doctoral Candidate; University Auckland

2 Heather Came-Friar; Ref. Origonal post below; Facebook

Ref. ‘Jenny Rankine hails from Adelaide in Australia but has lived in Aotearoa for more’; Gayexpress

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