WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� On the eve of New Zealand鈥檚 M膩ori language celebration week, the country鈥檚 right-wing political leaders ordered public agencies to stop affirmative action policies for M膩ori people, who are disadvantaged on almost every metric.
The lawmakers then posted on social media about their enthusiasm for the Indigenous tongue. 鈥淚n New Zealand we鈥檙e lucky to have this language and I鈥檓 glad to celebrate it,鈥� Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of the center-right National party wrote on Facebook Monday.
M膩ori was not solely 鈥渢he preserve of people who think a certain way,鈥� said David Seymour, the leader of populist party ACT 鈥� whose detractors accuse him of anti-M膩ori policies 鈥� in a video introducing his followers to economic terms in the language.
Their remarks reflected the exploding popularity of M膩ori culture and language 鈥� which has reversed course from the brink of extinction decades ago to . There are waiting lists for classes and a chain store's clothing line for M膩ori language week sold out in minutes.
But they also belied roiling New Zealand, fueled by the polarized politics confronting many Western democracies and . Last year, that sentiment brought to power fringe parties claiming that special treatment for M膩ori language and people 鈥� promised in the country's founding document and intended to address deep inequities 鈥� has created social division and unequal rights.
As a government comprising those groups and Luxon's ramps up initiatives stripping recognition of M膩ori from policy and law, analysts say they imperil New Zealand鈥檚 standing on Indigenous matters.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been world leaders and now that is being clawed back,鈥� said Ella Henry, a M膩ori entrepreneurship professor at Auckland University of Technology. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that this government quite understands the negative impact that is not only going to have on us politically but economically, because M膩ori culture is a tourism destination.鈥�
The relationship between M膩ori and the government 鈥� a coalition between Luxon鈥檚 and Seymour鈥檚 parties and a third, populist New Zealand First 鈥� promises to be 鈥渘ot just the most, but the only regressive one鈥� in nearly two decades, said Ben Thomas, a political consultant who worked for a previous National government before Luxon led the party.
Their words echo others across the political spectrum who spoke to The Associated Press. They describe the way in which New Zealand has grown more racially fraught since the government took office last November, while at the same time public support for M膩ori culture has surged 鈥� a paradox rooted in the way the political system functions.
Without enough seats in Parliament to rule after an election that , Luxon formed a government with two minor parties whose leaders 鈥� both M膩ori 鈥� capitalized on dissatisfaction about policies that favor M膩ori.
The two groups combined received less than 15% of the national vote, but extracted a series of concessions from Luxon amounting to 鈥渁n onslaught of racist policy,鈥� said Janell Dymus-Turei, an expert in M膩ori health policy currently based at the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health in Colorado.
Central to the groups' resentment is how the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand鈥檚 founding document, has become integrated in law. It was signed in 1840, between M膩ori tribes and the British Crown which colonized New Zealand, but breaches of the rights promised to M膩ori and contested interpretations of the treaty since gave way to an Indigenous protest movement in the 1970s.
The activism prompted a M膩ori renaissance 鈥� immersion language pre-schools, billions of dollars in settlements between the government and tribes, and inclusion in law of the Treaty鈥檚 principles, which promise M膩ori a say in decision-making and protection of their interests. Much of the legal recognition is due to be revised.
This week鈥檚 order to public servants to stop targeting policy initiatives by race -- unless it was proven as the only contributing factor to a problem -- was insidious because it did not require a parliamentary vote, Dymus-Turei said.
鈥淭he government are not just using legislative measures, they鈥檙e using their directive powers within their ministries鈥� to repeal M膩ori rights, she added. M膩ori die on average seven years younger than non-M膩ori for women and eight years younger for men. They record higher rates of health issues 鈥� including cancers and respiratory and heart problems 鈥� that policies such as earlier screening and free doctors鈥� visits have sought to address.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Seymour denied the directive was anti-M膩ori. Policy should be 鈥渂ased on equal rights for each and every citizen, no matter what your background,鈥� he said, adding that health issues where M膩ori disproportionately suffered could be explained by poverty or lack of housing, which affect other New Zealanders too 鈥� although M膩ori are disadvantaged in both.
Seymour has also secured a pledge that parliament will consider his proposed law drastically redefining the Treaty of Waitangi鈥檚 principles. Luxon has promised the bill will not succeed, but it will be open for public submissions. Detractors warn this threatens months of racially charged debate about a matter that many New Zealanders consider long settled.
鈥淭he wording is so vague that if something like that were to ever go through, you would see decades of court cases and probably greater rights for M膩ori,鈥� said Thomas. 鈥淏ut none of that matters because the bill is a cipher for people to project all of their feelings and frustrations about the place of M膩ori in society.鈥�
A greater threat to M膩ori rights, Thomas said, was a concession won by New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters, to review and either repeal or replace all mentions of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand law, with a few exceptions.
鈥淭his is not the prime ministership that Luxon expected or planned for or wanted,鈥� said Thomas, adding that ACT and New Zealand First had gained power unprecedented for minor parties.
Luxon on Tuesday promoted his government鈥檚 record on M膩ori matters in Parliament, citing plans to improve literacy and numeracy and to move children out of emergency housing.
鈥淲hen I actually think about what we鈥檙e doing to rebuild this economy, giving tax relief for M膩ori families to support them in a cost of living crisis, we鈥檙e a government focused on outcomes and we're improving them for M膩ori and non-M膩ori,鈥� he said.
Luxon took M膩ori language lessons ahead of an election campaign in which he pledged to change the names of public agencies 鈥� some have adopted M膩ori titles in recent years 鈥� back to English.
The turmoil has arisen as a fresh M膩ori political movement has come of age. M膩ori lawmakers 鈥� including Seymour and Peters 鈥� hold 33 of Parliament鈥檚 123 seats, six of them representing a M膩ori political party.
But Thomas said the previous left-wing government didn't do a good job of explaining its 鈥渃ompletely defensible鈥� policies advancing M膩ori rights, with the coronavirus pandemic and cost of living crisis amplifying the backlash.
M膩ori 鈥� who are nearly 20% of New Zealand鈥檚 population and disproportionately young 鈥� were more ready to than generations before, said Henry.
鈥淭he last 55, 60 years of M膩ori protest transformed the country that I was born into 70 years ago,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been galvanized into action, which I think is really positive.鈥�
Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press
