“All royalties paid to the Crown… shall be paid by the Crown to Te Runanga oTranslation: everyone else pays, one tribe profits — and we’re told to shut up and call it justice.
Ngai Tahu.” (link below)
Quite long but worthwhile. A non-racist treatment of two of the country's most >pressing challenges.
by John Robertson
RACE, ROCKS, AND RIDICULOUS LAWS — NEW ZEALAND’S DESCENT INTO SPIRITUAL >BUREAUCRACY
It’s one thing to honour tradition. It’s another to let it write the laws. >Welcome to New Zealand — where geology meets theology, and sacred rocks outrank
secular rights.
In 1997, Parliament passed the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act, a remarkable >piece of legislation that handed 100% of the South Island’s greenstone — >pounamu — to one tribal corporation. Not because they mined it. Not because >they bought it. But because their ancestors had a “spiritual connection” to it.
That’s right. A metaphysical feeling became legal title. This is not satire. >To make it worse, the Act also ensures all royalties from pounamu mining go >directly to Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu — not the taxpayer. According to the >official legislation:
“All royalties paid to the Crown… shall be paid by the Crown to Te Runanga o >>Ngai Tahu.” (link below)Translation: everyone else pays, one tribe profits — and we’re told to shut up >and call it justice.
But this isn’t just about a stone. It’s about a legal system cracking under the
weight of race-based privilege. New Zealand now has over 200 laws that >explicitly favour one racial group over others — often invoking “spiritual >connections” as justification. That’s not progressive. That’s theocratic >apartheid.
And while we’re busy pretending this is harmless, Ngai Tahu Holdings — the >commercial juggernaut at the heart of this — raked in $42.4 million in net >profit in 2024, with total assets surpassing $2 billion. Good for them. But >when that empire is fortified by laws no other New Zealander is allowed to >access, we’re not talking about culture anymore. We’re talking about >state-sponsored economic segregation.
Meanwhile, here’s what nobody wants to say out loud: race-based law makes no >biological sense anymore.
This is 2025 — not 1825. Humans have been interbreeding for centuries. Maori >people today are genetically mixed with European, Chinese, Indian, Pacific >Islander, and every other bloodline you can imagine. So how do we justify a >legal system where your eligibility for land, minerals, or financial advantage >is based on a blood quantum no one can actually measure?
Anthropology settled this decades ago: there is no such thing as a “pure” race.
Every New Zealander is genetically mixed to some degree. So when you create >legislation based on ancestry, you’re not preserving culture — you’re >fabricating a fiction. You’re using race as a political tool, wrapped in >spiritual language to avoid criticism.
This isn’t reconciliation. This is regression. We are no longer operating as a >modern secular democracy, but as a nation where laws are drafted to serve one >group’s sacred narrative, while everyone else is told they’re “colonisers” for >asking basic questions.
Let’s be brutally honest. If Christianity lobbied for exclusive mining rights >because their ancestors “felt spiritually connected” to gold, we’d laugh them >out of Parliament. But when it’s cloaked in Maori mythology, we bow in silence >and call it justice.
It’s time to decide: do we want equality before the law, or a legal caste >system dressed up as cultural sensitivity?
Because sacred rocks and sacred profits don’t belong in the same sentence — let
alone the same statute book. >https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1997/0081/7.0/DLM413187.html
TE WHARIKI, MAORI SPIRITUALITY, AND THE BLURRING OF STATE AND RELIGION IN NZ >EDUCATION
New Zealand’s national early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, has undergone >significant changes — especially since its 2017 update. While intended to >reflect a bicultural framework, this curriculum now includes regular and >embedded references to Maori spiritual concepts, including:
Atua – gods or supernatural beings
Wairua – the soul or spirit
Mauri – life force
Mana atua – the power of gods
Karakia – spiritual incantations or prayers
These concepts are no longer merely taught about in a cultural context — they >are often practiced and integrated into daily activities in early childhood >centres and schools, including teacher-led karakia during morning sessions, >mealtimes, or school events.
If these elements came from a Christian, Hindu, or Muslim tradition, they would
likely be classified as religious content and restricted under the secular >obligations of the public education system.
Yet Maori spiritual belief — which includes gods, creation myths, afterlife >beliefs, and metaphysical forces — is not being referred to as religion, but >rather as “culture” or “spirituality.” This distinction is being used to >circumvent protections against religious indoctrination in state institutions. >Why This Matters
New Zealand does not have a formal, written constitution, but its laws and >practices have long reflected the principle of secularism in public education. >The Education and Training Act 2020, for example, affirms that:
“Every student has the right to freedom of religion and belief.”
The Act also outlines that religious instruction may only occur with written >parental consent and must be clearly separated from the rest of the school >curriculum. This requirement is clearly stated in Section 58 of the Act and >supported by Ministry of Education guidelines.
However, because Maori spirituality is not formally classified as “religion,” >its practices are not subject to this same scrutiny.
This legal inconsistency creates a troubling double standard:
Children are shielded from Christian prayer unless opted in by parents.
But Maori karakia and spiritual concepts are routinely opt-out only (if at all)
and are often mandatory or normalized, especially in early childhood education >where parents may not be fully informed.
Cultural Literacy vs. Spiritual Practice
There’s a clear and important difference between:
Teaching children about Maori culture and worldview (education), and >Involving them in spiritual rituals and metaphysical teachings (indoctrination).
Many parents, educators, and legal observers believe this line has been crossed.
No matter how well-intentioned, having non-Maori children participate in daily >karakia or be taught about wairua as fact is not simply cultural inclusion — it
is promoting spiritual beliefs under the authority of the state.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
1. Inconsistent Application of Secular Policy
Christian, Muslim, or Hindu practices are classified as “religion” and kept >separate from classroom learning.
Maori spiritual practices are rebranded as “culture” to avoid restrictions, >even though they include belief in gods, spirits, and an afterlife.
2. Violation of Parental Rights and Informed Consent
In many cases, parents are unaware their children are participating in >spiritual practices, or they are not offered a meaningful opt-out.
3. Risk of Coercion in Early Childhood Settings
Young children lack the cognitive ability to distinguish between cultural >learning and spiritual truth — especially when delivered by teachers in trusted
environments.
4. Cultural Favouritism by the State
The current system promotes one group’s spiritual worldview, while restricting >or excluding others — a clear form of institutional bias.
What Needs to Happen
This issue is not about rejecting Maori culture — it’s about ensuring fairness,
transparency, and legal consistency in public education. All New Zealanders >should be concerned when the government favours one spiritual belief system >while restricting others.
Proposed the following action plan:
1. Classify Maori Spiritual Belief as Religion Where Applicable
– Update Ministry of Education guidelines to recognize karakia, atua >references, and related concepts as religious content when presented in >practice, not just theory.
2. Require Informed Parental Consent
– Mandate that all spiritual practices in schools (including karakia) require >opt-in parental consent, in accordance with Section 58 of the Education and >Training Act 2020.
3. Establish Clear Guidelines for Cultural vs Religious Content
– Develop a public framework distinguishing between:
Teaching about beliefs (educational and cultural),
Promoting or leading spiritual practices (religious and subject to >restrictions).
4. Legal Review by Human Rights Commission or Ministry of Justice
– Initiate an independent review into whether current curriculum practices >violate the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, especially Section 15 – >Freedom of Religion and Section 19 – Freedom from Discrimination.
5. Create a Formal Opt-Out Policy for All Early Learning Centres
– Require every state-funded preschool or kindergarten to notify parents of any
spiritual content and offer an opt-out mechanism.
Final Word
All belief systems — indigenous or otherwise — deserve respect. But no belief >system should be imposed on children without clear consent, especially in >state-funded educational environments.
This is not about attacking culture — it’s about upholding legal neutrality, >parental rights, and genuine secularism in New Zealand schools.
If secularism is going to be applied to Christian prayers in classrooms, it >must be applied equally to Maori spiritual practices.
The future of our education system — and the freedom of belief for all families
— depends on consistency, not double standards.
On Sat, 7 Jun 2025 00:33:09 -0000 (UTC), TonyThat is a lie.
<lizandtony@orcon.net.nz> wrote:
Quite long but worthwhile. A non-racist treatment of two of the country's >>most
pressing challenges.
by John Robertson
RACE, ROCKS, AND RIDICULOUS LAWS — NEW ZEALAND’S DESCENT INTO SPIRITUAL >>BUREAUCRACY
A racist and far-right reactionary article - no surprise that it came
from a website linked to Cam Slater of "Dirty Tricks" fame. It
repeats lies about the Treaty. However we can celebrate one of the >settlements that would be locked in by Seymour's Regulatory Standards
Bill - and that bill would strengthen the rights of Te Runanga o Ngai
to sue anyone that wants to do anything that may reduce those rights,
with the support of the Crown.
It’s one thing to honour tradition. It’s another to let it write the laws. >>Welcome to New Zealand — where geology meets theology, and sacred rocks >>outrank
secular rights.
In 1997, Parliament passed the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act, a remarkable >>piece of legislation that handed 100% of the South Island’s greenstone — >>pounamu — to one tribal corporation. Not because they mined it. Not because >>they bought it. But because their ancestors had a “spiritual connection” to >>it.
That’s right. A metaphysical feeling became legal title. This is not satire. >>To make it worse, the Act also ensures all royalties from pounamu mining go >>directly to Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu — not the taxpayer. According to the >>official legislation:
“All royalties paid to the Crown… shall be paid by the Crown to Te Runanga >>>oTranslation: everyone else pays, one tribe profits — and we’re told to shut >>up
Ngai Tahu.” (link below)
and call it justice.
But this isn’t just about a stone. It’s about a legal system cracking under >>the
weight of race-based privilege. New Zealand now has over 200 laws that >>explicitly favour one racial group over others — often invoking “spiritual >>connections” as justification. That’s not progressive. That’s theocratic >>apartheid.
And while we’re busy pretending this is harmless, Ngai Tahu Holdings — the >>commercial juggernaut at the heart of this — raked in $42.4 million in net >>profit in 2024, with total assets surpassing $2 billion. Good for them. But >>when that empire is fortified by laws no other New Zealander is allowed to >>access, we’re not talking about culture anymore. We’re talking about >>state-sponsored economic segregation.
Meanwhile, here’s what nobody wants to say out loud: race-based law makes no >>biological sense anymore.
This is 2025 — not 1825. Humans have been interbreeding for centuries. Maori >>people today are genetically mixed with European, Chinese, Indian, Pacific >>Islander, and every other bloodline you can imagine. So how do we justify a >>legal system where your eligibility for land, minerals, or financial >>advantage
is based on a blood quantum no one can actually measure?
Anthropology settled this decades ago: there is no such thing as a “pure” >>race.
Every New Zealander is genetically mixed to some degree. So when you create >>legislation based on ancestry, you’re not preserving culture — you’re >>fabricating a fiction. You’re using race as a political tool, wrapped in >>spiritual language to avoid criticism.
This isn’t reconciliation. This is regression. We are no longer operating as >>a
modern secular democracy, but as a nation where laws are drafted to serve one >>group’s sacred narrative, while everyone else is told they’re “colonisers” >>for
asking basic questions.
Let’s be brutally honest. If Christianity lobbied for exclusive mining rights >>because their ancestors “felt spiritually connected” to gold, we’d laugh them >>out of Parliament. But when it’s cloaked in Maori mythology, we bow in >>silence
and call it justice.
It’s time to decide: do we want equality before the law, or a legal caste >>system dressed up as cultural sensitivity?
Because sacred rocks and sacred profits don’t belong in the same sentence — >>let
alone the same statute book. >>https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1997/0081/7.0/DLM413187.html
TE WHARIKI, MAORI SPIRITUALITY, AND THE BLURRING OF STATE AND RELIGION IN NZ >>EDUCATION
New Zealand’s national early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, has undergone >>significant changes — especially since its 2017 update. While intended to >>reflect a bicultural framework, this curriculum now includes regular and >>embedded references to Maori spiritual concepts, including:
Atua – gods or supernatural beings
Wairua – the soul or spirit
Mauri – life force
Mana atua – the power of gods
Karakia – spiritual incantations or prayers
These concepts are no longer merely taught about in a cultural context — they >>are often practiced and integrated into daily activities in early childhood >>centres and schools, including teacher-led karakia during morning sessions, >>mealtimes, or school events.
If these elements came from a Christian, Hindu, or Muslim tradition, they >>would
likely be classified as religious content and restricted under the secular >>obligations of the public education system.
Yet Maori spiritual belief — which includes gods, creation myths, afterlife >>beliefs, and metaphysical forces — is not being referred to as religion, but >>rather as “culture” or “spirituality.” This distinction is being used to >>circumvent protections against religious indoctrination in state institutions.
Why This Matters
New Zealand does not have a formal, written constitution, but its laws and >>practices have long reflected the principle of secularism in public >>education.
The Education and Training Act 2020, for example, affirms that:
“Every student has the right to freedom of religion and belief.”
The Act also outlines that religious instruction may only occur with written >>parental consent and must be clearly separated from the rest of the school >>curriculum. This requirement is clearly stated in Section 58 of the Act and >>supported by Ministry of Education guidelines.
However, because Maori spirituality is not formally classified as “religion,” >>its practices are not subject to this same scrutiny.
This legal inconsistency creates a troubling double standard:
Children are shielded from Christian prayer unless opted in by parents.
But Maori karakia and spiritual concepts are routinely opt-out only (if at >>all)
and are often mandatory or normalized, especially in early childhood >>education
where parents may not be fully informed.
Cultural Literacy vs. Spiritual Practice
There’s a clear and important difference between:
Teaching children about Maori culture and worldview (education), and >>Involving them in spiritual rituals and metaphysical teachings >>(indoctrination).
Many parents, educators, and legal observers believe this line has been >>crossed.
No matter how well-intentioned, having non-Maori children participate in >>daily
karakia or be taught about wairua as fact is not simply cultural inclusion — >>it
is promoting spiritual beliefs under the authority of the state.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
1. Inconsistent Application of Secular Policy
Christian, Muslim, or Hindu practices are classified as “religion” and kept >>separate from classroom learning.
Maori spiritual practices are rebranded as “culture” to avoid restrictions, >>even though they include belief in gods, spirits, and an afterlife.
2. Violation of Parental Rights and Informed Consent
In many cases, parents are unaware their children are participating in >>spiritual practices, or they are not offered a meaningful opt-out.
3. Risk of Coercion in Early Childhood Settings
Young children lack the cognitive ability to distinguish between cultural >>learning and spiritual truth — especially when delivered by teachers in >>trusted
environments.
4. Cultural Favouritism by the State
The current system promotes one group’s spiritual worldview, while >>restricting
or excluding others — a clear form of institutional bias.
What Needs to Happen
This issue is not about rejecting Maori culture — it’s about ensuring >>fairness,
transparency, and legal consistency in public education. All New Zealanders >>should be concerned when the government favours one spiritual belief system >>while restricting others.
Proposed the following action plan:
1. Classify Maori Spiritual Belief as Religion Where Applicable
– Update Ministry of Education guidelines to recognize karakia, atua >>references, and related concepts as religious content when presented in >>practice, not just theory.
2. Require Informed Parental Consent
– Mandate that all spiritual practices in schools (including karakia) require >>opt-in parental consent, in accordance with Section 58 of the Education and >>Training Act 2020.
3. Establish Clear Guidelines for Cultural vs Religious Content
– Develop a public framework distinguishing between:
Teaching about beliefs (educational and cultural),
Promoting or leading spiritual practices (religious and subject to >>restrictions).
4. Legal Review by Human Rights Commission or Ministry of Justice
– Initiate an independent review into whether current curriculum practices >>violate the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, especially Section 15 – >>Freedom of Religion and Section 19 – Freedom from Discrimination.
5. Create a Formal Opt-Out Policy for All Early Learning Centres
– Require every state-funded preschool or kindergarten to notify parents of >>any
spiritual content and offer an opt-out mechanism.
Final Word
All belief systems — indigenous or otherwise — deserve respect. But no belief >>system should be imposed on children without clear consent, especially in >>state-funded educational environments.
This is not about attacking culture — it’s about upholding legal neutrality, >>parental rights, and genuine secularism in New Zealand schools.
If secularism is going to be applied to Christian prayers in classrooms, it >>must be applied equally to Maori spiritual practices.
The future of our education system — and the freedom of belief for all >>families
— depends on consistency, not double standards.
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