Epilogue
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Looking Back, and Forward to the Future
Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give you,
Not as the world gives you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
Neither let it be afraid,
John 14:27
Now, after 45 years in New Zealand as
naturalised citizens, with six children born here and
eight grandchildren, we are New Zealanders. Although we
belong to this land, we are still proud of our European
heritage derived from our ancestors in Poland and in
Holland where we were born. We believe that our
descendants also have been enriched by our heritage. They
are first and second generation New Zealanders by birth.
I feel a great affinity with Te Tangata Whenua of this
country. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only
Polish-born person in New Zealand who contributed
directly to Maori education, as a teacher at a Maori high
school for 24 years. As it is for the Maori, for me the
social reality in this book is the present in the context
of the past. The past is known. In Maori it is defined as
mua, being in front. The future for the Maori is termed
muri, behind, because it cannot be seen. It is only a
dream, which may or may not be realised. To me the past
is linked to my ancestors through genealogical descent in
Europe. Similarly, we are the European forebears of our
New Zealand-born children and grandchildren, linked
together by genealogy and family bonds, the threads of
which we hope will remain strong in the generations to
come.
As New Zealanders we are proud of the great achievements
of those born in this country. In a way, as New Zealand
citizens, we have inherited their mana. prestige. We are
now part of their heritage and of those yet to be born in
this land. One hundred and fifty years after the 1840
Treaty of Waitangi, the New Zealand Government has
embodied our bicultural society in law with the
recognition of Maori and English as the official
languages of New Zealand. By the time this country's
citizens commemorate 200 years of nationhood, Maori
descendants could be 40 per cent of our population. That
would mean that most Maori New Zealanders will have
European forebears, and many of European descent will be
part of te whanau Maori. the Maori extended family.
Our values for the future must spring from this land, the
land we stand on, turanga waewae. Here we stand tall,
proud of being New Zealanders. This is why discussing the
past is essential and worthwhile. The history contained
in this book needs to belong to this country and to
become the heritage of our multicultural society, the
large family, te whanau whanui of our country Aotearoa/
New Zealand.
In 1990, when New Zealand commemorated 150 years of
nationhood. the challenge', te were was our slogan for
the future, but this challenge also applies to our past
history and to the present in our country. Facing
challenges and overcoming the problems of life has been
an intrinsic characteristic of the New Zealand spirit,
part of the national psyche, indeed as it has
characterized also our personal approach to life before
and since our arrival here. Like countless citizens of
this land, we have contributed to the present and to the
future of this nation by facing the challenges of our own
lives and by cherishing those who will contribute to the
future of this nation.
Our nation was founded upon an agreement, the 1840 Treaty
of Waitangi, which upheld the rule of law in this land,
recognising the British Crown and the rights of the Maori
to ownership and protection of their cultural identity
and heritage, as well as giving foreign immigrants,
TeTauiwl, the right to be here as the people of the
Treaty, Te Tiriti Tangata. This agreement, therefore, is
a Bill of Rights for all New Zealanders, including
ourselves and our descendants. The significance of the
Treaty is that it upholds the natural rights of the
original people of the land, Te Maori, Te Tangata Whenua,
and creates rights for other New Zealand citizens of
diverse ethnic origins. In this respect It can be viewed
as an international Ideal of human tights, which we must
strive to implement to the best of curability. Our New
Zealand nation is now an increasingly multicultural
society, even though many Maori New Zealanders prefer to
consider us as bicultural, Te Tangata Whenua and Te
Pakeha. the entire mixture of the British and other
groups who comprise the citizens of this nation. Most New
Zealanders are emotionally attached to this land which
has nourished the roots of our unique, national
character.
In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to grant
women equal voting tights with men, inspiring women
around the world by this achievement. Although in the
19th century most women remained in the home as wives and
mothers, during World War II, of necessity, many women
moved into the work force. Since then, paid employment
for women outside the home is universally accepted, but
only recently has pay equity become a reality. It is now
illegal to discriminate on the ground of sex or age in
employment advertising.
In 1935, under the leadership of Michael Joseph Savage,
the first New Zealand Labour Government created the
welfare state and social welfare legislation became part
of our lives. Now the whole welfare system is under
increasing pressure, with many social welfare benefits
being reduced or progressively eliminated, in favour of
the 'user pays' policy. In my opinion, people can become
too dependent on handouts by the State to the point when
individual initiative Is stifled. However, we do need a
society in which each individual feels the security of
belonging to a caring community. Our continually growing
unemployment Is a problem which needs addressing. It
leads to disillusionment, despondency and a constant
drain of trained young people abroad, who cannot be
assured of employment in their own country. A great deal
of taxpayers money is channeled towards the education and
vocational training of our young people, only for other
countries to reap the benefit from skilled tradesmen,
professional people and scientists from New Zealand.
New Zealand was also the first country in the world to
adopt the eight-hour working day and the five-day working
week. This legislation became law in 1936. The
legislation aimed at improving working conditions,
spreading available work further. Likewise, New Zealand
was a pioneer in geothermal technology. The Wairakei
geothermal power field developed since 1958, was only the
second geothermal power station in the world after
Italy's earlier project in Larderells, but Wairakei was
the first to use wet steam. Geothermal steam Is cheap,
clean and environmentally friendly. New Zealand also has
some of the world's purest waters, abundant in fish, a
valuable human food resource. Our clean water is now
marketed widely abroad as bottled drinking mineral water.
While tourism is now New Zealand's largest foreign
exchange earner, an important source of employment and a
major force in regional development, it is the country's
natural and relatively unspoiled scenic beauty which
represents our great heritage and must be preserved for
future generations of New Zealanders and tourists alike.
New Zealanders in the past have used this land and its
resources to enrich their nation. The isolation of this
country led to the development of a distinct kiwi
character — enterprising, inventive, innovative and
self-reliant. Many of our people have distinguished
themselves in varied national a M international spheres.
We can be justly proud of famous New Zealanders such as
Rewi Alley, who contributed much to the welfare of the
Chinese people amongst whom he lived during the 61 years
he spent in China, and Ernest Rutherford, a scientist of
international fame. Katharine Mansfield became
internationally known as one of the finest short story
writers in the English language. James K. Baxter, a
poignant critic of New Zealand, its values and mores,
captured the very essence of New Zealand in verse.
Frank Sargeson was the first serious New Zealand writer,
who spoke of 'my New Zealand' because he felt he was a
New Zealander. In his poetry of 1930s and 1940s he
established a distinctive New Zealand literature, without
the nostalgia towards Britain, the 'Mother Country',
which was so prevalent among the pioneers. He felt and
described a great attachment to the New Zealand
landscape, viewed as the earth with the roots of our
national character, which has emerged from this land.
Witi Ihimaera expressed the Maori attachment to the land
and a deep feeling for it. He realised the importance of
bringing Maori families together back to the land from
the growing cities. He saw the land as a source of his
people's spiritual and cultural sustenance, a special
place of belonging as an extended family. He wrote, that
the land without the people would die, and people without
the land would perish, deprived of their roots, their
identity as a people'. This so closely reflects the Maori
philosophy and now that of increasing numbers of
non-Maori New Zealanders like ourselves, who have a
strong feeling of attachment to the land where we belong.
Ken Hume won the prestigious Booker prize in 1985 for her
book 'The Bone People', which has been translated into 11
foreign languages.
Our great sportsmen, benefiting from this country's wide
open spaces and healthy outdoor opportunities, have
distinguished themselves overseas. The All Blacks, our
national rugby representatives, are well known
internationally for their physical endurance and skill on
the sports field.
Sir Edmund Hlllary was the first man to conquer the
world's highest peak, the formidable Mount Everest in
Nepal. The brave Jean Batten In 1936 became the first
woman to fly solo direct from England to New Zealand.
Peter Blake our great yachtsman is famous in the world
for his skillful navigation in the race around the world.
Arthur Lydlard, Peter Snell, John Walker are amongst the
most famous New Zealand runners. Paul McDonald, Ian
Ferguson were twice Olympic champion rowers, Annellese
Coberger another Olympic champion skiing silver
medallist, and Mark Todd, a skillful horseman all New
Zealanders can be justly proud of. Singers such as Dame
Kin Te Kanawa, Dame Malvina Major and Inia Te Wiata have
shown that they rank with the most talented international
singers.
Te Maori exhibition of te taonga Maori. treasures of the
precious Maori heritage, drew international recognition
from 1984, when the exhibition toured four major
metropolitan North American cities. It was seen as the
beautiful gift of heritage from Maori ancestors. It
defined more clearly the Maori identity and the New
Zealand identity with its rich national heritage, linked
through the past to the present and to the future of our
nation.
As New Zealanders we are proud of our national spirit and
the energy emanating from it. As citizens of this distant
land we are increasingly conscious that the world is
becoming more accessible with modern media technology,
satellite communications and speedy air travel; New
Zealand is no longer isolated in the remote South
Pacific. We are citizens not only of New Zealand but of
the world beyond our shores. We are all children of the
universe. We must learn to respect other cultures,
others' sovereign rights, to respect life, the
environment, and the dignity of fellow human beings.
New Zealand is a signatory of the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights, which outlines fair, just
treatment of all human beings. We must learn to live in
peace with one another in New Zealand and beyond and to
build a truly caring society, more tolerant and less
judgemental of individual and ethnic differences. By
adhering to these ideals we can become an example to
other nations who long to preserve peace and
international harmony for the future of mankind.
As citizens of the world we cannot live In isolation. The
world's problems are ours also. New Zealand is greatly
affected by global events such as trade barriers, the
current economic recession with its rising unemployment,
armed conflicts and global environmental problems. We
should endeavour to solve disputes by rational
negotiations devoid of the violence which manifests
itself so increasingly in our midst. By the fair sharing
of global resources we can create a caring international
community. In New Zealand we should foster a caring
society, where everyone is gainfully employed on
community-based projects, encouraging individual
initiative, and a feeling of self-worth in communal
co-operation.
As world citizens we must join together to solve the
enormous global problems of pollution of the environment,
the destruction of our protective ozone layer, and of the
vast tropical forests. We should continue to lead in
fostering international opinion to outlaw drift-net
('wall of death') fishing to protect our valuable natural
resources for future generations.
Nuclear-free New Zealand can play its part in outlawing
nuclear weapons and nuclear pollution of the environment.
We must continue to support the United Nations in
fighting world hunger, poverty and international
terrorism. May there be no more ruthless dictators like
Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, who unleashed destructive
forces with incalculable human suffering.
I hope that the expanding population of the undeveloped
countries can be controlled, so that we can live in
dignity and in peace with one another. My hope is that
the global killer diseases such as cancer and aids can
one day be eliminated, through education and scientific
research.
Above all else Is the Importance of Inner peace, which
comes from a positive self-image, nourished by a strong
faith in God and in mankind. We must endeavour to treat
others as we would like to be treated by them. There will
always be problems to solve and human conflicts to
resolve in the ever-changing world. May our descendants
see change as a challenge, te wero, while holding fast
onto the values of human dignity and social justice as
their future unfolds before them, so that our New Zealand
can truly be 'God's Own Country'.
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