Life #12: Social Conscience
With the pending referendum on the Voice to Parliament, I reflect on Indigenous inclusion on each side of the Tasman Sea, and my perspectives on the two countries’ colonial history and progress towards racial equality.
I was born in the fabled Land of the Long White Cloud
That multi-ethnic nation, where Māoridom is proud
The place of the hangi
The Treaty of Waitangi
And where the All Blacks’ haka, stirs passion in the crowd
For wherever we grew up, no matter black or white
The spirits of our forebears, will hold our feet tight
It’s where we belong
It’s our own dream song
But with trust in society, to do what is right
I’ve had a life-long dream, that all races of people
Every class and creed, can be treated as equal
Every country and colour
Every woman and fulla
All humanity as one, evolutionary sequel
Ceremonies and concerts, at community halls
Māori singing and dancing, women spinning poi balls
Traditions we all own
Anthems readily known
Those heart-moving melodies, my memory recalls
New Zealand aspires to inclusion and fairness
A nation inspired by international awareness
But there’s still some divide
That cannot be denied
History exposed with, uncomfortable bareness
When first Pakeha arrived, Māoris were outmanned
When the Treaty was signed, was the translation scammed?
An error or dishonesty?
Confusions over sovereignty
That descended into wars, and confiscated land
But over the years, Aotearoa transforms
Great strides have been made, with some social reforms
Like land reparation
Cultural appreciation
And in elite sport, Polynesians out perform
Now I live with two hearts, across the Tasman Sea
Australia has also been, so generous to me
But the same history cloud
Deep-buried mystery shroud
Must first be unearthed, for our conscience to be free
No we can’t erase that era, of colonisation
And we can’t undo the error, of British invasion
History can’t be reversed
Except they were here first
It’s our moral obligation, for reconciliation
For sixty five thousand years, on these lands they survived
Connected to nature and mob, they resourcefully thrived
Torres Strait and Aboriginals
Custodians original
The most ancient living sovereignty, when the Europeans arrived
But when white man conquered, from every corner
They decreed terra nullius, the official order
Seen as ‘savage and black’
‘Subhuman’ in fact
And regarded no better, than ‘flora and fauna’
Amends must be made, to Indigenous populations
We should draw on the knowledge, of First Peoples’ nations
They have wisdom to reap
Blood of Elders runs deep
We need justice, truth, treaty, and broader education
Given we cohabitate, on their never-ceded land
Surely it’s courteous, to extend a gracious hand
Let them have a say
Even show a better way
Big things can still grow, from Lingiari’s grains of sand
The Uluru Statement, came deep from the heart
It simply seeks a Voice, they should’ve had from the start
Invite their contribution
Enshrine in the constitution
Help to close up that gap, that tears us apart
They’ve the lowest level, of life expectation
With the highest rates of, youth incarceration
Low job participation
Poor health situations
The trauma of Stolen Children, spans many generations
The Voice is about matters, most relevant to them
To invite fresh perspectives, of their women and men
The people have spoken
This system is broken
Vote YES in the referendum, because if not now … when?
The Voice is not a radical, racial revolution
Just advice and insights, in finding solutions
Not giving up ‘control’
But to govern for the whole
And maybe a small step, to some absolution
Of course, every Australian has a free right to choose
But opponents are trying, to confront and confuse
With hate and untruths
Even racial abuse
A vote NO to the Voice, then it’s all of us who’ll lose
For a country’s conscience, can be never uncast
Without accepting the truth, and errors of our past
If we don’t right the wrong
We will never belong
Because if our beds are still burning …. life-long dreams will not last!
Kevin Holmes • 4th September 2023
Referendum addendum
The referendum failed, an opportunity lost
Naysayers construed Voice, a divisive impost
Peddling confusion
Our nation disillusioned
Now for decades to come … we’ll be counting the cost
Kevin Holmes • 14 October 2023
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas, and their rich contribution to society. I pay my respects to ancestors and Elders past, present and emerging.
I also extend my respects to ngā iwi Māori as the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa, and am committed to upholding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Kia wātea, kia māmā, te ngākau, te tinana, te wairua I te ara tangata.
