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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Perhaps we should wait a bit before changing road signs
"Kia ora" — and that's about it when I chance my arm with a bit of Māori. I grew up in a small South Island city with little Māori presence, although one house was called "the Māori house" simply because of the family who lived there. In 11 years of schooling, only one Māori boy featured at roll call and the only word we heard much of was "haka". I now realise that at least one other Māori word had enriched my vocabulary although at the time I assumed it was just another old English saying. It was often use by older blokes seeking a break from work and it sounded something like "tie ho". The recent brouhaha (yes, my French is OK) over road signs in Māori in Hawke's Bay reminded me that the word I remembered from boyhood was actually taihoa, a Māori word meaning something like "wait" or "by and by". Without waiting, I dived into the word's history and found it was one of the earliest Māori words to find general acceptance among Pākehā settlers. In those days it was a less than complimentary term among the go-getting newcomers. Of his early days in Auckland Sir John Logan Campbell wrote of "detesting the procrastinating ways of Māori workmen who kept on saying 'Taihoa – wait, all in good time, there's no hurry'." Some of his contemporaries, delving into the language, insisted that taihoa was used rather with regard to debts which were owed by Māori rather that postponing any duties they were expected to carry out. The word could be applied to Pākehā as well. One chief requested in 1857 that the government would allow him to sell land, complaining that the head of the Native Land Purchase Department, Donald McLean, would fob him off with "'taihoa (by and bye)' until he was tired." He then applied to the Governor who also said "taihoa". During the rest of the 19th century taihoa was commonly used by both races and among Pākehā began to be used as something of an insult to Māori, rather along the lines of the deplorable use of "Māori time" to mean "late" or "any old time". One flax mill owner complained, "no dependence whatever can be placed on their promises to do anything within a given time. 'Taihoa' being one of the first words the meaning of which a stranger learns to his cost who may have trusted to their punctuality." Thankfully, in later times, the word was used inoffensively to indicate "wait a bit" and became popular from the 1900s when James Carroll, the native minister, aimed to slow the sale of Māori land and this gave rise to the phrase "the taihoa policy" which can still be applied to politicians slow to honour their promises. Think, "Minister Brown's taihoa policy has delayed building Dunedin's new hospital." Taihoa can be found in many contexts. In 1950 the Northern Advocate, enthusing about a new-found rugby star, 18-year-old Peter Jones, suggested the All Black selectors "taihoa" on account of his youth. In the same year a Whanganui magistrate fined Māori farmers for failing to clear ragwort. "Māoris must deal with noxious weeds just the same as Europeans. The taihoa policy will not help you; it will just involve you in very heavy fines," pronounced the upholder of the law. So, it's fair to say "taihoa" is pretty well established among New Zealand speakers and I'm wondering if it may be a better road sign than "Stop". "Stop" is certainly an effective word, but can it be too effective? Taken literally at a compulsory stop, it would oblige the motorist to stop his vehicle. Motorists behind him would also stop and, because the leading car is given no further instructions, it would remain static until the traffic had backed up for about 10km and the resulting traffic rage would possibly lead to serious injuries. However, "Taihoa" at a compulsory stop would simply suggest "wait a bit". The motorist could wait, checking for traffic from either direction, and then move on, thus avoiding rampant road rage. Thus, at road works "Taihoa" is ideal as it suggest a wait rather than a permanent stoppage. The signs in Māori at the heart of the recent debate used "Haere" instead of "Go". "Haere" certainly has a meaning of moving but many motorists would be confused, thinking it was simply a greeting as in "haere mai". The solution may well lie in a comment from Ernest Corbett, Minister of Māori Affairs in the 1950s, who suggested that the opposite of "taihoa" was a term he heard often in his Taranaki base, "kia tore". "It means get on with it," said Corbett. On reflection, I've decided this is all too messy. Let's just use "Stop" and "Go" but hold the pole in a sort of Māori way. — Jim Sullivan is a Patearoa writer.
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Uncertainty remains as politicians plan for lengthy debate over Te Pāti Māori punishment
After weeks of deliberation and attempts to engage with Te Pāti Māori, the committee last week agreed by majority to recommend suspending co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer from the House for 21 days and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven days. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee last week said he would ensure all views and potential amendments relating to the recommendation would be extensively canvassed, given the punishment was seven times harsher than anything in Parliament's history. He also pointed out to the House amendments to the recommendation could be proposed, noting it was severe and unprecedented. Luxon yesterday said National would stand by the committee's recommendation, reiterating his view consequences were necessary given the haka broke the House's rules. Labour MP and shadow leader of the House Kieran McAnulty said he was surprised by Luxon's commitment, citing his talks of possible compromises with his National counterpart Chris Bishop, who was Leader of the House. 'When you're having a yarn and they say, 'OK, we'll take that back', you expect that there's going to be some discussions, but Luxon made it out like he was speaking on behalf of the caucus.' McAnulty claimed National caucus members had told Labour MPs they were 'uncomfortable' with the proposed length of the ban. McAnulty refused to state which National MPs were talking, saying 'no one likes a tattle-tale' and 'I want them to keep telling us stuff'. Bishop wouldn't comment on his conversations with McAnulty but accepted the Government and Opposition parties were probably 'too far apart' to reach a compromise. He initially suggested National could be open to changing its position, saying the 'door is always open' if Te Pāti Māori apologised. Pressed on that, Bishop told reporters 'let's wait and see' but later conceded 'probably things are now too late to be fair'. 'They've had six months to do it and they haven't done it, but you never know.' The haka, performed during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, involved the MPs advancing on seated Act MPs. Ngarewa-Packer appeared to make a gun symbol with her hand and direct it at Act leader David Seymour, however, she has disputed that characterisation. Labour's Willie Jackson questioned how the haka warranted such a punishment and dismissed concerns Act MPs had been intimidated. 'The Māoris jump up and do a haka and that's the worse thing in the history of Parliament? 'That's worse than the punch-up that [Trevor] Mallard had ... that's worse than the c-word that happened the other day? 'I'm glad it was intimidating for the Act Party, I'm glad they felt intimidated because they intimidated the Māori nation and they are continuing with their disgraceful legislation.' Hipkins defends 'Indigenous people' claim Earlier today, Hipkins told TVNZ Collins had publicly condemned 'uncivilised behaviour from Indigenous people' in relation to Te Pāti Māori's actions. Collins has rejected Hipkins' claim, demanding that he produce evidence or apologise. Hipkins this morning defended his comments by claiming Collins had 'talked about the lack of civility from the Māori Party'. 'It was on record last week. She was talking about it in the media... I understand she was talking about the Māori party at the time,' he said. 'My understanding was that the interview was all about the Māori Party and the Privileges Committee report on the Māori Party.' He said he was working off what he had seen reported, but if his understanding was incorrect and she hadn't said that, 'I'm happy to go back and look at it'. Questioned about Labour's strategy during today's debate, Hipkins said it would be discussed at his party's caucus meeting this morning. Luxon called on Hipkins to 'get his facts straight'. 'Judith Collins did not say what he said she said. She said there has got to be civility in the Parliament and I fully agree with her. That is why we back the decision of the Privileges Committee.'
