The State-owned Broadcaster has just announced, "Every high school in NZ is set to receive a copy of a new book about the Treaty of Waitangi following a surprise donation by an Auckland couple". One News reported the book, called "Understanding Te Tiriti", is a basic guide to NZ’s founding document. That's not the title of the book. Its "Understanding Te Tiriti: A Handbook of Basic Facts about Te Tiriti o Waitangi". That's no small difference. What some people call "Facts" are not what other people call "Facts". Our schools teach there's a difference between "fact" and "opinion". This book self-identifies as factual. That's an opinion of the author. The difficulties posed in finding "facts" has resulted not only in journalists rejecting "objectivity" as an illusion, but also legal opinions, which have declared objectivity impossible. One person's "truth" invariably differs from another's. Furthermore, schools haven't received the book thanks to a clean "donation", as declared by our State broadcaster. At least its no monetary donation, leaving schools free to spend it how they wish - in which case they may prefer buying another book. The anonymous donor's money was paid, as I understand the deal, to the book's author. Then the books went to the schools.
"Understanding Te Tiriti" is a political book. It influences children how to think, and how to vote, regards one of the most politically charged issues in the country. Its by Roimata Smail, a lawyer. In her words, "She represented lead claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal Hauora Inquiry that led to the establishment of a Māori Health Authority". National abolished it. So Smail would appear to be no Nat. She says, "The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill is trying to create three new principles that don't match what was agreed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi .. Its important NZ'ers tell the Government its not OK to undermine our country’s founding agreement, by passing a law that makes up new principles". So its pretty clear she ain't no raving David Seymour fan. Our State-owned broadcaster reports "Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Te Raki Paewhenua in Auckland was the first to receive their copies, and it was already resonating with students, one of whom said, "In article two of the Māori text, Māori retain their absolute authority over their homes, their treasures, and all of their land .. But in the English text, it says 'Māori yielded sovereignty' or 'Māori ceded'. It's wrong - most Māori signed the Māori text." That issue is the most contentious in the nation, causing upheaval & division. Large numbers of folks don't agree with this student's view, including Deputy PM Peters, who's given his version of the "facts" in Parliament, saying, "Is it a fact that, 102 years ago in a major thesis, Sir Apirana Ngata set out the very circumstances of the Treaty & said Māori ceded sovereignty". This Blog, by the way, takes no view on the matter - only that both sides of the debate should be heard in the name of freedom of speech.
I run a Maths Charitable Trust. It supports Maths Competitions in South & West Auckland to improve Maths education, especially amongst Māori and Pasifika. That scheme is brilliantly run by Josephina Tamatoa and Katalina Ma. We award valuable maths prizes to teachers, since the nation has a shortage of them. Individual schools must okay the schemes we set up. We can't pay for our preferred maths book to be put into schools for teaching purposes without approval of the Education Ministry - even though we've financially supported the writing of a culturally sensitive maths text to better inspire Māori and Pasifika children to get into the subject. Being an economist, I'd happily pay for a book like Milton Friedman's "Capitalism & Freedom" to be put into schools and taught in NZ. He's a pro-free market, libertarian. At the same time, I'd like children to read opposing view-points, and would happily pay for those types of book. NZ's Education Ministry won't agree. They'd accuse me of trying to brainwash children by influencing the curriculum, even though I'm an educator, and strive to give both sides to every story. Why was this in-kind political donation of a partisan Treaty book accepted? Has it been structured in a tricky way, like a gift to libraries? Will Sir Apirana Ngata's "major thesis" also be given to the children? How dare the donor who's shoving Understanding Te Tiriti: A Handbook of Basic Facts about Te Tiriti o Waitangi into schools think they can stay above the rest of us - remain anonymous - whilst using their wealth & power to swing elections, drive ACT from power, and achieve influence far greater than gifting to a Political Party. Those gifts are subject to disclosure laws - why not this one?