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Draft:No Māori Allowed

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No Māori Allowed
Directed byCorinna Hunziker
Produced by
  • Megan Jones
  • Reikura Kahi
CinematographyDominic Fryer
Edited byCushla Dillon
Distributed by
Release date
  • October 18, 2022 (2022-10-18)
Running time
45 minutes[1]
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish

No Māori Allowed is a 2022 New Zealand documentary film directed by Corinna Hunziker and produced by Megan Jones and Reikura Kah.[2] It explores Pukekohe's history of anti-Māori racism and racial segregation. It was based on American medical sociologist and University of Auckland senior lecturer Robert Bartholomew's 2020 book No Maori Allowed.[3][4] It was released on TVNZ on 18 October 2022.[3][5]

Background

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In 2020, American medical sociologist and University of Auckland senior lecturer Robert Bartholomew released his self-published book No Maori Allowed: New Zealand's Forgotten History of Racial Segregation, which looked at the history of racial segregation and discrimination against Māori people in the Auckland suburb of Pukekohe.[6] During the early 20th century, several landless Māori from the Waikato migrated to Pukekohe to work in the township's market gardens as itinerant agricultural workers.[7][8] Many of these Māori workers and their families lived in substandard accommodation including shacks and sheds with no sanitation or plumbing. These contributed to an array of health problems and diseases among Pukekohe's Māori community.[9][8] According to Bartholomew's research, 73% (237) of all Māori deaths aged 14 years and under in Pukekohe between 1925 and 1961 were caused by preventable conditions linked to poverty and poor housing such as bronchitis, diphtheria, dysentry, gastroenteritis, malnutrition, measles, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and whooping cough.[10]

Bartholomew argued that the substandard housing of Māori workers and their families was the result of racially discriminatory policies practised by the Pukekohe Borough Council, the Franklin District Council, the Pukekohe Growers Association, and local leaders such as Deputy Mayor George Parvin and Mayor Max Grierson between the 1930s and 1960s. These institutions and leaders blocked attempts by the New Zealand Government and Māori community groups such as the Pukekohe Māori Women's Club to establish public housing for Māori residents. Following a measles outbreak in 1938, Māori tenants were temporarily moved into tents. During the Second World War, Māori tenants were housed in army huts, which had deteriorated by the early 1950s. In 1951, Māori Affairs Department purchased a section of land known as the "Kennelly Block" in North Pukekohe to build houses for Māori tenants, resulting in 65 houses being built by 1961. In 1961, the Franklin District Council unsuccessfully attempted to restrict Māori housing to North Pukekohe but were blocked by the-then Minister of Māori Affairs Ralph Hanan.[11]

In addition to substandard housing, Bartholomew argued that Pukekohe's Māori population experienced discrimination and segregation in accessing education, health services, public toilets, transportation, and local businesses between the 1920s and early 1960s. Pukekohe's primary school maintained segregated toilets and sports teams, and restricted access to its swimming pool for Māori students. In 1952, a segregated Māori-only school called Pukekohe Māori School was established for the Māori community. The school was later revamped in 1965 as the interracial Pukekohe Hill School.[12][13] Several pubs, barbers, and restaurants either refused to serve Māori or maintained separate facilities for Europeans and non-Whites including Māori. Local businesses and banks were unwilling to loan to Māori patrons. Māori buses passengers were expected to give up their seats for European customers.[14][15] The Strand cinema maintained separate seating areas for Māori patrons.[16] According to Bartholomew, discrimination against Māori residents was done on the pretext of health and alleged poor behavior since New Zealand did not have legislation and local by-laws codifying racial segregation and discrimination.[17]

Following the book's release, Bartholomew told Te Ao Māori News that he had trouble finding a publisher for No Maori Allowed. He said that a university publisher was open to publishing the book but requested changes because it was "too pro-Māori". Unwilling to make the changes, Bartholomew opted to self-publish the book. Bartholomew maintained that the stories of segregation needed to be told and New Zealand must '"acknowledge its racist past."[18] Bartholomew's research on Pukekohe has been cited by Adele N. Norris, Gauri Nandedkar, Meg Parsons and Byron Williams.[19][20][21]

Synopsis

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The documentary features several talking heads including Phyllis Bhana, a Pakeha resident, Papatoetoe teacher Catherine Tamihere, Robert Bartholomew, Pare Rauwhero and Taitimu Mapu. Pakeha resident talked about European residents not wanting to live in Kennelly Block due to the large Māori presence there. Bartholomew talked about learning about Pukekohe's history while teaching at Botany Downs Secondary College. He went to Archives New Zealand and conducted research on Pukekohe's history of segregation and discrimination. This research became the basis for his book No Maori Allowed. Tamihere talked about organising a public talk at Pukekohe's town hall to promote the book. People were unaware, ashamed or tried to deny this history. Bartholomew cited examples of hairdressers

Bartholomew talked about Māori participants initially being opposed to a non-Māori writing this history of Pukekohe. Tamihere organised a "Hikoi for Harmony" to bring the people of Pukekohe together. Mapu organised a hui to with Franklin Local Board chairperson Andy Baker to encourage local Māori participation in the documentary project. Rauwhero said that Māori had to be the ones tellings the story while Bhana talked about being beaten in school and Māori not being allowed to bury their dead in the town cemetery. Baker said it was tough to hear the stories of Māori who had experienced discrimination in Pukekohe. Tamihere talked about a kuai (female elder) being uneasy about the Hikoi for Harmony.

Elderly Pakeha resident tried to minimise segregation at the Strand Cinema, insiting that his people were friends with Ruwhero's family. Tamihere chatted with an elderly Māori about local Māori resenting her for telling their story. Another Māori lady talked about the intergenerational clash between rangatahi (younger Māori) and Kaumātua (older Māori) about dealing with past and present problems. Tamihere interviewed an elderly Māori teacher about Pukekohe primary school only allowing Māori students to use the school swimming pool on Friday.

Another elderly resident Massey Hiku McInnes talked about his generation growing up accustomed to segregation. An elderly Pakeha resident acknowledged that Pukekohe's Stand Cinema had segregated seats for Māori and Europeans. The cinema owner denied being racist and claimed he was enforcing a dress code. The Pakeha resident talked about two barber shops refusing to cut hair for Māori and ignoring Māori patrons.

In 1952, a Māori-only school was opened in Pukekohe at a time when the New Zealand Government was phasing out native schools. Mapu talked about Māori students only learning the English language. The school had shower days on Wednesday due to the assumption that Māori inspector. Bartholomew talked about how Pakeha parents lobbied for a separate Māori school because they regarded Māori as inferior. Bhana talked about Māori children being strapped for speaking the Māori language. Native schools taught Māori students vocational subjects like metalwork, woodwork and cooking since they were regarded as a labour force. The elderly Pakeha resident expressed discomfort about segregated education.

Bhani talked about her mother working on a market farm. There were also many Chinese and Indian market gardeners in Pukekohe. Bartholomew talked about Māori and Pakeha residents objecting for different reasons. In 1863, Governor-General George Grey issued a proclamation for Māori in Auckland to swear loyalty to the British Queen. Many local Māori fled to Waikato and had their lands confiscated. One Māori participant talked about the loss of Māori land and the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 banning Māori medicinal practices.

Bartholomew and Bhana talked about the squalid living conditions of Māori shacks in Pukekohe. Bhana also talked about Māori having to give birth in shacks since hospitals would not accept Māori at the time. Bhana talked about assisting her mother during childbirth when she was ten years old. She talked about blaming herself for the death of her infant sibling. Bartholomew talked about the high Māori infant and child mortality rate between the 1930s and 1960s. Health officials and growers were aware but did not improve the living conditions of their Māori workers.

Rauwhero and Bhana talked about Māori residents making way for Pakeha pedestrians. One Māori participant talked about Māori being prosperous agricultural producers and suppliers prior to the Waikato War, which impoverished them. During the 1920s, local Pakeha became alarmed at the success of ethnic Chinese and Indian market gardeners. Bartholomew talked about Deputy Mayor George Parvin founding the White New Zealand League, which opposed Asian immigration to New Zealand. The League opposed the sale of land to Chinese and Indians, and found support from several local councils. At the time, Māori living in Pukekohe were impoverished and landless.

Bhana talked about accompanying her mother to a grocery shop. Her mother was beaten up by the shopowner. Bhana sustained a bruise to her head. She talked about local doctors refusing to treat their injuries. Her mother never recovered from the incident and could not work in the market gardens. Bhana talked about losing younger siblings to the flu due to their squalid living conditions. Bartholomew has criticised the unmarked Māori graves as a devaluation of Māori lives in Pukekohe.

The documentary then shifts towards efforts to secure an apology from local authorities. Bhana and Rauwhero thanked Bartholomew for raising awareness of Pukekohe's history. Local leaders agree to consult on an apology. Footage of Wesley College students learning about Pukekohe's history. Bhata also visits students at Pukekohe Hill School and tells them about the history of the market gardens. She talked about growing up and raising children on the market gardens. A Māori historian and Tamihere talked about the need to educate children about "painful" histories. They are helped by the elderly Pakeha resident. The documentary ends with people singing and a blurb mentioning that the Auckland Council is working to address Pukekohe's historical injustices.

Production

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No Māori Allowed was directed by Corinna Hunziker and produced by Megan Jones and Reikura Kahi.[2][1] Dominic Fryer served as cinematographer while Cushla Dillon served as editor.[2] The documentary's production was funded by TVNZ and NZ On Air.[1]

Besides Bartholomew, the documentary makers also interviewed two female Māori kaumatua Phyllis Bhana and Pare Rauwhero, who shared about their experiences growing up in Pukekohe during the 20th century.[5][22] The documentary supporters were also supported by a young Māori teacher named Catherine Tamihere, who had moved to Pukekohe and convinced the elders to share their stories as a means of healing.[22]

According to Kahi, it "took a lot of strength, and a lot of talking to their whānau" (family) for Bhana and Rauwhero to tell Pukekohe's history of racial discrimination and segregation.[5] While Bhana said that her whānau were initially critical of her participation in the documentary, she said that they subsequently supported her project as a means of educating the public about Pukekohe's history. Bhana also hoped that the documentary would encourage more people to "be brave and come forward with their stories." Bhana also worked with Bartholomew to brief teachers about Pukekohe's "colour bar."[23] Rauwhero was initially reluctant to participate in the project due to her belief that only mana whenua (indigenous people) from Pukekohe had the right to tell that story.[22]

According to Kahi, the documentary makers also encountered resistance from present-day residents of Pukekohe, who voiced their opposition against the project towards the film crew both in person and on social media.[5][3] In response to opposition, Kahi defended the documentary project as a means of tackling a "heavy subject" and initiating a healing process. She also expressed hope that Pukekohe's history of racism and segregation would become part of the New Zealand school history curriculum.[5][3]

Release

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The film was released on TVNZ and its streaming service TVNZ+ on 18 October 2022.[5][2] It was also distributed by the Australian Special Broadcasting Service and France Télévisions.[2]

Reception

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Critical reception

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In late September 2023, No Māori Allowed has won the Grand Jury Prize at the FIFO film festival in Tahiti, Best Documentary at the New Zealand Television Awards, Pacifica Award for Best Feature Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival and Best Documentary Short at the Dili International Film Festival.[2][1] The film was also shortlisted for the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in Toronto and Rochefort Pacific Cinema & Literature Festival in October 2023.[1][2]

Shannon Pōmaika'i Hennessey of "Film For Thought" praised the documentary's director Corinna Hunziker for tackling the question of "who has the right to tell the story" within the context of indigenous storytelling. In discussing the role of the documentary's participants Robert Bartholomew, Catherine Tamihere and Pare Rauwhero, Hennessey said that Hunziker challenged viewers to consider their privilege in in relation to community and sensitive histories. She praised No Māori Allowed for allowing the Māori elders to share their stories on their own terms.[22]

Community responses

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Following the documentary's release, Phyllis Bhana embarked on a campaign to acknowledge the unmarked graves of the 200 children at the Pukekohe Public Cemetery. She also led a campaign to lobby for a public apology for the discrimination and abuse that Māori living in Pukekohe had experienced.[24] In May 2023, Newshub reported that the Auckland Council was working with the New Zealand Government to issue a formal apology to Māori families affected by racial discrimination and segregation in Pukekohe.[24] By October 2023, the New Zealand Government had allocated NZ$700,000 to build a memorial at the Pukekohe cemetery to honour those buried without headstones. [25]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "No Māori Allowed doco enjoying international festival run". WIFT NZ. 26 September 2023. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "No Māori Allowed". Kindred Films. 2022. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "No Māori Allowed: new documentary unearths the forgotten history of Pukekohe". RNZ. 18 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  4. ^ Bartholomew, Bartholomew (27 October 2022). "The real life documentary 'No Māori Allowed' strikes a raw nerve for some in our society". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Harvey, Kerry (6 October 2022). "TVNZ documentary No Māori Allowed revisits Pukekohe's history of segregation". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  6. ^ "'No Māori allowed' – New book explores Pukekohe's history of racial segregation". 1 News. TVNZ. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 28–29.
  8. ^ a b Moon 2023, p. 146.
  9. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 5–6, 32–71.
  10. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 31, 148.
  11. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 32–71.
  12. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 100–105.
  13. ^ Ausubel, D.P. (1958). "Race relations in New Zealand: Maori and Pakeha: an American view,". Landfall. 12: 239.
  14. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 95–98.
  15. ^ Moon 2023, pp. 185–186.
  16. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 106–110.
  17. ^ Bartholomew 2020, pp. 10–11.
  18. ^ Triponel, Te Rina (19 June 2020). "Sociologist's book rejected after claims it was 'too pro-Māori'". Te Ao Māori News. Whakaata Māori. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. ^ Norris, Adele; Nandedkar, Gauri (2022). "Ethnicity, racism and housing: discourse analysis of New Zealand housing research". Housing Studies. 37 (8): 1334–1335. doi:10.1080/02673037.2020.1844159. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  20. ^ Parsons, Meg (2022). "Indigenous People: Maaori planning rights and wrongs in Aotearoa". In Pojani, Dorina (ed.). Alternative Planning History and Theory. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 9781003157588. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  21. ^ Williams, Byron (2022). "'This Is Not Us?': African Youth Experiences of Racism in New Zealand". In McCarthy, Angela (ed.). Narratives of Migrant and Refugee Discrimination in New Zealand. Routledge. pp. 93–112. ISBN 9781003275077. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d "Film For Thought: No Maori Allowed + Still We Rise". HIFF. Hawaii International Film Festival. 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  23. ^ Husband, Dale (27 November 2022). "Phyllis Bhana: Recalling some of Pukekohe's past". E-Tangata. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  24. ^ a b Perera, Ruwani (8 May 2023). "Whānau impacted by race-based separatism in Pukekohe to receive formal apology". Newshub. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  25. ^ Perera, Ruwani (30 October 2023). "Grandmothers come together over inhumane treatment of Māori, racism in Auckland's Pukekohe". Newshub. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

Further reading

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Category:2022 films Category:2022 documentary films Category:2020s New Zealand films Category:2020s English-language films Category:New Zealand documentary films Category:Films about Māori people Category:Films set in New Zealand Category:Films shot in New Zealand Category:English-language documentary films

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