Pōwhiri is a reinvented tradition

In the Comments section of my last blog on pōwhiri, I and others have had a spirited debate about tradition, colonisation, and gender roles. One of my assertions is that the pōwhiri has been subject to colonisation and transformed by the experience. I wanted to follow up on this and consider what may have happened… Read More Pōwhiri is a reinvented tradition

January 17, 2014January 17, 2014 grahamcameron7 Comments

Everywhere I look, peace is breaking out

Every day we are bombarded by images of horror. Violence and death on a scale that might cause you to ask if there is something fundamentally flawed in our make-up. Somewhere deep down, do we actually desire our own destruction? Well, have a careful look at this graph: That is not an error. There has been a… Read More Everywhere I look, peace is breaking out

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 grahamcameron2 Comments

Jesus is probably not the reason for the season

My eldest is at a kura kaupapa Māori (a Māori language immersion school). In the last month, they’ve been doing self-directed learning about mythical creatures. Due to the timing, there’s been a lot of interest in Santa Claus: is he real? Where does he come from? How does he get down chimneys if he is… Read More Jesus is probably not the reason for the season

December 13, 2013 grahamcameron

The First Station of the Cross: Rangiriri

3pm, 20 November 1863. General Cameron orders the gunboats Curacoa and Pioneer to begin the two hour bombardment of the Rangiriri Pa lying between Lake Kopuera and the Waikato River. 1,400 colonial troops wait. Five hundred warriors endure. At 5pm, 600 troops storm the pā. The engagement into the evening leaves the British with 110 dead… Read More The First Station of the Cross: Rangiriri

November 20, 2013 grahamcameron

Whose country is this? Halloween, Guy Fawkes & Parihaka

As I grumble about Halloween and Guy Fawkes, there is a regular flow of comments from friends on my Facebook posts whose theme is to entreat me to enjoy the events and let children have their fun. There were similar comments on a friend’s page when she criticised Columbus Day. I wouldn’t characterise most of… Read More Whose country is this? Halloween, Guy Fawkes & Parihaka

November 2, 2013November 2, 2013 grahamcameron5 Comments

Wanganui Savage Club

For my wife’s birthday, we were gifted tickets to Trinity Roots, who were playing at the Wanganui Savage Club in Whanganui. Suffice to say, they were outstanding, and the atmosphere was suitably eclectic and friendly, alcohol flowed freely and clouds of marijuana smoke wafted outside, across the front of the hall. But it was the venue that… Read More Wanganui Savage Club

September 29, 2013December 8, 2013 grahamcameron