emz wrote: Becks, the scholarships are at institutions, like at my TCol they had specific Maori and Pasifika scholarships and all they had to do to apply was prove heritage and say why they wanted the scholarship. The only one I could get being from a white, middle-class family (who did not pay any of my fees or living costs) was a high-achievers one ranked over the whole country. My friend who got a scholarship (Maori one) was living at home, her parents paid everything for her anyway. There would have been a lot more people, Maori or otherwise that needed that a lot more than she did. It's like they assume all Maori and Pasifika people are poor and need help. So not true.

How long ago was that? and are you sure it is a government one as a lot of Universities still have scholarships for Maori and Pasifika people that are run through the University but the money comes from other places not the government.

There are a scholarship any person that could prove they were Maori got that the goverment has now stopped.

Thats interesting Emz, I wasnt born here, but I still class myself as a NZer. I also put that on forms, as does my DH who is a 5th generation NZer. I may not have been born here, but I certainly feel like a NZer.

Well i am coming in late but I know your school Liz (well know of it) and I see why you are disgraged (if that is the right word) with the students. I am an Aussie but I am also a Maori (a very white one), and I know my Maori hertitage (i'm Ngai Tahu with my roots in Kaikoura). I think that Maori history needs to be taught in high schools over history of other countries (well some is important).

As for the scholarships, the government doesn't hand them out anymore they are now mostly iwi based.

Thought you had been strangely quiet Bizzy!!!

ETA: to fix band england!  

I think its already been said, but its all about respect and teaching our children repsect for other cultures (especially in the country that they are growing up in) - whether that be maori, samoan, tongan, chinese....whatever. As we are planning on raising our children in auckland, with all its multi-cultural glory, we want to make sure our children have respect for all those other cultures. Now just to clarify, I dont intend on teaching my children all those languages, but will take the opportunity to expose them to the culture and to teach them about aspects of it (ie the chinese latern festival, dilwali etc).

I spent 4 years as a child living in Cyprus, and although we lived on a military base with other english families, my parents were very big on exposing us to the culture of the island. We spent a lot of time with cypriot families, went to weddings, christenings, parties etc. We ate traditional food, learnt the basics of the language, and went to the othodox churches.

I am not a NZer by birth, but I am by choice. I have chosen to live here and I believe that part of that choice is exposing myself to both the maori / european history of the country, respecting the culture and at least attempting to pronounce the language correctly. Its about making an effort - even if I dont get it right!

There are always going to be good and bad examples of people, regardless of their culture. I was horrendously bullied at high school by a maori girl - because I was english and she used to make some very offensive comments to me about "what the english did" to her people. I completely "get" that the english did some awful things, but she was really nasty to me because of things that previous generations had done (not my ancestors - they never left the UK!!!)...but should I tar her with the same brush as her ancestors too? No - its not right, and its not right to tar present day maori people with the "once were warriors" brush either. There are people who have lives like that in all cultures in NZ.

Sorry have gone into a bit of a ramble.....but its all about respect at the end of the day.