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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Student's Newspaper. Volume 31, Number 4. March 26 1968

Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

Sir— I have become blase with regard to official envelopes. When a large, official looking envelope arrived by mail I was merely interested in a mild sort of way.

A glance at the contents evoked a gleam of admiration for the speedy efficiency of the hospital staff; summoning me lor surgery on an altered date.

Being moderately efficient myself, I decided that there is no better time than now. I proceeded to fill in the required data.

Having established that my name and address had been correctly inscribed, that I had been horn in Wellington. New zealand, and no other country. that I had lived here all my life, that I was prepared to accept bed number—seven digits-1 progressed to the crux of the matter.

For in the next box I had to decide, not whether I am red, yellow, black, brown or coffee coloured; not whether I am a New Zealand born Indian, Asian, Negro, Scot, Irish, Russian, European or any other nationality. No. Sir! What I had to state was whether I am Maori or non-Maori.

I was sorely tempted to ignore the box; to plead momentary mental abberation at a later date.

I was actually ready to bare fangs at the mere suggestion of a Maori whose race would submit to such derogatory discrimination.

Then I woke up! The penny dropped! I had hit the jackpot.

I realise, sir. that with the first shouted Oue! from the lookout of that first Maori canoe, the Maori established his supremacy as the emigrant of the era.

But I submit, sir, that when Maui fished up the North Island from it's resting place on the ocean bed, he did not so establish his racial superiority.

I reiterate, sir, that it is we who have given much to the Maori, who has deliberately dropped his native culture to join the retrace-sorry sir to gain the benefits which we have so generously bestowed upon him in our way of life.

Why then should the Maori be transported to the status of V.I.P., all other being reduced to the level of" a 'Non'.

Sir. I object to the status of a 'Non' I raise my voice in vigorous, persistent resolution against this degrading appelation.

There are other spheres—namely courts of law—where such a stigma is relentlessly applied.

I view with strong disfavour such blatant discrimination.

Epilogue:

Dressed in my highranking cloak of Huia feathers I stride proudly into the operating theatre.

Grandly sweeping my cloak aside I climb on to the inadequate table. Beside me stands a 'Non'. poised, knife in hand.

Indicating the site I graciously permit his procedure with the bloody deed. Not too little. Not too much. But just enough. You may begin, Non. You are a no-thing. Non-sense. Nondescript—non-entity—non-n-n.

Yours etc.,

Norine Standish.