Update 10 April, 2023
Update 09 March, 2023
The 2023 Auckland Arts Festival is under way and “The Savage Coloniser Show” premiers tonight at the Rangatira, Q Theatre.
On the Auckland Arts Festival online brochure https://www.aaf.co.nz/event/savage-coloniser “The Savage Coloniser Show” is described as “Creative learning for schools”.
A link to a video clip of Tusiata Avia reading her poem “250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand” (sorry about the annoying initial advt).
Caution: The video clip may be construed by some to be obscene, repulsive, hateful and racially provocative.
Tusiata Avia’s book “The Savage Coloniser” and the adapted theatre production “The Savage Coloniser Show” received $107, 280 from Creative NZ which is a taxpayer funded organisation (a Crown entity governed by the Arts Council).
Casey Costello at Hobson’s Pledge is presently conducting a campaign to raise money to pay for nation-wide advertisements describing her letter to Meng Foon (Race Relations Conciliator) and Carmel Sepuloni (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage) demanding that they take action and investigate the decision making processes at Creative NZ.
A link for anyone who sees fit to contribute; https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/chip-in-for-open-letter-to-meng-foon?utm_campaign=20230303_racist_letter_xtra_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=hobsonspledge
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23 February 2023
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Tusiata Avia has been described as a revolutionary New Zealand writer.
In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to poetry and the arts. She was also made an Arts Foundation Laureate which includes a NZ$25,000 award in recognition of her as one of New Zealand's most outstanding artists.
Her 2020 book “The Savage Coloniser Book” was awarded the 2021 Ockham Award for poetry.
A collection of poems contained in that book has been dramatised by way of a production called “The Savage Coloniser Show” and which is scheduled to be performed at the 2023 Auckland Arts Festival, 9 – 26 March, 2023.
A principal sponsor of Auckland Arts Festival is Foundation North which is an accumulated $1.4 billion trust fund maintained for the benefit of Auckland and Northland communities which originated from the sale of community shares in what was previously the Auckland Savings Bank. The endowment allows for millions of dollars in grants each year to not-for-profit groups in Auckland and Northland. The patron of Foundation North is the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, the Foundation is administered by the Department of Internal Affairs (Kieran McAnulty) and trustees are appointed by the Minister of Finance (Grant Robertson).
One of the poems contained in her book is entitled “250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand” and it most certainly appears to be hateful provocation and an incitement to racial tension and violence. She may be inclined to use art as a smokescreen to indulge in behaviour which by any measure should be deemed to be hate speech.
At a time when hate speech is a very contentious issue around the world, this must surely be one of the more egregious examples of the peddling of social disharmony.
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250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand
Hey James,
yeah, you
in the white wig
in that big Endeavour
sailing the blue, blue water
like a big arsehole
FUCK YOU, BITCH.
James,
I heard someone
shoved a knife
right up
into the gap between
your white ribs
at Kealakekua Bay.
I’m gonna go there
make a big Makahiki luau
cook a white pig
feed it to the dogs
and FUCK YOU UP, BITCH.
Hey James,
it’s us.
These days
we’re driving round
in SUVs
looking for ya
or white men like you
who might be thieves
or rapists
or kidnappers
or murderers
yeah, or any of your descendants
or any of your incarnations
cos, you know
ay, bitch?
We’re gonna FUCK YOU UP.
Tonight, James,
it’s me
Lani, Danielle
and a car full of brown girls
we find you
on the corner
of the Justice Precinct.
You’ve got another woman
in a headlock
and I’ve got my father’s
pig-hunting knife
in my fist
and we’re coming to get you
sailing round
in your Resolution
your Friendship
your Discovery
and your fucking Freelove.
Watch your ribs, James
cos, I’m coming with
Kalaniōpu‘u
Kānekapōlei
Kana‘ina
Keawe‘ōpala
Kūka‘ilimoku
who is a god
and Nua‘a
who is king with a knife.
And then
James,
then
we’re gonna
FUCK.
YOU.
UP.
FOR.
GOOD.
BITCH.
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Tusiata Avia
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