Hobson’s Pledge, He Iwi Tahi Taatou – We Are Now One People
Unity is a powerful ideal. Unity in recent history ejected imperialism (Ghandi), toppled walls (Berlin), and challenged racial segregation (Luther King). Unity, in these circumstances, redistributed power.
Unity, on the other hand, aided colonisation, instigated and reinforced World War II, and enabled humanity to contend with God (Genesis 11:1-9). Unity, in these circumstances, reinforced power.
He iwi tahi tātou is a great ideal, but how does it want to deal with power? What kind of “one” is it enforcing? A unity of redistribution, or of reinforcement? A unity, or a uniformity?
To answer this question in regard to Hobson’s Pledge, firstly—Ka mua ka muri—a whakataukī that means in order to see the future clearly we must see what came behind. Secondly, is there a connection to this group within the current Christian psyche and our unity narrative? Lastly, if unified civilization is so important, how does God view it?
Let’s start with a brief bio on Governor Hobson.
Hobson had no interest in working together with Māori. The guy was sent here on a dubious mission, to ensure that Mãori would ‘cede’ legal ‘sovereignty’ to the crown. He achieved it. It is no stretch to understand what he meant by one unified people. There was to be no unity in diversity. There was only uniformity in mind.
Hobson’s Pledge is a group of well-meaning New Zealanders who want a New Zealand for all Kiwis, regardless of race, as understood by their hero of our nation, Governor Hobson. In their eyes, all people have equal opportunity and therefore should have equal rights. This view summarily deconstructs the validity of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its relevant histories, declaring it unnecessary in contemporary New Zealand society. It especially despises the ‘favouritism’ that government and institutional structures have shown Mãori, and seeks to remove any legislation that protects and provides for them. This is founded on the assumption that Mãori have already received, or will receive, adequate compensation based upon the ‘reasonable’ evidence provided. We can summarise the position as thus: one people, equal rights, equal institutional treatment. Not all that bad I guess.
The New Testament implores us to be unified, to treat others equally, and to be good stewards of God’s blessing so that all people can live well. When it comes to conversations surrounding Māori-Pākehā relations and Te Tiriti, verses from scripture pertaining to these themes are generally quoted in favour of the views espoused by Hobson’s Pledge. If one mentions cultural diversity and racism, they will be rebuked using Galatians 3:26-28 to show we are now ‘one people.’ If one presents historical injustice, 2 Corinthians 5:17 will be used as a retort, arguing that the debt is historical, and that we are now all equal in Christ. Therefore, if a Mãori person is poor and uneducated, they shouldn’t receive help but should be seen as products of their own laziness and ‘poor stewardship’ of their time and money (prooftext: Luke 19:11-27). This ‘conversation’ can go on and on.
It’s not just white people who think this way, some Māori do as well. I was one of them. The heart of these thoughts are those institutional myths propagated to make Māori less, and Pākehā superior. With these scriptural garments, and a belief in imperialism based on the European doctrine of discovery, the church edified its settler believers and their newly acquired lands. They served to help separate the ‘civilised’ from the ‘savage.’ In this practice, the church was and still is at the centre of the spiritual justification of dehumanization of Māori. When so much of a person’s history and identity is legally ignored, is it still a partnership in unity? To force a person to be different to their natural state is to enforce uniformity. This expression of Christianity reinforces power, instead of redistributing it.
Fortunately, God placed a story in scripture to help diagnose oppressors!
If you’re familiar with the Christian tradition, you have likely heard the story of the Tower of Babel recorded in Genesis 11:1-9. Traditionally, this story is viewed as a lesson in pride. Once upon a time, humanity was unified, under one language and one rule of law—and they built a great city as a pinnacle of civilization. Then they wanted to build a tower to ‘touch the heavens.’ God didn’t like this, so he diversified the language and spread them over the earth in confusion.
What's the lesson? That God irrationally hates human unity and proud people, and therefore diversity is humanity’s punishment? Ridiculous.
It is also possible to read this passage as a lesson to people of power. Let’s retell it.
According to Old Testament scholar W. Creighton Marlowe, at that time, the nation of Shinar went around and accrued power, choosing to enslave other nations and people groups. In order to solidify power, various dialects were forced to speak one language. It was difficult to control the clash and sovereignty of different cultures, so they stripped those away and enforced their own. The laws in place to protect said cultures were then removed. Then, utilising this slave labor, they built a city epitomising the pinnacle of uniformity—empire and civilization. God, seeing those humans lording power over others, and stripping the gifts of diverse culture and language from others—was pissed right off and personally intervened dispersing the peoples once again, naming it Babel to be mocked for all time.
The lesson? Colonisation and uniformity are bad, and unity in diversity was God’s original intention.
If we use this interpretation of the verse as a matrix for uniformity, Hobson’s Pledge fits every category. One Language, One Culture, One Rule, One Goal—it gets gnarly. Don Brash’s desires alone fill the quota. Brash stands against te reo Māori in schools, stating the normality of English as justification—One Language. Brash does not see race, saying: “Racists are people who want a different treatment for people based on their ethnicity or ancestry and we do not want that! I want all New Zealanders treated equally at law.” Brash’s goal, although altruistic without context, is the ‘betterment of New Zealand’ by not ‘wasting’ resources on reparation to Mãori, freeing the meagre funds for other public endeavours.
It is an essay in itself to analyze the actions of Don Brash, but hopefully you see what I mean. Unfortunately, the history of the church fits into this matrix as well.
In Aotearoa, regardless of the missionary landing first, it was the church’s insistent indoctrination of Mãori that resulted in the education of Māori children in only English—one language (11:1). During the time of the Māori prophets ending in Ratana, churches in New Zealand collectively excommunicated all Māori Christian faiths, labelling them cults and defaming Māori, forcing them to assimilate to ‘Christian’ coloniser culture to be able to continue worshipping the Lord in the dominant culture. One Culture (11:1). The church was implicit in the institution of laws enabling confiscation of Māori land, One Rule (11:3). In Te Tiriti o Waitangi, they made legislation so they could always be available to practice their religion, ‘making a name’ for themselves to never be ‘scattered abroad’—One Goal (11:4).
From this small example, the injustices committed against Māori are many. It barely scratches the surface. If, in your God-given humanity, you can read this small list of injustices and do not feel righteous anger at the government’s attempts to alleviate the sin of the crown against a whole race of people by providing paltry resources as compensation then, according to the Babel story, the God of the scriptures is not for you.
So, in summary, if you adhere to the beliefs and practices of Hobson’s Pledge and/or the sets of beliefs I outlined under it, you are located in the uniformity camp. You wittingly or unwittingly have found yourself in the camp of the oppressor, the reinforcer of power to the powerful.
Yet there are ways to change this. Reconfigure who is informing your reality.
Unity requires diversity. If you are stuck in a bubble of like minds, earnestly engage otherwise. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks to the heart of this matter, how we are all diverse body parts, contributing our diversity to the oneness of the body.
Who are you listening to, reading up on, letting inform you? If it is figures like Brash, you will stagnate. Engage in racially-conscious heroes of old like James H. Cone or Martin Luther King Jr; read Māori Marsden and Ranginui Walker for local examples in Aotearoa. Pick up the work of new heroes like Brad Haami or Andrew Picard. Engage with the conversation. I know it’s difficult.
Lastly, pray. If God, in his triune nature is against oppression and those who enact it, his Spirit of freedom will call you deeper to participate in the work of liberation.
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Eugene Fuimaono (Ngā Puhi, Sāmoa, Pākehā) is an ex-youth worker and current student at Carey Baptist College. This article was adapted from a blog post of the same title featured on When Lambs Are Silent.