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Pop CultureJanuary 17, 2021

Alice Snedden’s Bad News: How racist is New Zealand really?

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Summer reissue: In the final episode of this season of Bad News, Alice is joined by Billy T award winner Kura Forrester to look at how well we’re honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 2020.

First published September 3, 2020.

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As Taika Waititi once said, New Zealand is racist as fuck. To find out what he meant, Alice and Kura (Ngāti Porou) meet with Hone Harawira (Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Aupouri, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whatua) to talk about the ongoing trauma of colonisation, and how the government is continuing to fail in its Treaty obligations. Ex-Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy reveals the hypocrisy in not having a tangata whenua Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission, before dealing to Alice and Kura on the squash court. And return appearances from Alice’s dad Pat and Janell Dymus-Kurei (Te Whakatōhea) underscore the importance of historical literacy.

What even is this Pākehā culture that so many are fighting so hard to protect, anyway?

Commissioned by RNZ and made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund.

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