Columns

Every city seems to have a Rugby World Cup-related controversy, and Dunedin is holding its own with the Rachael Rakena’s phallic work erected in the Octagon just in time for the hoards of sports fans.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the purpose of the work has been overshadowed by comments such as “why the fuck is there a giant penis in the Octagon?” and “why the fuck is the government spending all my hard-earned cash on bloody ART of all things?”. The first comment wasn’t really helped by some rather unfortunately placed foam lingering near the base of the sculpture on Saturday night.
Councillor Lee Vandervis agreed with the second comment. "We're paying $50,000 to rent a black penis in the Octagon? What's that all about?" he said. But when one considers that the government, DCC and Otago Regional Council will spend $151 million on the stadium, and Auckland ratepayers will spend $102 million on the Rugby World Cup, a measly $50,000 on a sculpture that provokes public debate on our national culture pales in comparison. And, considering that 46% of people in a recent poll said they were already sick of the Rugby World Cup, perhaps it’s fair enough to have something for the rugby naysayers.
Putting aside petty council bickering and money grabbing for a moment, the work was supposed to discuss how Maori culture is commodified by sport. We’re totally happy to turn the haka into something akin to our national dance, to sell it as a cultural icon internationally. We’re fine with singing half of the national anthem in Te Reo, to show how down with biculturalism we are.
But back on home soil, we don’t have to take that cultural shit. Last week, Dunedin businessman Mr Portman went on a racist tirade, complaining that the school principal of North East Valley Normal School was against national standards but was “teaching all this Maori culture, which is basically culture that’s been made up as it goes along”. Not only that, but he hates the tino rangatiratanga flag, and seems to believe that Maori “rob us, convert our cars, rape our women and bash our elderly. But if a white police officer shoots a Maori or a Maori gang member, or assaults a Maori criminal running from the law and posing a threat to society, you scream racism”. It seems that Maori culture is totally fine if it’s making the country big bucks, but as soon as it gets in the way of us being “all one people” (thanks again for the rhetoric, Mr Portman), we should cast it aside. In short, we’re fine with other nations calling out “Kia ora” when they discover our origins, but fuck, don’t make us actually speak the language. It’s redundant, haven’t you heard?
Depressingly, Mr Portman is unlikely to be the only bearer of such views. The saddest idea is his portrayal of Maori being entitled to more rights. Allegedly, “it’s not a crime to be white YET…but getting very close”. Arguments such as these make absolutely no sense. If Maori have special privileges in society (and it’s hard to know what these are, unless you count Maori seats), then it’s strange that Maori also have the highest unemployment, high crime rates, poor health and poor housing. The average Maori certainly isn’t living the John Key lifestyle.
So perhaps it’s time to start being a little more open minded. We don’t have to like public artworks, but perhaps we should reflect on what they say about our society and our priorities.
Yours lovingly,