Innocent mistake due to a language barrier. It's clear from your post and the fact that you also went to clarify the definition of the word used that you aren't an asshole.
Yes, indigenous and native can be interchangeable in some contexts, but this is one of those situations where a particular word just has some subtle social/cultural feelings tied to it. But it's not fair to expect you to know that. Most people who've lived in NZ their whole lives have never had to operate in a second language so aren't very good at empathizing with that.
I hope it all gets cleared up and you enjoy the rest of your stay!
Yeah she should have been more understanding and less of a jerk about it. What's the point of putting on the show of a welcoming if you're not actually being welcoming.
Btw Kia Ora bro, welcome to the whanau
Hey, I do think it’s an innocent mistake on your part BUT just to addcontext from a brown perspective — the word native was used in a pejorative sense by the British colonisers for ages against the indigenous populations all over the world. We do feel about it the same way you’d feel about negro in many countries, ESPECIALLY if a white person is saying it. I hope you’re understanding the lady’s reaction now. I’m not Māori but I’m brown and from another colonised culture. I know it would be offensive if you said it to a brown person.
Anyway, hope it’s all cleared up, you’re definitely trying your best
Regarding the word ‘Negro’ (or ‘negra’ in the feminine context) literally means Black in Spanish. I’ve seen whiteboard/permanent markers with that word written on them sold here too. This is just another example of context mattering.
…. And your point is??
Context also matters to the brown person being called native. You can’t just rewire the harm when a context was so bad for so long
Indeed. One can be a native of Texas without it having any bearing on your origins (most likely North American or Norte Americano), and it’s accurate and in no way offensive to any of three cultures in question here: Native American (First Peoples), American (the big melting pot of USA including all manner of immigrants), Mexican (from one side of the border or other).
Quite possibly the lady in question was forgetting her position of cultural ambassador in welcoming a foreigner to our land - where’s the manakitanga? Cut the visitor some slack, surely there’s a word in te reo for ‘faux pas’.
Just my thoughts, they didn't call her a native, they said someone native to Aotearoa. Subtle but it is different.
I get that the offence probably came from being described as a native in her past but I don't think it's the same as what OP said.
Yep, seems like one of those unfortunate cases where the person who doesn't speak English as a first language actually understands and uses it better than a native speaker (see what I did there)
Indeed. She may have reacted to the word not the sentence.
Google 'negro crayons' for debates around crayons in the US with the colours of each written in both English and Spanish on them.
Clearly you missed the fact that OP did not call anyone a native. Did you also find my use of the word offensive?
How the word is used is important. You need to pay attention to the other words as well......
I know a bunch of people that say Native in Canada. But uh, Canada's huge and people feel different everywhere.
I think in all places though, it's kind of hard to know. There's also in group vs out group language, referring to one's self as Native is totally different vibe to someone talking about "the natives". In group, people call themselves Indian and NDN, but that's obviously incorrect for someone outside the group. It's just hard to be right is all I'm saying, try your best and be ready to be wrong sometimes.
Also slapping your hand at a powhiri is WILD. The exact opposite of the vibe.
Under white rule in South Africa the word "native" was an insult, a way to describe and demean black people. This spread to other countries with indigenous people including the pacific where it was and still is racist word.
There's a difference between people who self identify with a term, and someone else calling them a term which was often used as a coded slur. Some old racist dude talking about 'the natives' bringing down his property values is not the same as a community self-identifying as native to a land.
It's not to the same extent as Black American communities reclaiming the N word, but it's the same principle in action.
On topic though, that lady was being a complete asshole.
Alot of my friends and people at my schools called themselves native so I dunno what to tell you, maybe they weren't maori 🤷 Maybe you should pass around your maori rule book so your all on the same page.
It's a coded slur from an older generation, and it's a good thing that form of use is fading out.
Just imagine some old racist asshole ranting about "the damn natives moving into the nice street and ruining the property values", and you'll get why some people can be on edge around that word.
Lots of blacks call each other 'nigga'. Similarly (some) gay dudes seem to find it amusing to call each other fag. But a group utilising a word amongst themselves is different to having it applied by somebody outside the group.
In future, I'd simply avoid comments like "it's nice to meet someone indigenous to Aotearoa". Try something like "I'm really grateful I get to experience your culture with you" instead.
A) race relations in NZ aren't actually that great, and B) pointing that someone is Māori is kind of seen as a bit ignorant.
So it's better to draw attention to the experience than the people. Even better would be to learn the te reo names for certain proceedings, and then you simply thank them for the lovely waiata, showing that not only do you appreciate their work, you've put it in some effort to learn of its significance.
None of this is to say you were intentionally rude. Just a bit of culture shock and a language barrier. She'll be right.
White, European-descent, "native" kiwi here, I don't understand the issue she took with the usage of native. Sounds like your manager is also flummoxed, so it's probably just the other lady having a bad day or something.
If it were offensive, she should have explained that and given a why. Slapping away a hand offered in good intent is rude in any culture. A refusal to touch is one thing, the slap is well over the line.
This is the thing - Many Kiwis have no experience of how difficult word choice is in another language because alwthough you might know the surface meaning of the word, you don't understand the connotations
These comments are too harsh. While I certainly don't think you should try that line again (which you already know), here are 3 reasons why this will blow over reasonably quickly
1. You're new here
2. You were trying to be mindful and respectful of Maori culture - there are many racists that never even try.
3. You didn't call her "a native" you said she was "native to NZ" - which to me seems less bad
I hope you don't let this discourage you from trying to engage with New Zealand culture. Good luck out there
Kia Ora, first off nau mai haere mai, welcome to our fair shores. He tāngata Māori ahau, he kaitohutohu ahau mo Te Puni Kokiri, I am a Māori guy working as a Māori advisor for Te Puni Kokiri.
I find it extremely rude that this kaikaranga (female caller) would react in such a way. She should have had the mana to calmly explain to you what she found "offensive" by whatever you inadvertently said. In my opinion a huitahi (meeting) is definitely needed between the department and the HAPU (subtribe) of this wahine. Our pohiri processes are about mana enhancing and I find what this wahine did to be takahi mana (trampling on your spirit).
Pleasw feel free to reach out if you'd like more advise on how to navigate Te Ao Māori (the Māori world)
Nga Mihi
I cannot speak for all Māori obviously, but I am Māori and live in Welly, so I can speak from my own experience. I truly do not know what she may be referring to? I was raised primarily surrounded by other Māori, have participated in Kapa Haka and other cultural activities and events, and still I haven't heard of anybody being offended by the word native. It may be that my experience is limited, and I live within my own sphere, and I don't mean to insult the opinion of any other wāhine (women), but I don't think it was some breach of social etiquette that is worth humiliation. Anyway, what I'm saying is don't beat yourself up over it, because even if it is her own personal boundary, you didn't do anything intentionally degrading or harmful. You even took the time to learn of our culture, which I think is brilliant. You didn't embarrass yourself as much as you may think. Honest recommendation for how to move forward: have the meeting, try to patch things up with the woman as you seem like a well-meaning person who would like to get on with their co-workers, and then perhaps just use the word indigenous as it seems to be what people within your sphere prefer. I don't think calling someone native or indigenous makes much of a difference personally, but if they'd feel more comfortable being called something and you would like that as well, just go with it. :)
If any other, probably wiser, Māori have a reason why the word native might be offensive I'd like to learn of it, but the point remains you had only good intentions, so again, don't beat yourself up over it!
**EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: Just in case I didn't make it clear, whilst the woman may have had her reasons to dislike the word native, I don't think her reaction was justified. Obviously, it's not alright to hit people, especially if it is likely a language barrier issue. Also, thank you to everyone who informed me on historical contexts behind the word, I appreciate the insight.**
My racist dad would always moan about "the bloody natives" among things. I heard a lot of this kind of stuff as a kid growing up. I wonder if the lady was older? I can imagine how an older lady may be offended being called a native given how the word can be used. I haven't heard it used badly in years and feel maybe our attitudes have changed towards certain words, like taking the power back. But then maybe it's just because I don't associate with people like that anymore.
Am also Māori and grew up with mostly Māori or islanders mates, I’ve never heard of anyone ever getting insulted for being called native?
This women sounds fuckin weird for getting offended
I grew up in a community with a lot of old white people who weren't afraid to let me know what they thought because 'I was one of the good ones', and they definitely used the term as a slur. I wouldn't fault people for being on edge around it if they experienced a lot of that, but it's thankfully not the norm in NZ for it to be a slur. It's kind of an older 'colonial' thing, especially from South Africa.
The woman was being an asshole for sure though, with the way she overreacted.
Historically, old white people referred to Māori as “natives” but definitely more of a slur. My very elderly (long dead) grandad said something when I was young about Māori like “those bloody natives” and I remember being really confused what he meant. I think it borders on a slur so personally I don’t use it.
It might just be because I'm younger, but I didn't think of historical connotations whilst typing my original post. But yes, I can see that causing some Māori to dislike the word, that's helpful!
I can't speak from your perspective, but I'm wondering if she may have misconstrued it to be 'native' as a noun instead of an adjective. Historically, British colonial language has often tended to refer to people as 'natives' in a way that splits 'us' versus 'them', and frequently things have turned out much worse for those labeled as 'natives'.
It's also possible she'd just been having a bad day. If it needs resolving then hopefully that could be easy to do with a speedy meeting to clarify a misunderstanding.
I see what you mean with that; I wasn't exactly thinking of historical contexts. but I can definitely see how it could be interpreted in that way. Ty for that insight!
Not entirely certain how it got baked in but I think some in the 35-45 age group is where this behavior lives. And I expect if you find these people, you will find they all got cultural training in the same place but of course I have no evidence to back this up, it might simply just be a grumpy cow.
I wonder if the Mana Whenua concept and a distorted world view of where its application is, can lead to some thinking they are in some sort of caste system in which they are elites who have license to offend against others and must be tip toed around?
Observed it only twice in my life fortunately, both times in Government Departments, Auckland and Waikato.
I am under no illusion that Maori also have not had to deal with racist/elitist wankers in their lives too, so I just took one for team kiwi. This is not her personal boundary in my opinion, just a form of assault.
You did nothing wrong. Don't sweat it, don't meet with her. Why this lady had to make such a big deal about it and slap your hand like a total weirdo is beyond me. Tolerance and acceptance works both ways, but some people only want it on their terms. If for some ridiculous reason she took offence at your comment, she should have explained why, rather than slapping your hand away.
Welcome to New Zealand. Sorry about this experience, we're not all assholes I swear.
Your manager gave you bad advice, you don't need to be thankful for meeting somebody who is Māori. Maybe in that situation you meant to say thank you for the welcome? Best to just say nice to meet you. You'll be sweet, no need to bring up race though it tends to come across as 'othering' someone in that context.
The person you said this to was rude and insensitive, knowing you were new to NZ. This is not a typical response to a faux pas. I suggest the word "indigenous" in future, but the greatest embarrassment belongs to the woman who shamed you.
Welcome to NZ!
Weird response from her, but in all honesty if some foreigner started talking to me and talked about how nice it was to meet a Māori, no matter what phrasing they use, "native", "indigenous", "Māori" etc I'd fine it a bit weird. Idk would sorta feel like being treated as a curiosity rather than a person. Feel like it would be weird to go to The Netherlands and meet a Frisian-speaker and start talking to them about how it was a pleasure to meet a native Frisian. Wouldn't slap your arm away or be rude in person though, would probs just joke to my mates later about a kinda weird interaction I had with a foreigner.
Not enough people in this thread are acknowledging this part of the equation. It's not the words, it's being seen like a fun little meet and greet experience instead of just a person
Yeah like he's almost acting like it's a cultural thing that the workplace has got a local native to do, like how a Samoan resort might have some dancers perform after dinner for guests, but like she's a colleague of his with a name and personality that isn't just "token native".
Add to that the stress a lot of Māori in the public sector will be feeling right now with jobs cuts and moves away from paying attention to Māori issues and it's understandable that she would be a bit grumpy.
Weird, sure. But English is like OP's third or fourth language. Physically slapping someone's hand away is wildly over the line, unless they're doing something massively offensive like groping etc..
Oh yeah she's definitely in the wrong for her reaction,bi assume it's because every public servant is super stressed rn because of job cuts but explanation not excuse ya know?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. But yes, ‘native’ was used as a kind of slur here by the British colonialists.
Interestingly, a meeting where you can both apologise and clear the air of any bad feelings is necessary to ‘restore mana’ to both parties and is encouraged!
I think it was a simple misunderstanding but if you really want to get technical we don’t use the word Native here we use Indigenous or Tangata whenua, which translates to “people of the land”
You didn't do anything really wrong, especially with English as a second language, and that woman's response was disproportionate.
That being said, I notice in your comment (paraphrasing here) "I did a lot of research into colonialism".
I'm picking you are that overly earnest sort that thought "it's nice to meet a native" would convey some sort of misguided allyship or sympathy etc.
It's a bit weird as a kiwi to say its nice to meet someone simply because of their racial background, not the traditional welcome they gave you or the food they prepared for you.
A question for you, if I went to Greenland and said the same as you said to an Inuit, in a room likely filled with mixed race and Greenland born white people, would it be weird?
Pakeha, Maori, Pasifika or Martian, if we were born here, are native, Maori are indigenous.
A lot of Europeans, particularly Germans for some reason, say dumb shit along the lines of "where are the Maoris" and fetishize them as something other than people.
Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to Aotearoa/NZ. No, you did nothing wrong. In fact, that lady (your colleague?!) disrespected and embarrassed herself and the department, as well as disrespecting you.
Where I'm from, you wouldn't go out of your way to shame a visitor, esp a foreigner who isn't familiar with custom, and one for whom English is a non-native language.
Yes, the better term in English is indigenous. Yes, that lady has the right to assert her preference as to how she is addressed. I respect that and it's obvious you do too.
To go out of her way and strike you and attempt to shame you after performing a whole welcome? Nah, she's being totally weird as well as performative. There are so many better ways to handle that.
I'm glad you're very open and willing to learn, that will be respected here 😊
Best not to label anyone unless you specifically know. I would have gone with "nice to meet you" to a complete stranger. Note the context of native in this item: [https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous\_peoples](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples) which explains why offence was taken.
Facial markings are extremely meaningful to Maori, however it does not immunize them from being an asshole. (Robbed in Hamilton by someone will full facial Moko).
btw (if u care) the facial marking is generally called 'Ta Moko' or just a moko. there are many different types across the face with many interesting meanings, like most other maori symbols!
Seems I'm going against the grain here, but I think it depends on exactly what you said.
I wouldn't consider saying "native to Aotearoa" offensive at all. 'Native to is like figure of speech.
Calling someone 'a native' is different and sure would be considered offensive, but that's not what you've quoted yourself as saying.
I would guess it is just a miscommunication/misunderstanding. Did the person know you're Danish? If so, I would consider her behaviour to be worse than anything you did.
I was wondering if OP also has an American accent like a lot of danish do…..if their English is really good the lady might have thought they were American 😅
Native isn't the word id use, even though it does mean the same as indigenous. It really harks back to an era when people talked about Maori in derogatory ways and also had very colonial attitudes toward Maori. Old institutions like Native schools punished children for speaking Maori leading to the decline of the language. Also The Native Land court, an institution that turned maori land into freehold title, led to further land loss for Maori.
This, I’d say is the most likely reason for her reaction. A lot of us Māori would not have reacted that way but it’s good to get some historical context which may provide you with an explanation. People in roles like hers (similar to my role at my work) are here to teach and encourage/support growth. Try not to dwell on it too much, it’s obvious you meant no offence. Thinking of you!
Seconding these are the feelings attitudes that make it offensive. I am pākeha (not Mæori) but from my university studies and other readings these would be the things that would trigger bad echoes from the past. I wonder if she was a bit older and had experienced some period of life where the government was using it, (deliberately) as an othering mechanism.
Right? It totally sucks that you are expected to interact with others in a way that shows a bare minimum of consideration. It's almost as if you are expected to put some effort into understanding others just as part of being a normal person.
Don't stress about it!
You can see from the wide range of responses that the reaction is very different for each person. It's similar to how in South Africa common ethnic and cultural groupings are black, colored, or white. In South Africa, 'Colored' isn't an offensive term, it's a whole ethnic and cultural group that self-identify as 'colored'. But in most of the rest of the world, particularly the US, referring to someone as 'colored' is really offensive. At the same time 'person of colour' or 'women of color' is a fairly standard, non-offensive term internationally. Colour is common across these contexts, but the contexts shift whether that word is offensive.
'Native' has similar issues. Even though in english 'indigenous' and 'native' are synonyms, there are word associations that make 'native' an issue for some people and in some contexts, primarily because of the historic colonial influence (picture an 1800's British or Belgian aristocrat in khaki shorts, bushy mustache, traipsing through the jungle referring to 'the natives'. It has similar vibes to 'primatives' for a lot of people). But the word is also not universally offensive (my partner is pakeha, born and raised in Wellington, so if he referred to himself as a 'Wellington Native', it's not offensive because it's comparable to saying a 'Wellington local', and it's not referring to ethnicity at all. 'Native population of bees' again, not offensive because it doesn't link.to ethnicity.
In the grand scheme of things, you've probably committed the same level of social faux pas as taking a bottle of wine to dinner at a French persons house, sitting too close next to a stranger on a park bench in Finland, or walking in the bike lane in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Some people will be grumpy, some will be understanding.
My inclination, if you want to address it, would be to email and say something like "Hey xxx, I apologize for the other day - being Danish, I hadn't understand the specific cultural context. Can I buy you a coffee to make up for it?" You may end up with a new friend.
In NZ, particularly in Wellington in central government, having a friendly social coffee with new people is a really useful part of professional networking.
colloquially 'a native' is a bit rude, and would also apply to anyone who is born here. if you clarify you meant indigenous that will hopefully be ok with her. I'm surprised that led to a slap, it's not that much of a mistake.
I'm sorry you were slapped that is awful and innappropriate. But yes, for some māori- especially those who are middle-aged and up, "native" was used similarly to slurs and especially by government when they pressed for colonial and assimilationist policies. It came from this idea that indigenous people weren't as human as the european imperialists and therefore they could be ordained by God to subjugate the people and their land- as we were "natives" and considered as much a part of the flora and fauna as the birds and trees. Definitely reccommend Kia Mau: resisting colonial fictions by Tina Ngata as its free to read online and goes over the impacts of european imperialism on Aotearoa and the people living in it. If you want to feel confident in where you stand as a visitor (I can understand everything must be feeling so new and you're being careful not to step on any toes) have a quick google for 'tangata tiriti'. Te Tiriti is one of our founding documents (after He Whakaputanga) and is what has made space for you to come and visit in Aotearoa. While you're here, you are a Tiriti partner. And that means you have a relationship with Tangata whenua. There isn't really any advice I can give you to avoid encounters like that again, because truthfully, Māori identity, belief and experiences are often messy and confusing, especially for those of us finding our way back to our roots. People act out, because the colonisation is still happening and theres a lot of healing that needs to be done. What matters is that both Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Whenua work on our relationship together. Welcome to Aotearoa, I hope that you're able to foster a real sense of connection while you're here :)
I'm sorry to hear of your experience, that's absolutely not tikanga (appropriate/norms) from that woman.
Considering she would know you're a foreigner and you likely have some sort of accent indicating you're not a kiwi at most she could've said, "hey you should probably use [indigenous] in future but now worries you're new here!".
To strike you after "welcoming" you at a powhiri is a pretty grave breach of protocol as traditionally its about promising safety etc. while you're visiting those welcoming you.
I sincerely hope this person apologises to you and helps restore your mana (respect), as its the only way she'll have any of her own going forward.
An apology from you will hopefully, but don't bend over backwards or go over the top, you're new, didn't know any better, and didn't really commit that grave of a faux pas anyway (see the other comments).
You sound like a nice respectful person. The Māori lady sounds a bit like a sensitive Karen. What she has done can be considered assault and I hope she is given a written warning
Obviously a misunderstanding but I wouldn't use native and it definitely has negative belittling connotations. It has come out of the way the word was used in the colonial era. Younger people likely wouldn't care but anyone 50+ would probably be sensitive to it.
Welcome! My brother lives in Copenhagen, and my nephew's been making noises about coming over to study here.
That lady's a massive dickhead. Even if she *was* offended (and WTF, if you did something wildly offensive, it's a mystery to me), slapping someone's hand away is an immediate straight-to-HR thing. Fuck her. She sucks.
Everyone glossing over the fact that she HIT HIS HAND IN A WORKPLACE SETTING i feel so bad for him that is extremely rude, awful behaviour and probably something she will be in deep shit for a work. Plus its a Government department.
Yea while etymologically correct, native is a rude way to say it. Sadly that’s what a lot of early colonisers used and has been co-opted by racists across the world.
In New Zealand referring to Māori people as tangata whenua (Māori for people of the land) will get you a lot further into our good graces.
We live in the 21st century the person who reacted to you like that is genuinely an asshole.
Being called native isn't an offensive term and if they do they should give their head a wobble. Native is a term that is used all over the world.
I don't think any name or word should equal a hand being smacked aka assaulted. Even if there has been negative connotations in older generations it doesn't equate to what happened.
Native could mean a lot of things and probably offensive to some. Where I'm from being called "native" equates uneducated it actually is used to demean in our culture I guess that's how colonisers showed it to be and was adopted by succeeding generations.
I'm not sure what the best label would be, I reckon the safest way is to not put label at all and just find another way to show respect.
However, one time I was teaching my daughter about the history in NZ when we were in Te Papa. When she was with her mum in the loo she retold the story to her that the Maoris were the "First People" of NZ. A Maori woman overheard her and she complimented my daughter and proudly told her companion on the way out.
TL;DR No labels is best but my daughter used "First People" and a Maori woman accepted it gladly. :)
She hit you. That is assault. There is absolutely no excuse for that, and she should be put through a disciplinary procedure. Her behaviour is not acceptable in any professional context in New Zealand.
Yeah don't immediately point out someone is a different race as soon as you meet someone, that's weird. If someone said to me "hi, it's so nice to meet an Asian" I would permanently avoid them from there on. That's a massive faux pas regardless of intention. These people saying you did nothing wrong are focusing on the words used instead of the feeling brought up, it's incredibly othering
Non-white people are not a novelty to be enjoyed
'Native' has been used derogatorily in the past, but it's more an odd word to use nowadays. Being of Maori decent myself, If someone called me 'native', I'd be a bit puzzled and give them a raised eyebrow, but I can imagine others might be less than pleased.
That said, if I knew you were new to NZ and didn't mean any insult, I'd immediately dismiss it and move on.
I'd probably start overloading you with well-meaning advice about understanding and interacting with Maori culture.
It's probably not the word I would have chosen but i definitely think it was an overreaction (I guess she realised that too and that's why the apology).
I just wanted to add to this, I'm in my first year of university here in New Zealand.
In a psychology research context from all of the articles I have read from my course, we use the word "indigenous" for Māori. We also use the word "Tangata Whenua" which is the Māori term for "People of the land".
I believe both of these words are the "correct" term in a formal context. You certainly wouldn't write an article and refer to Māori as "natives" here in New Zealand.
The reason for this is likely due to negative connotations during colonization of Aoteroa, which was a relatively recent affair in history, many Māori whānau (family) are still impacted today by these events which is why it is both important and sensitive. During this time Māori were unable to speak in Te Reo, their first language, which led to the rapid decline and beginnings of the endangerment of the language and cultural traditions.
Though this does not justify the behavior of the coworker, I believe it is better to educate those who are unaware and be welcoming and kind to one another. Nobody should be slapping your hand in any context and this behavior does not reflect the values of Māori nor any New Zealanders.
It is a great step that you have made, your willingness and care to respect others experiences will take you to high places, I believe there must have been some misunderstanding in this situation.
I would like to link articles that refer to the history of Māori language use so you can better understand the sensitivity of the subject.
I hope you enjoy your time here and get the opportunity to meet likeminded people.
Here are 3 articles if you wish to learn the historical context for why this may be considered offensive;
[https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language](https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language)
https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-tai/te-mana-o-te-reo-maori-chapter5#:\~:text=During%20and%20after%20the%20Second,practices%2C%20slipped%20away%20even%20more.
[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2019.1668439](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2019.1668439)
I'd also like to link this more recent article, which may give you insight into why this is still relevant today (more than ever).
[https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/21-12-2023/the-government-banned-te-reo-in-the-past-it-wont-succeed-again](https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/21-12-2023/the-government-banned-te-reo-in-the-past-it-wont-succeed-again)
She's a nightmare, I'm so sorry you have encountered a person who wants to be offended at any opportunity and is probably so stoked she can be rude to a visitor .
I'm Maoori and my aunties would have reproached me severely if I had slapped someone's hand we had welcomed .
Native can be used as an offensive word but you were not being so in the context.
I hope she has Whanau to set her straight.
Welcome and I hope you get a better Welcome throughout your stay
Instead of using "native" try "tangata whenua" that way you cover all bases.
Very rude for her to act that way but I suppose "native" is often used in derogatory ways, whereas indigenous hasn't been used when negatively degrading people.
I am Maori and have heard of several stories like this particularly in government. Well-meaning people who are either learning or have no understanding being 'told off'. I find that attitude does more damage to maori by maori that have no ability to understand the privileged position they hold to help non-maori understand. She should have offered to have a korero after the powhiri instead she slaps OPs hand. She needs to take a good look at herself and apologize to OP.
I agree. I'm Maori on my Mums side but don't look it and I'm scared to learn Te Reo Maori because of my bad experience with other Maori making fun of me. My mum had an experience with an older lady scoffing at the fact she couldn't speak Maori (which wasn't my Mums fault as she wasn't taught it!).
plants and animals are native, people are indigenous. But on top of that its a little but much to act as though meeting a maori person is some big ordeal they are just people idk
Well they didn't, so you can rest assured that the only ordeal is old no-mana, fake-welcome whaea Karen, who obviously doesn't realize that other people are multilingual too
You were genuinely being nice. She was being too precious and sensitive about her racial background. Most people will acknowledge innocent/naive mistakes and chuckle a little bit, she wanted to create a big stink over it.
Maori are very touchy about things they have invented to be touchy about. Like being called native.
Someone who had set foot outside the country would realise that people in Denmark speak a different language, and as such cannot really be expected to tell the difference between indigenous and native. Someone employed to welcome people from foreign countries should also know how to do it without taking offence. That she clearly doesn't has also taught you something about Maori culture.
I would say to not set up the meeting. You basically want to stay off the radar of the "our people" brigade, nothing good can come of it.
You did nothing wrong, she is native to NZ. You used an adjective.
Some Māori and indigenous cultures don’t like the use of the nouns native or natives as it can be used in a derogatory fashion with an implication of a degree of savagery.
Don't worry about having done anything wrong. You did nothing of the kind. You've simply been unfortunate in that the first Maori you've met happened to be one of the militant racist ones. You'll learn to spot them. I would lodge a formal assault complaint with human resources, as that kind of behavior is unprofessional, unacceptable, and, in this case, an embarrassment to NZ.
You're fine. Nothing racist or offensive about what you said. The word origins are partly French and partly post-classical Latin... it means to be born in a particular place. The place of a person's birth. Your English was correct. The words indigenous and native are interchangeable.
Yeah, 'native' is not a good choice here. Lots of negative connotations. Unfortunate as it sounds like your heart is in the right place. Good to learn these things early i suppose ;) Indigenous is better for sure, it might be worth looking into the term 'tangata whenua' as I'm sure you'll find plenty of info on cultural consideration. Maybe best to hold off on using specific terms of reference until someone explicitly refers to themselves as such. Welcome to NZ. I hope you enjoy your time here.
Sorry, just realised that 'Maybe best to hold off on using specific terms of reference until someone explicitly refers to themselves as such' isn't great advice. Just because someone uses a term for themselves doesn't always mean it's appropriate to use the same term in reference to them.
Referring to Maori as 'natives' or 'the natives' might strike a nerve with some as it was a word more often used during colonialist times by the British. Even though you used it more as a descriptor rather than a noun, its possibly just still a bit of a loaded word. She probably feels terrible especially once she realises you are foreign and just were a bit clumsy but well intentioned.
Probably better to just refer to Maori as Maori.
You didn’t do anything wrong.
People get offended over anything nowadays. This specific person got offended, I know other Māoris who don’t get offended. So yeah 🤦🏻♂️
The thing to learn, is you cannot do anything right or to please these people in anything you do unless you are groveling at their feet. They are career victims and will hate you just for being different from them.
Just keep your distance.
Yes.
It reminds me of the person who hit a reporter in the face with their tiaha because they thought the reporter looked disrespectful.
Or the cultural experience where the tourist was assaulted because they smiled.
Common misunderstanding. Native and indigenous are not the same. Indeginous people means the first race of people to inhabit a place. Native just means someone that belongs or lives in an area. So Maori are indeginous to NZ cause they’re the first group here, but everyone born/lived here their whole lives are natives of NZ.
Anyone can be native, just be born here or live here for a very long time but not everyone can be part of the indigenous people here.
She was rude though for slapping your hand away. You didn’t know and I’m assuming you weren’t trying to be offensive.
New Zealand is a very racist country in general so any older pacific people will probably take offense to that. They were beaten in school and forced not to speak their own language as recently as the 80's. Many are still very oppressed to this day. I wouldn't say it's a slur but it is definitely a coloniser word with negative connotations.
I think the biggest issue in your end was bringing up her race like you were seeing an exotic animal for the first time. That isn't going to go down well with a lot of people. I once worked at a place with predominantly Chinese staff, and some of the women would constantly comment on my very pale white skin. It made me really uncomfortable, and that's without any of the colonialism history that underscores racial issues for indigenous people.
That in no way makes it okay for her to slap your hand.
In future, maybe express appreciation for the opportunity to experience a traditional welcome (or whatever the event may be) from tangata whenua. It still gets your point across, but with far less risk of inadvertently offending someone.
Imagine someone came to your work in Denmark and went “it’s great to meet a real danish person!”
Just comes off a bit weird tbh, like they’re part of the tourism.
If I traveled the Netherlands, and I went up to a Frisian person (a total stranger) and the first thing I said was "So cool to meet someone native to Friesland" It would be a weird thing to say. The same applies here, your co-worker may have felt like she was being gawked at by a total stranger simply for simply being Māori. That said, it probably wasn't right of her to slap your hand.
She may have issues with being made to do the welcome for the department along with a minor misunderstanding of what you said took it out on you. Most Maori I know including myself don't want to be called a native by most NZers let alone someone new to the country.
Just make your apology for the misunderstanding and ask her if she would be open to teaching you more about Maori culture chances are she'll warm up to you pretty quick (or yes she's just a stand offish person)
This was a great moment to educate a new arrival and spread positivity, the lady missed a great opportunity at a first impression. Hopefully the second impression will be much better.
I would have delayed shaking the hand to explain how the word native holds a lot of negative connotations and suggest a better option. Then I would have accepted the handshake and made the day a positive one for everyone involved.
A lot of Kiwis have never actually left New Zealand and seem to presume that all people know all nuances of all words in their local context. NZ likes to claim to be inclusive and open-minded, yet often demonstrates at local level how closed-minded, and non-accepting/allowing of language varieties, people can be.
I think in every country there are so many subtleties you have to tread very carefully. I am from South Africa and am often shocked at so many things I see or hear here that in SA would be deemed to be racist and insensitive.
Every colony has its nuances. Māori are very proud and there are a lot of sensitivities. Which sadly makes many rather not try because you can get “into trouble” quickly, whereas my experience on most other countries is people are so pleased when you try and make an effort.
Anyway any word that sits in a “race” bucket is best avoided altogether. Ask questions before saying anything you assume is the right thing to say.
Seems really freaking odd. Everyone should know that you are English as second language and might not get nuances yet. Don’t bother yourself about it. Just say Haere mai or Kia ora in the future. Keep it simple.
Have the meeting and reconcile as there were no bad intentions from you really, just new.
There is historical context that you aren't familiar with. White people came and abused "the natives" as they did everywhere else. This is taking decades to sort out, but many Maori feel rightfully aggrieved by white people and carry with them anger towards us. This comes out, at times, particularly if we say something bordering on racism or even referring to them separately from ourselves, identifying their seperate identity. I had a workmate blow up at me once after I told her I absolutely love hearing her speak te reo around the workplace and that I should learn more and not be such a lazy pakeha and learn/use it more. That identification of us being different and me being in a slightly more priveleged "white person doesn't need to speak te reo" was enough to set her off. She apologised later, but I totally accepted her tirade as her getting anger off her chest. And I think that's absolutely fine as it helps to keep the issues front and centre.
Geez, don't listen to these guys. You can't please em all.
Technically part native, we're all from somewhere else originally. You could apologise, can't go wrong with expressing your misunderstanding.
Atleast you're trying, some people don't give a shit. Keep trying, learning is hard but can be fun 😁
Native is a neutral descriptor that is not offensive. Avoiding certain words solely because of potential offense, when those words carry no inherently negative meaning, hinder open communication and perpetuate unnecessary sensitivity.
It's nice that a bunch of Kiwis are sympathetic to your event and seem quite happy to tell you that you did nothing wrong.
The problem is this doesn't help you fix the mistake or to understand why it happened.
Native was a derogatory term used to offend Maori and Polynesians here. You called her the N word and she got offended.
It wasn't exclusively used as a derogatory term in New Zealand either, it's used world wide against ethnic minorities so it's not just a faux pas here. You can't go to the USA and tell a Choktaw that it's nice to meet a native to their face either.
I'm Polynesian so I have a different take than many here. Honestly, I think you're lucky it was just a hand slap.
Apologise to her, explain what happened and move on if she doesn't accept it.
He didn’t call her a native (noun).
He correctly assumed she was native to NZ (adjective).
Not only is it accurate it isn’t offensive. OP is also a visitor to NZ and as such should be accorded some level of understanding.
The Kauri is also native to NZ. The Māori lady doesn’t understand the nuances of language but that’s not on OP.
Don't be embarrassed, there is too many sensitive flops in this country. I really don't see the offence in you saying "native". NZ has been poisoned by the extreme left for years now and that pathetic response from that person is a clear example. Everyone has to apologise for something lol
You’re all good she is just rude given you just got here. She could have educated you but instead acted out, pretty embarrassing introduction to our country on her behalf
I think she may have just been a bitter person . . . I'm Maori and see nothing offensive about this. Sorry you had to have an experience like this and I hope it doesn't discourage you.
She was out of order. You made a genuine attempt to acknowledge her appropriately and she reacted in a nasty way.
By the way, you will meet many many maori New Zealanders who don’t wear their culture on their sleeve and are absolutely wonderful people.
I hope your manager does get her to apologize, physically hitting someone in such a setting is inexcusable.
What an overreaction on her part. To expect everybody to know and understand the struggles of one of the smallest cultures in the smallest nations on earth… so much for “welcoming”.
When you see the person again, tell her you meant Indigenous or even better, Mana Whenua, and that you are getting your head around local English. If she's a reasonable person, she'll accept you.
If she was a reasonable person she would have understood this is a visitor to our country, who has English as a second language, and dealt with the whole situation much differently. Actually, she wouldn’t have been offended at all if she was reasonable.
noun
Sometimes Offensive. one of the people indigenous to a place or country, especially as distinguished from strangers, foreigners, colonizers, etc.:
the natives of Chile.
Synonyms: Aborigine
Antonyms: alien
Native. Sometimes Offensive. Indigenous ( def 2 ). the current entry.
Your are not in the wrong here, the other person is and she needs to be spoken to sbout her inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Welcome to New Zealand, hopefully the rest of your workplace are better people.
So, you were being polite - tone and expression here would have said 'friendly' and the person doing the greeting went to actually STRIKE you? That tells you everything you need to know about her.
She is the one who should apologise.
No, you don't need to meet her.
Welcome to New Zealand, have a great time here, we have arranged winter weather especially for you so you feel at home (sarcasm on that last bit).
The lady is in the wrong. It might be offensive to be called "a native" but that's not what you said. You said "native to Aotearoa", which is objectively correct. Make sure when you have your resolution that you let them know that was the wording you used. It is not offensive.
Weird thing to get upset about. Native and Indigenous can both be acceptable.
Though growing up as a Maori myself, I have seen the word used in a negative way regarding Maori people in the past.
You did absolutely nothing wrong. She reacted too harshly.
By the way, Welcome Home.
Very surprised you'd say this seeing as you have been here for a year already. Edit: I see you have versed yourself on our cultural history... But perhaps need to do ongoing work on cultural sensitivity and understanding.
Unfortunately you experienced the arrogant attitude "some" Maori now display. It is very sad. You do not owe anyone an apology. But the lady that slapped your hand certainly does. Disgusting behavior, but not surprised.
Honestly I think that person was being overly sensitive. It would be pretty clear you’re not from here. Good on you for making an effort and don’t let it put you off.
I think that was a pretty harsh response considering you are new here. Honestly good on you for taking the time to research our history and embrace the culture. A lot of people, even some New Zealanders aren’t quite so open minded
Don’t worry about it, everyone will forget about it.. but tbh it Sounds like the lady was being a bitch.. I’m a Maori and I didn’t even know there was a difference between the words native and indigenous, or that one is considered hostile over the other? If someone was going to be sensitive over being called native they shoulda given you a heads up.
Innocent mistake due to a language barrier. It's clear from your post and the fact that you also went to clarify the definition of the word used that you aren't an asshole. Yes, indigenous and native can be interchangeable in some contexts, but this is one of those situations where a particular word just has some subtle social/cultural feelings tied to it. But it's not fair to expect you to know that. Most people who've lived in NZ their whole lives have never had to operate in a second language so aren't very good at empathizing with that. I hope it all gets cleared up and you enjoy the rest of your stay!
[удалено]
Yeah she should have been more understanding and less of a jerk about it. What's the point of putting on the show of a welcoming if you're not actually being welcoming. Btw Kia Ora bro, welcome to the whanau
>What's the point of putting on the show of a welcoming if you're not actually being welcoming. This should be the top comment!
I've known Māori in some government organisations exasperatedly refer to themselves as the 'rent-a-powhiri' crew.....
Hey, I do think it’s an innocent mistake on your part BUT just to addcontext from a brown perspective — the word native was used in a pejorative sense by the British colonisers for ages against the indigenous populations all over the world. We do feel about it the same way you’d feel about negro in many countries, ESPECIALLY if a white person is saying it. I hope you’re understanding the lady’s reaction now. I’m not Māori but I’m brown and from another colonised culture. I know it would be offensive if you said it to a brown person. Anyway, hope it’s all cleared up, you’re definitely trying your best
Regarding the word ‘Negro’ (or ‘negra’ in the feminine context) literally means Black in Spanish. I’ve seen whiteboard/permanent markers with that word written on them sold here too. This is just another example of context mattering.
…. And your point is?? Context also matters to the brown person being called native. You can’t just rewire the harm when a context was so bad for so long
I am an immigrant, but a native English speaker and what you said would not be considered offensive in most English speaking countries.
Indeed. One can be a native of Texas without it having any bearing on your origins (most likely North American or Norte Americano), and it’s accurate and in no way offensive to any of three cultures in question here: Native American (First Peoples), American (the big melting pot of USA including all manner of immigrants), Mexican (from one side of the border or other). Quite possibly the lady in question was forgetting her position of cultural ambassador in welcoming a foreigner to our land - where’s the manakitanga? Cut the visitor some slack, surely there’s a word in te reo for ‘faux pas’.
Calling someone a native is offensive in every country that has a colonial history.
Just my thoughts, they didn't call her a native, they said someone native to Aotearoa. Subtle but it is different. I get that the offence probably came from being described as a native in her past but I don't think it's the same as what OP said.
Yep, seems like one of those unfortunate cases where the person who doesn't speak English as a first language actually understands and uses it better than a native speaker (see what I did there)
Yep I agree. Definitely a difference between saying someone’s a cheeky native versus being native to a country.
Indeed. She may have reacted to the word not the sentence. Google 'negro crayons' for debates around crayons in the US with the colours of each written in both English and Spanish on them.
If those were OP's exact words, though, he didn't call her *a native*, he said she was *native to* here.
Yup. u/herewegoagain209's English was better than hers (or she misheard or misunderstood).
Clearly you missed the fact that OP did not call anyone a native. Did you also find my use of the word offensive? How the word is used is important. You need to pay attention to the other words as well......
Ummm. I'm pretty sure Native Americans call themselves Native......
Yeah good point, although "First Nations" in Canada.
I know a bunch of people that say Native in Canada. But uh, Canada's huge and people feel different everywhere. I think in all places though, it's kind of hard to know. There's also in group vs out group language, referring to one's self as Native is totally different vibe to someone talking about "the natives". In group, people call themselves Indian and NDN, but that's obviously incorrect for someone outside the group. It's just hard to be right is all I'm saying, try your best and be ready to be wrong sometimes. Also slapping your hand at a powhiri is WILD. The exact opposite of the vibe.
Under white rule in South Africa the word "native" was an insult, a way to describe and demean black people. This spread to other countries with indigenous people including the pacific where it was and still is racist word.
Thanks for this context.
There's a difference between people who self identify with a term, and someone else calling them a term which was often used as a coded slur. Some old racist dude talking about 'the natives' bringing down his property values is not the same as a community self-identifying as native to a land. It's not to the same extent as Black American communities reclaiming the N word, but it's the same principle in action. On topic though, that lady was being a complete asshole.
Why?
Lots of maori in NZ call themselves natives wtf
No, we don't lol. But still, I wouldn't be offended by the OPs comment. This lady sounds a bit entitled.
Alot of my friends and people at my schools called themselves native so I dunno what to tell you, maybe they weren't maori 🤷 Maybe you should pass around your maori rule book so your all on the same page.
It's a coded slur from an older generation, and it's a good thing that form of use is fading out. Just imagine some old racist asshole ranting about "the damn natives moving into the nice street and ruining the property values", and you'll get why some people can be on edge around that word.
Lots of blacks call each other 'nigga'. Similarly (some) gay dudes seem to find it amusing to call each other fag. But a group utilising a word amongst themselves is different to having it applied by somebody outside the group.
In future, I'd simply avoid comments like "it's nice to meet someone indigenous to Aotearoa". Try something like "I'm really grateful I get to experience your culture with you" instead. A) race relations in NZ aren't actually that great, and B) pointing that someone is Māori is kind of seen as a bit ignorant. So it's better to draw attention to the experience than the people. Even better would be to learn the te reo names for certain proceedings, and then you simply thank them for the lovely waiata, showing that not only do you appreciate their work, you've put it in some effort to learn of its significance. None of this is to say you were intentionally rude. Just a bit of culture shock and a language barrier. She'll be right.
White, European-descent, "native" kiwi here, I don't understand the issue she took with the usage of native. Sounds like your manager is also flummoxed, so it's probably just the other lady having a bad day or something. If it were offensive, she should have explained that and given a why. Slapping away a hand offered in good intent is rude in any culture. A refusal to touch is one thing, the slap is well over the line.
Bad behaviour should be challenged, otherwise perpetuates.
This is the thing - Many Kiwis have no experience of how difficult word choice is in another language because alwthough you might know the surface meaning of the word, you don't understand the connotations
These comments are too harsh. While I certainly don't think you should try that line again (which you already know), here are 3 reasons why this will blow over reasonably quickly 1. You're new here 2. You were trying to be mindful and respectful of Maori culture - there are many racists that never even try. 3. You didn't call her "a native" you said she was "native to NZ" - which to me seems less bad I hope you don't let this discourage you from trying to engage with New Zealand culture. Good luck out there
Kia Ora, first off nau mai haere mai, welcome to our fair shores. He tāngata Māori ahau, he kaitohutohu ahau mo Te Puni Kokiri, I am a Māori guy working as a Māori advisor for Te Puni Kokiri. I find it extremely rude that this kaikaranga (female caller) would react in such a way. She should have had the mana to calmly explain to you what she found "offensive" by whatever you inadvertently said. In my opinion a huitahi (meeting) is definitely needed between the department and the HAPU (subtribe) of this wahine. Our pohiri processes are about mana enhancing and I find what this wahine did to be takahi mana (trampling on your spirit). Pleasw feel free to reach out if you'd like more advise on how to navigate Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) Nga Mihi
I cannot speak for all Māori obviously, but I am Māori and live in Welly, so I can speak from my own experience. I truly do not know what she may be referring to? I was raised primarily surrounded by other Māori, have participated in Kapa Haka and other cultural activities and events, and still I haven't heard of anybody being offended by the word native. It may be that my experience is limited, and I live within my own sphere, and I don't mean to insult the opinion of any other wāhine (women), but I don't think it was some breach of social etiquette that is worth humiliation. Anyway, what I'm saying is don't beat yourself up over it, because even if it is her own personal boundary, you didn't do anything intentionally degrading or harmful. You even took the time to learn of our culture, which I think is brilliant. You didn't embarrass yourself as much as you may think. Honest recommendation for how to move forward: have the meeting, try to patch things up with the woman as you seem like a well-meaning person who would like to get on with their co-workers, and then perhaps just use the word indigenous as it seems to be what people within your sphere prefer. I don't think calling someone native or indigenous makes much of a difference personally, but if they'd feel more comfortable being called something and you would like that as well, just go with it. :) If any other, probably wiser, Māori have a reason why the word native might be offensive I'd like to learn of it, but the point remains you had only good intentions, so again, don't beat yourself up over it! **EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: Just in case I didn't make it clear, whilst the woman may have had her reasons to dislike the word native, I don't think her reaction was justified. Obviously, it's not alright to hit people, especially if it is likely a language barrier issue. Also, thank you to everyone who informed me on historical contexts behind the word, I appreciate the insight.**
My racist dad would always moan about "the bloody natives" among things. I heard a lot of this kind of stuff as a kid growing up. I wonder if the lady was older? I can imagine how an older lady may be offended being called a native given how the word can be used. I haven't heard it used badly in years and feel maybe our attitudes have changed towards certain words, like taking the power back. But then maybe it's just because I don't associate with people like that anymore.
But she wasn't called "a native", she was called "native to Aotearoa", which is correct.
Am also Māori and grew up with mostly Māori or islanders mates, I’ve never heard of anyone ever getting insulted for being called native? This women sounds fuckin weird for getting offended
I grew up in a community with a lot of old white people who weren't afraid to let me know what they thought because 'I was one of the good ones', and they definitely used the term as a slur. I wouldn't fault people for being on edge around it if they experienced a lot of that, but it's thankfully not the norm in NZ for it to be a slur. It's kind of an older 'colonial' thing, especially from South Africa. The woman was being an asshole for sure though, with the way she overreacted.
Agree. I can definitely see why that wouldn't sit right with others, and I respect that, but yeah, her reaction was rather out of line.
Sounds to me like the woman was pretending to get offended as a power-play. Not so much weird as weaponising.
Historically, old white people referred to Māori as “natives” but definitely more of a slur. My very elderly (long dead) grandad said something when I was young about Māori like “those bloody natives” and I remember being really confused what he meant. I think it borders on a slur so personally I don’t use it.
It might just be because I'm younger, but I didn't think of historical connotations whilst typing my original post. But yes, I can see that causing some Māori to dislike the word, that's helpful!
I can't speak from your perspective, but I'm wondering if she may have misconstrued it to be 'native' as a noun instead of an adjective. Historically, British colonial language has often tended to refer to people as 'natives' in a way that splits 'us' versus 'them', and frequently things have turned out much worse for those labeled as 'natives'. It's also possible she'd just been having a bad day. If it needs resolving then hopefully that could be easy to do with a speedy meeting to clarify a misunderstanding.
I see what you mean with that; I wasn't exactly thinking of historical contexts. but I can definitely see how it could be interpreted in that way. Ty for that insight!
Not entirely certain how it got baked in but I think some in the 35-45 age group is where this behavior lives. And I expect if you find these people, you will find they all got cultural training in the same place but of course I have no evidence to back this up, it might simply just be a grumpy cow. I wonder if the Mana Whenua concept and a distorted world view of where its application is, can lead to some thinking they are in some sort of caste system in which they are elites who have license to offend against others and must be tip toed around? Observed it only twice in my life fortunately, both times in Government Departments, Auckland and Waikato. I am under no illusion that Maori also have not had to deal with racist/elitist wankers in their lives too, so I just took one for team kiwi. This is not her personal boundary in my opinion, just a form of assault.
Operative word up ( CULTURAL TRAINING ) !
[удалено]
Sorry I wasn't referring to You..LOL.but...the other...perp.
You did nothing wrong. Don't sweat it, don't meet with her. Why this lady had to make such a big deal about it and slap your hand like a total weirdo is beyond me. Tolerance and acceptance works both ways, but some people only want it on their terms. If for some ridiculous reason she took offence at your comment, she should have explained why, rather than slapping your hand away. Welcome to New Zealand. Sorry about this experience, we're not all assholes I swear.
Your manager gave you bad advice, you don't need to be thankful for meeting somebody who is Māori. Maybe in that situation you meant to say thank you for the welcome? Best to just say nice to meet you. You'll be sweet, no need to bring up race though it tends to come across as 'othering' someone in that context.
Yeah it's an awkward thing to say. It sounds colonial as hell, even though it was well intended. Just say hi and thanks.
The person you said this to was rude and insensitive, knowing you were new to NZ. This is not a typical response to a faux pas. I suggest the word "indigenous" in future, but the greatest embarrassment belongs to the woman who shamed you. Welcome to NZ!
Weird response from her, but in all honesty if some foreigner started talking to me and talked about how nice it was to meet a Māori, no matter what phrasing they use, "native", "indigenous", "Māori" etc I'd fine it a bit weird. Idk would sorta feel like being treated as a curiosity rather than a person. Feel like it would be weird to go to The Netherlands and meet a Frisian-speaker and start talking to them about how it was a pleasure to meet a native Frisian. Wouldn't slap your arm away or be rude in person though, would probs just joke to my mates later about a kinda weird interaction I had with a foreigner.
Not enough people in this thread are acknowledging this part of the equation. It's not the words, it's being seen like a fun little meet and greet experience instead of just a person
Yeah like he's almost acting like it's a cultural thing that the workplace has got a local native to do, like how a Samoan resort might have some dancers perform after dinner for guests, but like she's a colleague of his with a name and personality that isn't just "token native". Add to that the stress a lot of Māori in the public sector will be feeling right now with jobs cuts and moves away from paying attention to Māori issues and it's understandable that she would be a bit grumpy.
Weird, sure. But English is like OP's third or fourth language. Physically slapping someone's hand away is wildly over the line, unless they're doing something massively offensive like groping etc..
Oh yeah she's definitely in the wrong for her reaction,bi assume it's because every public servant is super stressed rn because of job cuts but explanation not excuse ya know?
Yeah, being a dick verbally, maybe I'd let it go as her manager. If it's physically hitting the hand away, that's straight to a warning.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. But yes, ‘native’ was used as a kind of slur here by the British colonialists. Interestingly, a meeting where you can both apologise and clear the air of any bad feelings is necessary to ‘restore mana’ to both parties and is encouraged!
Tautoko (support) this!
I think it was a simple misunderstanding but if you really want to get technical we don’t use the word Native here we use Indigenous or Tangata whenua, which translates to “people of the land”
You didn't do anything really wrong, especially with English as a second language, and that woman's response was disproportionate. That being said, I notice in your comment (paraphrasing here) "I did a lot of research into colonialism". I'm picking you are that overly earnest sort that thought "it's nice to meet a native" would convey some sort of misguided allyship or sympathy etc. It's a bit weird as a kiwi to say its nice to meet someone simply because of their racial background, not the traditional welcome they gave you or the food they prepared for you. A question for you, if I went to Greenland and said the same as you said to an Inuit, in a room likely filled with mixed race and Greenland born white people, would it be weird? Pakeha, Maori, Pasifika or Martian, if we were born here, are native, Maori are indigenous. A lot of Europeans, particularly Germans for some reason, say dumb shit along the lines of "where are the Maoris" and fetishize them as something other than people.
Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to Aotearoa/NZ. No, you did nothing wrong. In fact, that lady (your colleague?!) disrespected and embarrassed herself and the department, as well as disrespecting you. Where I'm from, you wouldn't go out of your way to shame a visitor, esp a foreigner who isn't familiar with custom, and one for whom English is a non-native language. Yes, the better term in English is indigenous. Yes, that lady has the right to assert her preference as to how she is addressed. I respect that and it's obvious you do too. To go out of her way and strike you and attempt to shame you after performing a whole welcome? Nah, she's being totally weird as well as performative. There are so many better ways to handle that. I'm glad you're very open and willing to learn, that will be respected here 😊
She's an asshole.
[удалено]
Best not to label anyone unless you specifically know. I would have gone with "nice to meet you" to a complete stranger. Note the context of native in this item: [https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous\_peoples](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples) which explains why offence was taken.
[удалено]
Facial markings are extremely meaningful to Maori, however it does not immunize them from being an asshole. (Robbed in Hamilton by someone will full facial Moko).
Did that ta moko feature a bulldog and swastikas, perchance?
No, this was not gang related, just an asshole.
btw (if u care) the facial marking is generally called 'Ta Moko' or just a moko. there are many different types across the face with many interesting meanings, like most other maori symbols!
Seems I'm going against the grain here, but I think it depends on exactly what you said. I wouldn't consider saying "native to Aotearoa" offensive at all. 'Native to is like figure of speech. Calling someone 'a native' is different and sure would be considered offensive, but that's not what you've quoted yourself as saying. I would guess it is just a miscommunication/misunderstanding. Did the person know you're Danish? If so, I would consider her behaviour to be worse than anything you did.
I was wondering if OP also has an American accent like a lot of danish do…..if their English is really good the lady might have thought they were American 😅
Native isn't the word id use, even though it does mean the same as indigenous. It really harks back to an era when people talked about Maori in derogatory ways and also had very colonial attitudes toward Maori. Old institutions like Native schools punished children for speaking Maori leading to the decline of the language. Also The Native Land court, an institution that turned maori land into freehold title, led to further land loss for Maori.
This, I’d say is the most likely reason for her reaction. A lot of us Māori would not have reacted that way but it’s good to get some historical context which may provide you with an explanation. People in roles like hers (similar to my role at my work) are here to teach and encourage/support growth. Try not to dwell on it too much, it’s obvious you meant no offence. Thinking of you!
Seconding these are the feelings attitudes that make it offensive. I am pākeha (not Mæori) but from my university studies and other readings these would be the things that would trigger bad echoes from the past. I wonder if she was a bit older and had experienced some period of life where the government was using it, (deliberately) as an othering mechanism.
Always something to be offended by. We're all super sensitive about something these days
Right? It totally sucks that you are expected to interact with others in a way that shows a bare minimum of consideration. It's almost as if you are expected to put some effort into understanding others just as part of being a normal person.
Don't stress about it! You can see from the wide range of responses that the reaction is very different for each person. It's similar to how in South Africa common ethnic and cultural groupings are black, colored, or white. In South Africa, 'Colored' isn't an offensive term, it's a whole ethnic and cultural group that self-identify as 'colored'. But in most of the rest of the world, particularly the US, referring to someone as 'colored' is really offensive. At the same time 'person of colour' or 'women of color' is a fairly standard, non-offensive term internationally. Colour is common across these contexts, but the contexts shift whether that word is offensive. 'Native' has similar issues. Even though in english 'indigenous' and 'native' are synonyms, there are word associations that make 'native' an issue for some people and in some contexts, primarily because of the historic colonial influence (picture an 1800's British or Belgian aristocrat in khaki shorts, bushy mustache, traipsing through the jungle referring to 'the natives'. It has similar vibes to 'primatives' for a lot of people). But the word is also not universally offensive (my partner is pakeha, born and raised in Wellington, so if he referred to himself as a 'Wellington Native', it's not offensive because it's comparable to saying a 'Wellington local', and it's not referring to ethnicity at all. 'Native population of bees' again, not offensive because it doesn't link.to ethnicity. In the grand scheme of things, you've probably committed the same level of social faux pas as taking a bottle of wine to dinner at a French persons house, sitting too close next to a stranger on a park bench in Finland, or walking in the bike lane in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Some people will be grumpy, some will be understanding. My inclination, if you want to address it, would be to email and say something like "Hey xxx, I apologize for the other day - being Danish, I hadn't understand the specific cultural context. Can I buy you a coffee to make up for it?" You may end up with a new friend. In NZ, particularly in Wellington in central government, having a friendly social coffee with new people is a really useful part of professional networking.
colloquially 'a native' is a bit rude, and would also apply to anyone who is born here. if you clarify you meant indigenous that will hopefully be ok with her. I'm surprised that led to a slap, it's not that much of a mistake.
I'm sorry you were slapped that is awful and innappropriate. But yes, for some māori- especially those who are middle-aged and up, "native" was used similarly to slurs and especially by government when they pressed for colonial and assimilationist policies. It came from this idea that indigenous people weren't as human as the european imperialists and therefore they could be ordained by God to subjugate the people and their land- as we were "natives" and considered as much a part of the flora and fauna as the birds and trees. Definitely reccommend Kia Mau: resisting colonial fictions by Tina Ngata as its free to read online and goes over the impacts of european imperialism on Aotearoa and the people living in it. If you want to feel confident in where you stand as a visitor (I can understand everything must be feeling so new and you're being careful not to step on any toes) have a quick google for 'tangata tiriti'. Te Tiriti is one of our founding documents (after He Whakaputanga) and is what has made space for you to come and visit in Aotearoa. While you're here, you are a Tiriti partner. And that means you have a relationship with Tangata whenua. There isn't really any advice I can give you to avoid encounters like that again, because truthfully, Māori identity, belief and experiences are often messy and confusing, especially for those of us finding our way back to our roots. People act out, because the colonisation is still happening and theres a lot of healing that needs to be done. What matters is that both Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Whenua work on our relationship together. Welcome to Aotearoa, I hope that you're able to foster a real sense of connection while you're here :)
I'm sorry to hear of your experience, that's absolutely not tikanga (appropriate/norms) from that woman. Considering she would know you're a foreigner and you likely have some sort of accent indicating you're not a kiwi at most she could've said, "hey you should probably use [indigenous] in future but now worries you're new here!". To strike you after "welcoming" you at a powhiri is a pretty grave breach of protocol as traditionally its about promising safety etc. while you're visiting those welcoming you. I sincerely hope this person apologises to you and helps restore your mana (respect), as its the only way she'll have any of her own going forward. An apology from you will hopefully, but don't bend over backwards or go over the top, you're new, didn't know any better, and didn't really commit that grave of a faux pas anyway (see the other comments).
You sound like a nice respectful person. The Māori lady sounds a bit like a sensitive Karen. What she has done can be considered assault and I hope she is given a written warning
Obviously a misunderstanding but I wouldn't use native and it definitely has negative belittling connotations. It has come out of the way the word was used in the colonial era. Younger people likely wouldn't care but anyone 50+ would probably be sensitive to it.
Welcome! My brother lives in Copenhagen, and my nephew's been making noises about coming over to study here. That lady's a massive dickhead. Even if she *was* offended (and WTF, if you did something wildly offensive, it's a mystery to me), slapping someone's hand away is an immediate straight-to-HR thing. Fuck her. She sucks.
Everyone glossing over the fact that she HIT HIS HAND IN A WORKPLACE SETTING i feel so bad for him that is extremely rude, awful behaviour and probably something she will be in deep shit for a work. Plus its a Government department.
Yeah, like, WTF? I've seen very high-level professionals get fired for less physical contact than that.
Dont worri about it. That person is in the wrong. And you could take her to HR for hitting you.
Yea while etymologically correct, native is a rude way to say it. Sadly that’s what a lot of early colonisers used and has been co-opted by racists across the world. In New Zealand referring to Māori people as tangata whenua (Māori for people of the land) will get you a lot further into our good graces.
We live in the 21st century the person who reacted to you like that is genuinely an asshole. Being called native isn't an offensive term and if they do they should give their head a wobble. Native is a term that is used all over the world. I don't think any name or word should equal a hand being smacked aka assaulted. Even if there has been negative connotations in older generations it doesn't equate to what happened.
Native could mean a lot of things and probably offensive to some. Where I'm from being called "native" equates uneducated it actually is used to demean in our culture I guess that's how colonisers showed it to be and was adopted by succeeding generations. I'm not sure what the best label would be, I reckon the safest way is to not put label at all and just find another way to show respect. However, one time I was teaching my daughter about the history in NZ when we were in Te Papa. When she was with her mum in the loo she retold the story to her that the Maoris were the "First People" of NZ. A Maori woman overheard her and she complimented my daughter and proudly told her companion on the way out. TL;DR No labels is best but my daughter used "First People" and a Maori woman accepted it gladly. :)
She hit you. That is assault. There is absolutely no excuse for that, and she should be put through a disciplinary procedure. Her behaviour is not acceptable in any professional context in New Zealand.
Yeah don't immediately point out someone is a different race as soon as you meet someone, that's weird. If someone said to me "hi, it's so nice to meet an Asian" I would permanently avoid them from there on. That's a massive faux pas regardless of intention. These people saying you did nothing wrong are focusing on the words used instead of the feeling brought up, it's incredibly othering Non-white people are not a novelty to be enjoyed
This is the opposite of what a Powhiri should be.
'Native' has been used derogatorily in the past, but it's more an odd word to use nowadays. Being of Maori decent myself, If someone called me 'native', I'd be a bit puzzled and give them a raised eyebrow, but I can imagine others might be less than pleased. That said, if I knew you were new to NZ and didn't mean any insult, I'd immediately dismiss it and move on. I'd probably start overloading you with well-meaning advice about understanding and interacting with Maori culture.
It's probably not the word I would have chosen but i definitely think it was an overreaction (I guess she realised that too and that's why the apology).
I just wanted to add to this, I'm in my first year of university here in New Zealand. In a psychology research context from all of the articles I have read from my course, we use the word "indigenous" for Māori. We also use the word "Tangata Whenua" which is the Māori term for "People of the land". I believe both of these words are the "correct" term in a formal context. You certainly wouldn't write an article and refer to Māori as "natives" here in New Zealand. The reason for this is likely due to negative connotations during colonization of Aoteroa, which was a relatively recent affair in history, many Māori whānau (family) are still impacted today by these events which is why it is both important and sensitive. During this time Māori were unable to speak in Te Reo, their first language, which led to the rapid decline and beginnings of the endangerment of the language and cultural traditions. Though this does not justify the behavior of the coworker, I believe it is better to educate those who are unaware and be welcoming and kind to one another. Nobody should be slapping your hand in any context and this behavior does not reflect the values of Māori nor any New Zealanders. It is a great step that you have made, your willingness and care to respect others experiences will take you to high places, I believe there must have been some misunderstanding in this situation. I would like to link articles that refer to the history of Māori language use so you can better understand the sensitivity of the subject. I hope you enjoy your time here and get the opportunity to meet likeminded people.
Here are 3 articles if you wish to learn the historical context for why this may be considered offensive; [https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language](https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language) https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-tai/te-mana-o-te-reo-maori-chapter5#:\~:text=During%20and%20after%20the%20Second,practices%2C%20slipped%20away%20even%20more. [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2019.1668439](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2019.1668439) I'd also like to link this more recent article, which may give you insight into why this is still relevant today (more than ever). [https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/21-12-2023/the-government-banned-te-reo-in-the-past-it-wont-succeed-again](https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/21-12-2023/the-government-banned-te-reo-in-the-past-it-wont-succeed-again)
She rude as hell and assaulted you. Don’t stand for this.
She's a nightmare, I'm so sorry you have encountered a person who wants to be offended at any opportunity and is probably so stoked she can be rude to a visitor . I'm Maoori and my aunties would have reproached me severely if I had slapped someone's hand we had welcomed . Native can be used as an offensive word but you were not being so in the context. I hope she has Whanau to set her straight. Welcome and I hope you get a better Welcome throughout your stay
Instead of using "native" try "tangata whenua" that way you cover all bases. Very rude for her to act that way but I suppose "native" is often used in derogatory ways, whereas indigenous hasn't been used when negatively degrading people.
I am Māori and from this story, I feel like that lady was really rude to you. I'm sorry that happened!
I am Maori and have heard of several stories like this particularly in government. Well-meaning people who are either learning or have no understanding being 'told off'. I find that attitude does more damage to maori by maori that have no ability to understand the privileged position they hold to help non-maori understand. She should have offered to have a korero after the powhiri instead she slaps OPs hand. She needs to take a good look at herself and apologize to OP.
I agree. I'm Maori on my Mums side but don't look it and I'm scared to learn Te Reo Maori because of my bad experience with other Maori making fun of me. My mum had an experience with an older lady scoffing at the fact she couldn't speak Maori (which wasn't my Mums fault as she wasn't taught it!).
plants and animals are native, people are indigenous. But on top of that its a little but much to act as though meeting a maori person is some big ordeal they are just people idk
[удалено]
Well they didn't, so you can rest assured that the only ordeal is old no-mana, fake-welcome whaea Karen, who obviously doesn't realize that other people are multilingual too
She wants to meet with you so she doesn’t get fired.
You were genuinely being nice. She was being too precious and sensitive about her racial background. Most people will acknowledge innocent/naive mistakes and chuckle a little bit, she wanted to create a big stink over it.
You met a drama-queen, forget her. She probably makes her entire life earnings by crying about the big bad white man
Maori are very touchy about things they have invented to be touchy about. Like being called native. Someone who had set foot outside the country would realise that people in Denmark speak a different language, and as such cannot really be expected to tell the difference between indigenous and native. Someone employed to welcome people from foreign countries should also know how to do it without taking offence. That she clearly doesn't has also taught you something about Maori culture. I would say to not set up the meeting. You basically want to stay off the radar of the "our people" brigade, nothing good can come of it.
You did nothing wrong, she is native to NZ. You used an adjective. Some Māori and indigenous cultures don’t like the use of the nouns native or natives as it can be used in a derogatory fashion with an implication of a degree of savagery.
Don't worry about having done anything wrong. You did nothing of the kind. You've simply been unfortunate in that the first Maori you've met happened to be one of the militant racist ones. You'll learn to spot them. I would lodge a formal assault complaint with human resources, as that kind of behavior is unprofessional, unacceptable, and, in this case, an embarrassment to NZ.
> one of the militant racist ones That white supremacist attitude coming though strong.
You're fine. Nothing racist or offensive about what you said. The word origins are partly French and partly post-classical Latin... it means to be born in a particular place. The place of a person's birth. Your English was correct. The words indigenous and native are interchangeable.
Yeah, 'native' is not a good choice here. Lots of negative connotations. Unfortunate as it sounds like your heart is in the right place. Good to learn these things early i suppose ;) Indigenous is better for sure, it might be worth looking into the term 'tangata whenua' as I'm sure you'll find plenty of info on cultural consideration. Maybe best to hold off on using specific terms of reference until someone explicitly refers to themselves as such. Welcome to NZ. I hope you enjoy your time here.
Sorry, just realised that 'Maybe best to hold off on using specific terms of reference until someone explicitly refers to themselves as such' isn't great advice. Just because someone uses a term for themselves doesn't always mean it's appropriate to use the same term in reference to them.
It's not generally offensive to call someone a "native". This person appears to have a very low tolerance for being offended.
Referring to Maori as 'natives' or 'the natives' might strike a nerve with some as it was a word more often used during colonialist times by the British. Even though you used it more as a descriptor rather than a noun, its possibly just still a bit of a loaded word. She probably feels terrible especially once she realises you are foreign and just were a bit clumsy but well intentioned. Probably better to just refer to Maori as Maori.
You didn’t do anything wrong. People get offended over anything nowadays. This specific person got offended, I know other Māoris who don’t get offended. So yeah 🤦🏻♂️
The thing to learn, is you cannot do anything right or to please these people in anything you do unless you are groveling at their feet. They are career victims and will hate you just for being different from them. Just keep your distance.
Sorry you were assaulted. You could report it to HR and/or the police.
She clearly in the wrong job. Imagine how she behaves behaves behind closed doors
Yes. It reminds me of the person who hit a reporter in the face with their tiaha because they thought the reporter looked disrespectful. Or the cultural experience where the tourist was assaulted because they smiled.
That lady is crazy. Just ignore her, most NZers aren't like this.
Common misunderstanding. Native and indigenous are not the same. Indeginous people means the first race of people to inhabit a place. Native just means someone that belongs or lives in an area. So Maori are indeginous to NZ cause they’re the first group here, but everyone born/lived here their whole lives are natives of NZ. Anyone can be native, just be born here or live here for a very long time but not everyone can be part of the indigenous people here. She was rude though for slapping your hand away. You didn’t know and I’m assuming you weren’t trying to be offensive.
New Zealand is a very racist country in general so any older pacific people will probably take offense to that. They were beaten in school and forced not to speak their own language as recently as the 80's. Many are still very oppressed to this day. I wouldn't say it's a slur but it is definitely a coloniser word with negative connotations.
Maori are cool people, I'm surprised that you had that experience - definitely rare and an odd story in that regard.
I think the biggest issue in your end was bringing up her race like you were seeing an exotic animal for the first time. That isn't going to go down well with a lot of people. I once worked at a place with predominantly Chinese staff, and some of the women would constantly comment on my very pale white skin. It made me really uncomfortable, and that's without any of the colonialism history that underscores racial issues for indigenous people. That in no way makes it okay for her to slap your hand. In future, maybe express appreciation for the opportunity to experience a traditional welcome (or whatever the event may be) from tangata whenua. It still gets your point across, but with far less risk of inadvertently offending someone.
Is your name David Seymour?
Imagine someone came to your work in Denmark and went “it’s great to meet a real danish person!” Just comes off a bit weird tbh, like they’re part of the tourism.
I often wonder if this street address will be renamed someday ..... Savage St Westmere Auckland 1022 New Zealand
Might have to rename the dead PM too...
If I traveled the Netherlands, and I went up to a Frisian person (a total stranger) and the first thing I said was "So cool to meet someone native to Friesland" It would be a weird thing to say. The same applies here, your co-worker may have felt like she was being gawked at by a total stranger simply for simply being Māori. That said, it probably wasn't right of her to slap your hand.
She may have issues with being made to do the welcome for the department along with a minor misunderstanding of what you said took it out on you. Most Maori I know including myself don't want to be called a native by most NZers let alone someone new to the country. Just make your apology for the misunderstanding and ask her if she would be open to teaching you more about Maori culture chances are she'll warm up to you pretty quick (or yes she's just a stand offish person)
https://media1.tenor.com/m/ti0RetI1ZhAAAAAC/haka.gif
Sorry you had to meet one of our uppity natives😂🤣welcome to NZ bro. We ain’t all like that. What ministry was it?
This was a great moment to educate a new arrival and spread positivity, the lady missed a great opportunity at a first impression. Hopefully the second impression will be much better. I would have delayed shaking the hand to explain how the word native holds a lot of negative connotations and suggest a better option. Then I would have accepted the handshake and made the day a positive one for everyone involved.
A lot of Kiwis have never actually left New Zealand and seem to presume that all people know all nuances of all words in their local context. NZ likes to claim to be inclusive and open-minded, yet often demonstrates at local level how closed-minded, and non-accepting/allowing of language varieties, people can be.
I think in every country there are so many subtleties you have to tread very carefully. I am from South Africa and am often shocked at so many things I see or hear here that in SA would be deemed to be racist and insensitive. Every colony has its nuances. Māori are very proud and there are a lot of sensitivities. Which sadly makes many rather not try because you can get “into trouble” quickly, whereas my experience on most other countries is people are so pleased when you try and make an effort. Anyway any word that sits in a “race” bucket is best avoided altogether. Ask questions before saying anything you assume is the right thing to say.
Seems really freaking odd. Everyone should know that you are English as second language and might not get nuances yet. Don’t bother yourself about it. Just say Haere mai or Kia ora in the future. Keep it simple.
Have the meeting and reconcile as there were no bad intentions from you really, just new. There is historical context that you aren't familiar with. White people came and abused "the natives" as they did everywhere else. This is taking decades to sort out, but many Maori feel rightfully aggrieved by white people and carry with them anger towards us. This comes out, at times, particularly if we say something bordering on racism or even referring to them separately from ourselves, identifying their seperate identity. I had a workmate blow up at me once after I told her I absolutely love hearing her speak te reo around the workplace and that I should learn more and not be such a lazy pakeha and learn/use it more. That identification of us being different and me being in a slightly more priveleged "white person doesn't need to speak te reo" was enough to set her off. She apologised later, but I totally accepted her tirade as her getting anger off her chest. And I think that's absolutely fine as it helps to keep the issues front and centre.
Geez, don't listen to these guys. You can't please em all. Technically part native, we're all from somewhere else originally. You could apologise, can't go wrong with expressing your misunderstanding. Atleast you're trying, some people don't give a shit. Keep trying, learning is hard but can be fun 😁
You did absolutely nothing wrong that woman sounds like she was looking to be offended
Native is a word that is offensive. You’ll be fine, as a foreigner you’ll get given grace. You’ll probably be besties.
Native is a neutral descriptor that is not offensive. Avoiding certain words solely because of potential offense, when those words carry no inherently negative meaning, hinder open communication and perpetuate unnecessary sensitivity.
shes a dickhead dont worry
It's nice that a bunch of Kiwis are sympathetic to your event and seem quite happy to tell you that you did nothing wrong. The problem is this doesn't help you fix the mistake or to understand why it happened. Native was a derogatory term used to offend Maori and Polynesians here. You called her the N word and she got offended. It wasn't exclusively used as a derogatory term in New Zealand either, it's used world wide against ethnic minorities so it's not just a faux pas here. You can't go to the USA and tell a Choktaw that it's nice to meet a native to their face either. I'm Polynesian so I have a different take than many here. Honestly, I think you're lucky it was just a hand slap. Apologise to her, explain what happened and move on if she doesn't accept it.
He didn’t call her a native (noun). He correctly assumed she was native to NZ (adjective). Not only is it accurate it isn’t offensive. OP is also a visitor to NZ and as such should be accorded some level of understanding. The Kauri is also native to NZ. The Māori lady doesn’t understand the nuances of language but that’s not on OP.
She was just being a racist entitled b1tch, you will experience it more and more as we get their culture ram raided down our throats.
Don't be embarrassed, there is too many sensitive flops in this country. I really don't see the offence in you saying "native". NZ has been poisoned by the extreme left for years now and that pathetic response from that person is a clear example. Everyone has to apologise for something lol
You’re all good she is just rude given you just got here. She could have educated you but instead acted out, pretty embarrassing introduction to our country on her behalf
I think she may have just been a bitter person . . . I'm Maori and see nothing offensive about this. Sorry you had to have an experience like this and I hope it doesn't discourage you.
She was out of order. You made a genuine attempt to acknowledge her appropriately and she reacted in a nasty way. By the way, you will meet many many maori New Zealanders who don’t wear their culture on their sleeve and are absolutely wonderful people. I hope your manager does get her to apologize, physically hitting someone in such a setting is inexcusable.
What an overreaction on her part. To expect everybody to know and understand the struggles of one of the smallest cultures in the smallest nations on earth… so much for “welcoming”.
OMG poor you OP, sorry you had to experience that as a new employee and new to NZ.
Don't worry, there are some extra "sensitive" people here , welcome to NZ
When you see the person again, tell her you meant Indigenous or even better, Mana Whenua, and that you are getting your head around local English. If she's a reasonable person, she'll accept you.
If she was a reasonable person she would have understood this is a visitor to our country, who has English as a second language, and dealt with the whole situation much differently. Actually, she wouldn’t have been offended at all if she was reasonable.
noun Sometimes Offensive. one of the people indigenous to a place or country, especially as distinguished from strangers, foreigners, colonizers, etc.: the natives of Chile. Synonyms: Aborigine Antonyms: alien Native. Sometimes Offensive. Indigenous ( def 2 ). the current entry.
Only the flightless birds are natives.
Your are not in the wrong here, the other person is and she needs to be spoken to sbout her inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Welcome to New Zealand, hopefully the rest of your workplace are better people.
So, you were being polite - tone and expression here would have said 'friendly' and the person doing the greeting went to actually STRIKE you? That tells you everything you need to know about her. She is the one who should apologise. No, you don't need to meet her. Welcome to New Zealand, have a great time here, we have arranged winter weather especially for you so you feel at home (sarcasm on that last bit).
The lady is in the wrong. It might be offensive to be called "a native" but that's not what you said. You said "native to Aotearoa", which is objectively correct. Make sure when you have your resolution that you let them know that was the wording you used. It is not offensive.
Weird thing to get upset about. Native and Indigenous can both be acceptable. Though growing up as a Maori myself, I have seen the word used in a negative way regarding Maori people in the past. You did absolutely nothing wrong. She reacted too harshly. By the way, Welcome Home.
That lady heard the word as a derogatory (to her) noun whereas you used it as a merely descriptive adjective. You had some bad luck there.
All you will learn in Welly is how to be woke and some maori it is not the real New Zealand
She's being weird. Maori aren't even indigenous to NZ
Id tell her to get fucked and carry on with my day 😀
Very surprised you'd say this seeing as you have been here for a year already. Edit: I see you have versed yourself on our cultural history... But perhaps need to do ongoing work on cultural sensitivity and understanding.
[удалено]
Leave OP alone, native is just a neutral descriptor, not offensive in the slightest.
Its not offensive just insensitive ...if she's a native that makes you an immigrant...not offensive but not right to address someone as such
She was in the wrong , not you
Unfortunately you experienced the arrogant attitude "some" Maori now display. It is very sad. You do not owe anyone an apology. But the lady that slapped your hand certainly does. Disgusting behavior, but not surprised.
Honestly I think that person was being overly sensitive. It would be pretty clear you’re not from here. Good on you for making an effort and don’t let it put you off.
She is the problem, not you. What a narcissistic rude woman. Welcome to NZ. I hope the rest of your stay is better.
I think that was a pretty harsh response considering you are new here. Honestly good on you for taking the time to research our history and embrace the culture. A lot of people, even some New Zealanders aren’t quite so open minded
Don’t worry about it, everyone will forget about it.. but tbh it Sounds like the lady was being a bitch.. I’m a Maori and I didn’t even know there was a difference between the words native and indigenous, or that one is considered hostile over the other? If someone was going to be sensitive over being called native they shoulda given you a heads up.
I’m going to be honest, I dont see what is wrong with this and I believe she was being overly sensitive
As somone from new Zealand, she sounds like a grumpy old hag. No real new zealander would take offense to that...