New Zealand politics are pretty mild when compared to the craziness we've seen in the U.S. in recent years. But that doesn't mean New Zealanders are apathetic about how their country is run. Kiwis care quite a bit about political causes, and some issues really stand out.
Protecting the environment has long been a top priority. Guaranteeing equality and civil rights for minority groups is a concern. As is land use, and determining the best way to maintain the natural beauty and sacred spirit of this special place.
There have been times in NZ history when political decisions inspired the famously laid-back Kiwis to stand up and get radical. And I find that history fascinating. I thought I would share the story behind a few of those moments today.
1 Bastion Point
Bastion Point is a huge parkland with incredible views that sits uphill from one of Auckland's most famous beaches, Mission Bay. Between the late 1800s and mid-20th century, the location served as a military outpost. But in 1976, the government announced plans to auction off the property for the development of luxury housing. People were not happy. Especially the Maori population, as the land had been home to a Maori tribe before colonization.
Two days before construction was to start, non-violent protesters moved in. Mainly of Maori descent, the activists constructed a marae (a sacred place), temporary housing and vegetables gardens, staying put for an amazing 506 days. On the 507th, a police and military force 800-strong arrived to remove the occupiers, arresting 222 of them. A Maori female filmmaker, Merata Mita, made a documentary about the events that's become an NZ classic, Bastion Point: Day 507.
Bastion Point brought to light several important issues for the Maori people, including injustices over land acquisition during the colonial period. Protesters achieved what they intended: In the 1980s, the government returned the land to the Maori tribe that once occupied it -- with compensation.
2 Women's Suffrage
Did you know New Zealand was the first Western nation to grant women the right to vote, way back in 1893, 27 years before the U.S. ratified the 19th amendment?
A feisty young woman named Kate Sheppard is remembered as the driving force behind NZ's suffrage movement. Like the suffragettes we know from American history, Kate traveled the country, speaking out about the need for women's rights and their involvement in the political sphere. She wrote editorials, lobbied in Parliament and held public meetings to influence opinion. And then in 1893, she and her fellow Kiwi suffragettes gathered signatures for a petition supporting the right to vote.
That petition stretched an amazing 270 meters -- about 885 feet. When Kate delivered the massive document to parliament, legend has it she unrolled the petition across the entire width of the chamber. This bit of theater made an impact, and Kate and Kiwi women everywhere got their right to vote.
3 Nuclear-Free NZ
New Zealand takes great pride in being a nuclear-free country, which means that no nuclear or biological weapons are allowed within our borders, nor ships that depend on nuclear power. This law came about in 1987, after a series of highly publicized protests and public stand-offs over the issue. Several took place right down the road in Auckland Harbour, and the protests could not have been more Kiwi.
In one instance, a U.S. nuclear cruiser called Long Beach was greeted by a flotilla of 150 yachts, dinghies, canoes, kayaks and other vessels captained by protesters. The group succeeded in stopping the cruiser from entering the port. In 1979, a U.S. nuclear submarine forced its way through a similar blockade, sinking several protesters in the process. One activist, wearing togs and a life jacket, climbed off his kayak onto the nose of the sub and raised his arms in a victory salute.
A few years later -- facing intense pressure from the public -- parliament passed the nuclear-free law. What was at that time a controversial decision has since become a core part of the Kiwi identity. And though NZ's nuclear-free status didn't make the U.S. entirely happy at first, the world has come to respect the forward-thinking demand.
That's a quick look at three NZ events that both sprung from and helped to shape the Kiwi identity. I'm learning that New Zealand may be small, but the country has an independent spirit and holistic view of its place in the world -- and I'm quite honored to be able to claim a little bit of its history as my own.
