This week I've been putting together a new issue of my webzine Flurb, mainly because I wrote “The Third Bomb,” a story so demented and countercultural that, in a more tightly run country, I might get in trouble for publishing it.
A few co-conspirators have stepped up to shoulder the blame with me: Charlie Anders, Marc Laidlaw, Richard Kadrey, John Shirley, and Charles Stross.
Merry Christmas — and, remember, it really is still a free country — as long as we keep on speaking up.
I'll get back to you in 2007!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Teno Koe, i just want to clarify something with you on early ‘polynesian’ settlers arriving in new zealand.
Early maori DID NOT bring animals in the form of rats, dogs etc to New Zealand. It was the European Invaders who brought them, along with they’re diseases that nearly wiped our people out of existence. You are sharing false information of my ancestors and I am not impressed. As well as the fact that you are not even Maori, is even more insulting.
It shows that your own culture is obviously boring because you have to find inspiration in the lives of others because your own people done so much damage and are now paying for it…
If you are going to write about something, then I sugest, you write about how your ancestors TERRORISED AND RAPED our women, STOLE OUR CHILDREN, FORCED our people to become WESTERNIZED and restricted us from use of our language and culture. And lastly, STEAL information and historical pictures and taking credit for them on your website.
In future, you need to do some serious research of Maori and be very careful of what you say about us, legally, it is in our right to demonstrate protest and close down false information of which you disclose or mis-interpretation on Maori Culture. Never disrespect a culture that is not your own.
write about that!
Mauri Ora.
Q. Makiha
December 6th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Tino Ragatiratana and Q. Makiha,
I’m sorry that you feel insulted by my blog posts about New Zealand and the Maori, and that you are upset my use of an image of a painting of a Maori on my webzine FLURB.
Regarding the issue of the rats—certainly the Europeans did bring bad things to the Maori, such as disease, war and colonialism. But from what I understand, having visited historical museums in Auckland and Christchurch, and having read some books, rats were brought to New Zealand not only in European ships, but also in some of the earlier craft that brought the Maori from Polynesia.
I could be wrong on this point. I’ll recheck this, and if I find some definite info, I’ll post it in a follow-up comment. Even if it were to be the case that some rats came with the Maori, there’s nothing insulting about this—rats have followed humans from time immemorial.
Speaking more broadly, I think if you look calmly at anything I’ve written about the Maori, it’s quite clear that I have great respect and admiration for your culture and for your art forms.
And In reproducing some images of Maori art, or of paintings of Maoris, I am only trying to promote further appreciation of Maori culture. And I think it is quite clear to anyone that I am not taking credit for these images, all I’m doing is spreading the news about this good stuff.
Peace, brother.