Now Voyager: Sunday performance

Each day I live in this mysterious, magical island kingdom, for that is what it is, a veritable kingdom with its chiefs and serfs, I learn and perceive so much more about the way the Kiwis have adapted to their post-colonial existence. It is these two wind-swept isles, the most Southern settlement in this hemisphere, that make you realise that to be creative is the only way to survive. As that is what the Kiwis have always been above all, creative.

The Maori indigenous population is really only just now emerging from the reign of colonial rule, with the fabled Treaty of Waitangi shown to be a pretence of equality, but in reality is the signing-off of white superiority over a believing and guileless Indigenous people, taking away most of the land and their rights in what was effectively a masterful coup by the ruling race, the White Man. The Maori, like the Australian Aboriginal people, had an advanced society oscsocial mores here when the whites came to impose their rules and culture. In many ways the original cultures were in advance, for example, sixty thousand years in Oz the Indigenous peoples had managed an extremely harsh land in a user-friendly way. They maintained all the natural benefits by living in tune with nature, which is exactly what the Maori culture did in New Zealand. Having dwelled the last two days on the Island Bay Marae, I have

learned how much the respect and custodianship, not ownership, of the land means to the Indigenous tribes, and it is exactly the same in Australia.

It is sad reflection on today's generation that the loss of language, and subsequently culture, is a tragedy being felt the whole world over in European colonialised countries. Getting back to values of inclusive, non-judgemental living, where people are accepted for exactly who they are, not just fitting in the the artificially created 'cultural norms' of binary sexuality and such is the way he Indigenouscpele operate.The groups I spend my time with here are of all sexual persuasions and physical representations, and they are proud to teach others how to relate to them as individuals, not just males or females.

We have been present the whole weekend for a celebration of the seventieth birthday of Dana,an iconic transgender showgirl who is one of the exceptions who managed to survive to this age. Most die at a much younger age but Dana has survived and is justifiably to be celebrated, with Waiata (song) and Kapahaka, (dance) . We did this already last night at the Marae when Dana and few invited friends were welcomed and we performed for her and we all dined together. Tonight Dana is having another dinner for all her many friends and Tiwhanwahna and the Auckland mob come together to offer our respect. I have taken an hour to rest before the afternoon begins, supposedly at three o'clock, but more likely at five. The Maori certainly have a different feeling of the Western idea of time.

It should be quite an event and I am very much looking forward to it.

I slept in and needed a coffee

this morning at the renovated Trattoria in Newtown, very nice indeed, with a homemade croissant good coffee.

Front page pic of mother feeding her three year old baby boy, with her sister still all sleeping n the same bed, although modern medical experts don't like this practice.

one which kany nations used to do, in the early tomes.

However medical authorities fail in certain

areas, here in the supply necessary drugs...

And people are suffering too long because of this.

Police corruption is evident in many obtuse ways,

here, by misreporting crime figures!

A Kiwii sportsman on his way back

from a problematic life.

The ABs kill the Wallabies again

to retain their coveted Bledisloe Cup

The innovation of the Kiwi

in the digital age, the new form of writing is blogging with intent, not just yarning like I do, but as in this case, making political statements and being followed by millions. Duncan Grieve's blog is called 'Spin Off'.

Duncan Grieve tells stories 'his way',

with profit.

At the Whera Café behind the most popular 'Bach' an Irish girl served me an excellent coffee and date scone to prepare me for the big birthday celebration at The Pines later this afternoon.