A new study released exclusively to 1News has found an increase in anti-Māori sentiment among New Zealanders, with the main target being high-profile wāhine Māori.
The study, conducted by The Disinformation Project, investigated the spread of disinformation against Māori on kaupapa, such as co-governance and Te Tiriti justice, driven through social networks in the lead up to this year's general election.
Project director Kate Hannah said it’s an agenda being led by the same networks that protested vaccine mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The people who, three years ago, were talking about sunlight as a cure, or vitamin C, are now talking about co-governance and using increasingly racist, false and misleading information to do so."
The study also found an increasingly hostile environment towards the idea of adopting co-governance strategies, with mentions of a potential "civil war" over such issues.
The report stated there was a rise in: "The converging, and linked narratives of anti-co-governance, 'white genocide', and 'The Great Replacement' which seek to drive division, radicalise individuals and communities, and harm Aotearoa New Zealand’s social cohesion."
The study was released following an incident last Thursday in which te reo translations on Tauranga bins were painted over in a "racist" act. Ngāi Te Rangi CEO Paora Stanley said state officials don't take such issues seriously.
"The issue for me is that racism exists because it's allowed to exist, it manifests in these ways because it’s allowed to happen."
High-profile wāhine Māori targeted
The study highlighted a series of "dehumanising, denigrating, body-shaming and vulgar" social media posts and harassment targeted at the likes of Labour MP for Hauraki-Waikato Nanaia Mahuta and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori.
Reacting to the report, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said it’s no surprise, given the number of times she’s been targeted herself.
"It doesn’t surprise me because I am a Māori woman who has absolutely been targeted or held to a whole different level of judgement."
On the other hand, ACT Party candidate Karen Chhour said she’s been targeted for not being Māori enough.
"The racism that I get is not necessarily anti-Māori it’s more 'you’re not a good enough Māori'. So it’s a bit different the attacks that I’m getting, but I do see that on multiple angles."
Glossary
Kaupapa – cause, movement, purpose
Wāhine - women
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