Hariru Wikitoria (How-de-doo Queen Victoria)

This is a poem I have penned as a submission to the Constitution discussion currently under way:

Hariru Wikitoria

We salute you Queen Victoria

For giving us  Treaty

In 1840 at Waitangi

We said we wanted chieftainship

You helped yourself  to sovereignty

We gave you dark shadow

Cast down by  cloud

We kept the substance under foot

Or so we thought

We put moko to paper

Crosses and names

On Hobson’s wax sealed parchment

From Kaitaia to Greenstone Land

And the deed was surely done

Or so we thought.

God’s people in missions

Pre 1840 Treaty

Turned us from war

Blamed Satan for  guns

And all those flu,

measles and other pandemics

Were wrath of God not Pakeha

So pray and pray

And pray ehoa

For Christian immunity

Or so we thought.

Soon substance under  foot

Became theirs not ours

They squared our land

Surveyor did

And kept huge pieces

Bits reserved for us.

Their mana cleansed it clean

Of   indigenous Native

Replaced by Hegemony, 

Colonisation, Legislation, 

And hoha Civilization

Or so they thought

Taihoa Maori taihoa ra

Wikitoria gave you good

Like justice, law and order

Now let’s you claim

For all wrongs done

Since 1840 aye

So;

Before the cut off point is reached

Get your wai  to Waitangi

Tribunal don’t be late.

They need to scrub and clear the decks

For newest constitution

Clear Wikitoria from history

And them from perjury.

Aue!

Justice has a cut off point?

And Treaties dates used by?

Like sausages and milk

And all things  perishing

On Supermarket shelves?

So;

Before they cut you off our Queen

And backdoor this Republic

Your sovereignty was but shadow

And chiefs  mere  noughts and crosses

On ragged Treaty parchment

Therefore;

Worry not for whom clock chimes

You Maori get in line

Clock tick tocks to the future 

Amnesia is the past

The jingles are the $$$

They’re not for you, e hoa

  

But

One law for all and all for one

Republic here we come

Before more Asians come and come

And take majority.

That’s what  I  think.

Atihana M. Johns