Rise Up: the Story of the Dawn Raids Level 4, November 2018 and the Polynesian Panthers Year 7 by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith Brave Flower Year 8 by Simone Kaho
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School Journal Rise Up: The Story of the Dawn Raids Level 4, November 2018 and the Polynesian Panthers Year 7 by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith Brave Flower Year 8 by Simone Kaho Overview This TSM contains information and suggestions for teachers to pick and choose from, depending on the needs of their students and their purpose for using the text. The material provides many opportunities for revisiting the text. The article “Rise Up: The Story of the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian The article: Panthers” recounts the story of the dawn raids that took place in Aotearoa ▪ is a fact-based account of a shameful episode in New Zealand’s history in the 1970s. Under instruction from the government of the day, police and ▪ has a theme of racism and resistance immigration officials invaded the homes of Polynesian people in the early hours of the morning, demanding evidence that they were lawfully living in ▪ is organised into sections with headings Aotearoa. Others suffered “blitzes” – random checks for proof of residency, ▪ has photographs, a logo, a poster, and quotations to illustrate the text. often carried out in public. Many people who had until then been regarded The poem: as valued members of New Zealand’s labour force were prosecuted and deported. The article describes the response to this state-sponsored racism, ▪ complements the article by offering an insight into the personal impact of particularly from the young Pacific Island people who formed the Polynesian the raids Panthers, a force for resistance that endures today. ▪ is an example of a concrete poem (a poem where the visual appearance reflects the topic) The poem “Brave Flower” vividly captures the experience of those who were subjected to the dawn raids. ▪ has a stark, realistic, conversational tone ▪ includes a central image of a hibiscus flower BY SIMONE KAHO ▪ has photographs, a logo, a poster, and quotations to illustrate the text. Brave Flower A PDF of the text is available at www.schooljournal.tki.org.nz Texts related5. by theme “Stand Up: A History of Protest in New Zealand” SJ L3 Aug 2017 |“Ngā Tātarakihi o Parihaka” SJ L4 May 2016 | The police are stopping“War brownin Waihi” people SJ on L4 the Oct street 2013 | “Tuto‘atasi: The Struggle for Samoa’s Independence” SJ L4 May 2013 If you’re wearing jandals BY SIMONE KAHO Brave Flower and a bright shirt – Text characteristics watch out. from the year 8 reading standard They stop Māori and ask Rise Up We have retained5. the links to the National Standards while a new assessment and reporting TheRisesystem Story is being developed. of Up the Dawn Raids and the The policeWhich are island stopping are brown you peoplefrom? on the street The Story of the Dawn Raids and the For more informationIf you’re wearing on jandals assessing and reporting in the post-National Standards era, see: http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Assessment-and-reporting-guidePolynesian Panthers Operation and a bright shirtPot – Black Polynesian Panthers The North Island, mate by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith In 1975, watch a outNational. government, led by Robert Muldoon, came to power. Muldoon was by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith determinedTheyOperation stop Māorito address Potand ask Black the “immigration issue”. His election campaign even used a televisionWhichIn 1975,6. island ad a National that are youshowed from?government, a Pacific-looking led by Robert character Muldoon, camegetting to power.angry Muldoonbecause wasthere was InIn thethe UnitedUnited States States in thein the1960s, 1960s, the civil the rights civil movementrights movement no work.determinedThere Muldoon’s toare address no plan more the was “immigrationjobs to find and issue”. deport His overstayers, election campaign which even seemed used afair enough The North Island, mate continuedcontinued to to grow. grow. Those Those leading leading the demand the demand for equality for equality television ad that showed a Pacific-looking character getting angry because there was – if peopleMuldoon were breaking says the the Polynesians rules. But haveMuldoon’s to government didn’t act fairly. At the includedincluded Martin Martin Luther Luther King, King, Rosa Rosa Parks, Parks, and Malcolm and Malcolm X. X. no work. Muldoon’s plan was to find and deport overstayers, which seemed fair enough Fast forward ten years to another country, Aotearoa, and time,6. aroundgo home two-thirds. of New Zealand’s overstayers were British or North American – Fast forward ten years to another country, Aotearoa, and – if people were breaking the rules. But Muldoon’s government didn’t act fairly. At the social injustice was happening on the front steps of people’s yet Thereby farWe are the nogo largest more to prison jobs number first of people to be prosecuted were from the Pacific. time, around two-thirds of New Zealand’s overstayers were British or North American – socialhomes. injustice Police and was immigration happening officers on the were front targeting steps Pacific of people’s Muldoon says the Polynesians have to Asyet well by far as the dawn largest raids, number Pacific of people people to bealso prosecuted endured were “blitzes”. from theThese Pacific. were random homes.people, accusingPolice and them immigration of being in New officers Zealand wereillegally. targeting Many experienced Pacific go home. checks,As Theyin well public, assend dawn when us raids, back the Pacific withpolice no peopledemanded goodbye also endured proof of“blitzes”. residency. These Pacific were random people were people,humiliating accusing and often them terrifying of being encounters in New known Zealand as dawn illegally. raids. Enter Many the experienced We go to prison first Polynesian Panthers – along with other activist groups – and Aotearoa had treatedchecks, likeThey in criminals public,take parents when in frontthe in police frontof family, demanded of their friends, proofkids workmates, of residency. andPacific neighbours, people were and this humiliating and often terrifying encounters known as dawn raids. Enter the its own civil rights movement. causedtreated humiliation like criminals and in shame. front of The family, police friends, named workmates, this work and operation neighbours, Pot and Black. this Polynesian Panthers – along with other activist groups – and Aotearoa had They sendThey us take back pregnantwith no goodbye ladies in their nightdresses caused humiliation and shame. The police named this work operation Pot Black. its own civil rights movement. They take parents in front of their kids Boom and Bust They take pregnant ladies in their nightdresses complex layers of meaning, and/or information that is irrelevant to elements7. that require interpretation, such as complex plots, The story of the dawn raids begins in the 1950s. At the time, New Zealand’s economy theBoom identified and purposeBust for reading (that is, competing information), sophisticated7. I was going themes, to stay here and abstract ideas was doing so well, there weren’t enough people to do all the work, especially in requiringThe story students of the dawn to raidsinfer begins meanings in the or 1950s. make At judgments the time, New Zealand’s economy I was Igoing was to going stay here to factories. So the New Zealand government looked to the Pacific, introducing a system I was going to wasthat doingmade it so easy well, for Pacificthere weren’t people to enough live here. people Many cameto do on all temporary the work, permits especially or in work hard work hard factories.visas, but when So the the New labour Zealand shortage government continued, the looked government to the allowed Pacific, workers introducing to a system get educatedget educated stay longer. that made it easy for Pacific people to live here. Many came on temporary permits or Even thoughEven though it’s cold it’s cold Things suddenly changed in 1973, when hard times hit around the world. In New visas, but when the labour shortage continued, the government allowed workers to Zealand, unemployment became a problem – in stark contrast to the decades before – I see the hibiscus growing in New Zealand – I see the hibiscus growing in New Zealand – stayand Pacificlonger. people became scapegoats. They were blamed for the lack of jobs, and some flares of colour in Pālangi gardens flares of colour in Pālangi gardens peopleThings“People started suddenly using of ourthe changed term age “overstayer”. inweren’t 1973, when hard times hit around the world. In New It’s a brave flower Zealand,that unemploymentpatient. It was became time a problem – in stark contrast to the decades before – It’s a brave flower andfor Pacific change people …” became scapegoats. They were blamed for the lack of jobs, and some people started – usingVaughan the term Sanft “overstayer”. A Sad State of Affairs A SadMany State police officers of Affairs were opposed to blitzing. They said it was harming their 39 relationship with Pacific communities. Journalists were also keen to expose Many police officers were opposed to blitzing. They said it was harming their illustrations, photographs, text boxes, diagrams, maps, charts, and relationshipmetaphor,the injustice with analogy, and Pacific wanted andpoliticianscommunities. connotative and policeJournalists leaders language towere come also that clean keen is about opento expose what to 39 was happening. In parliament, the opposition leader, Bill Rowling, said: “When graphs, containing main ideas that relate to the text’s content theinterpretation injustice and wanted politicians and police leaders to come clean about what a Chief Superintendent