Voting on the Foreshore Bill: Protest continues

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EITSA SGM Speech
by
Louise Heremia, VP Education & Welfare
20 September 2006

Students with discriminative and prejudicial agendas saw an opportunity to attack me based on my being a Maori. They publicly set out to deliberately humiliate me because of a message I wrote for the world to see on the internet a couple of years ago. But you see, that was me back then, at that particular moment in time, it lasted only for a brief season in my life. We each have our own life stories to tell, and the experiences we enjoyed or didn’t enjoy. Mine was the anger I felt when I began to learn about how my ancestors were treated and the underlying tactics upon my people at that time. It wasn’t until I received feedback on my university assignments that made me rethink what I had become and why I became an angry person. It was not that I was angry at the Pakeha people of today, it was because I was angry at the Pakeha people of yesterday – the days when my ancestors were walking these lands. I was generalizing not realizing the repercussions that might follow after I wrote my internet message. I am not a racist person. I just discovered how life was for my ancestors. Therefore, I humbly stand here before you, and I apologise to all those who were offended. I am not a perfect person – I am just a genuine person with a passion for caring and helping people regardless of who or what they are. I made a mistake, as many of us do. I had forgotten all about the message I published on the internet simply because I had moved on to better and greater things. A student said to me the other day it’s a pity not a lot of students know what you have actually done for many students past and present. I didn’t know how to respond to that, I guess it’s because I’m not the kind of person to put myself out there, I don’t seek fame or recognition. I just have a passion for helping anyone. I sat down the other night and listed all the things I have done for students and I was going to mention those today but I decided it’s not like me to voice what I do. I have considered carefully of the workload I have at the present time and have decided to withdraw my nomination for President of EITSA. I would like to thank all those who supported me. I will always continue to lend a helping hand. Thank you. Kia ora koutou katoa!

EITSA SGM Speech
by
Louise Heremia, VP Education & Welfare
20 September 2006

Students with discriminative and prejudicial agendas saw an opportunity to attack me based on my being a Maori. They publicly set out to deliberately humiliate me because of a message I wrote for the world to see on the internet a couple of years ago. But you see, that was me back then, at that particular moment in time, it lasted only for a brief season in my life. We each have our own life stories to tell, and the experiences we enjoyed or didn’t enjoy. Mine was the anger I felt when I began to learn about how my ancestors were treated and the underlying tactics upon my people at that time. It wasn’t until I received feedback on my university assignments that made me rethink what I had become and why I became an angry person. It was not that I was angry at the Pakeha people of today, it was because I was angry at the Pakeha people of yesterday – the days when my ancestors were walking these lands. I was generalizing not realizing the repercussions that might follow after I wrote my internet message. I am not a racist person. I just discovered how life was for my ancestors. Therefore, I humbly stand here before you, and I apologise to all those who were offended. I am not a perfect person – I am just a genuine person with a passion for caring and helping people regardless of who or what they are. I made a mistake, as many of us do. I had forgotten all about the message I published on the internet simply because I had moved on to better and greater things. A student said to me the other day it’s a pity not a lot of students know what you have actually done for many students past and present. I didn’t know how to respond to that, I guess it’s because I’m not the kind of person to put myself out there, I don’t seek fame or recognition. I just have a passion for helping anyone. I sat down the other night and listed all the things I have done for students and I was going to mention those today but I decided it’s not like me to voice what I do. I have considered carefully of the workload I have at the present time and have decided to withdraw my nomination for President of EITSA. I would like to thank all those who supported me. I will always continue to lend a helping hand. Thank you. Kia ora koutou katoa!