Genealogy, whakapapa, gafa... generations

Yesterday, I took my class to the Auckland Family History Expo and it was a interesting day out watching Western Research in action and participating or rather listening to the some of the discussions.

A particularly interesting seminar was by a representative from www.ancestry.com of whom gave helpful tips and ideas about how to use the website for its useful data whilst saving some $ along the way.

He also spoke about the DNA kits that are around $150 with some 3 million people who have completed the 'spit test' and have given their saliva to be analysed which is something that I am particularly interested in to find out more about my German DNA side.

The only downside of the expo was that I took my class to a seminar about Maori whakapapa, i.e. genealogy which was delivered by some Maori librarians and as it went over time, there were some people waiting to come inside and one of the volunteers was quite rude in saying that they were waiting and that the speakers had gone way over time although it was only 2 mins over the time that the next group was to start.

Incidentally, my class was researching the differences between Western and Indigenous researchers as a topic and this brought the issues to a fore in that the thank you speeches were being brought to a close and when that incident happened, the students were disgusted at the way he had rudely spoken to the group and had opened the doors wide. The question that was asked was whether he would have acted in a similar manner if it was a pakeha or European speaker and I think he would not have.

As a result, I walked out of that seminar appalled at his behaviour and knew that I would address the matter but after first of all going to the Pacific stand and asking about my Great, great grandfather and through the person there, finding a written entry from one of the experts on a digital data base of the date that he had been married to my grandmother of which I was over the moon about.

So after receiving that great news, I went back to the organiser and made a complaint on behalf of the class about the volunteer and received an apology. I wanted the organiser to know that from my perspective and my classes' it wasn't acceptable behaviour and that although I wasn't Maori, I knew that his behaviour was unnecessarily warranted. The speaker had been speaking in Maori and was almost complete the organiser apologied profusely but it was the wrong person apologizing. I could see the man hovering further away and I kept eye contact with him during the discussion.

Back in class, we discussed the incident and it was an eye opener for some and it made others angry. I recalled times growing up when I had wanted to say things and do things to address blatant racism, unseemly behaviours and comments/actions that I knew came from prejudices, biases, ignorance etc. that I used to steam over and mull over.

I no longer do that, I now make complaints, air my views, sort out what the principles are that are bugging me and no longer own those issues. I now give it to the 'authorities' to sort out, whoever they might be and sometimes I win those battles, and sometimes I lose but the main thing for me is that I didn't sit back and allow those 'bullies' to continue to go unchecked.

So now when issues to come, I deal with them with the pen as the sword (through a complaints process) and let my hands to the walking and I don't mean through fisty cuffs but through an investigative process that allows me to go home, have a cup of tea and let the principles do the talking...