Teasing out Threads: From Appropriation to Vigilance

As many of you know New Zealand has experienced one of its worst acts of violence in a while. It doesn’t matter if it is a false flag or not. It is portrayed, seen and experienced as a violent act. 
It really is time to explore how image perpetuates and reinforces cultural stereotypes and stigma.  
New Zealand was hit by a white male terrorist, as the multicultural tensions, lie just beneath the surface, cosying along in an uneasy mix, rather like when you put too much oil in the mayonnaise.  And that kind of uneasy evil exists to be exploited. You build a society on lies and how can it produce anything true, just and good? 
 
There has never been peace, reconciliation, justice and truth between the Indigenous people of New Zealand and its system of governance. Luckily so many people benefit and have benefited from those systems, that they, can employ sticks, isolation and poverty induced coping mechanisms, such as drugs and alcohol, that those, who are not benefiting, may be on benefits, are not heard, seen and are marginalised to the point of institutional-ism, prison counts.  
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The Greater Good, is simply not good enough. The good of All is so much better deeper, but it takes time. Time to consult, time to think, to feel, to respond. This was the type of consultation process we were promised under MMP. Iwi with their own individual takes on things were supposed to be consulted as part of the governance process, on everything. But that took and takes, time and funding. 
Who has the time to consult, with terrorists knocking at the door? Who has the funding for a truly consultative open process, when there are police to arm and blames to be laid, “one must been seen to be doing”. 
 
Times of extreme culture shock should not be times for creating policy. Shocked brains are good for programing though. Fill those flighty brains with pre prepared speech of spells, recipe for Majick, MK, and whatever those slightly ahead of the ball want to “push through” almost guarantees more Control of private lives. 
So my pic and it’s contribution, the Lady is wearing a War Bonnet, it is very unusual for a Woman to be given a War Bonnet, incredibly sacred. Thank you Tom. But she would not be given it in the Buff, or dressed as my woman was. The equivalent of “Black Face” and part of the sexualising of Indigenous Native American women, who disappear in high numbers, every year.  Pretty deep aye. Now if that kind of perpetuation is within me, what might be within men, raised on these pictures as part of Playboy Centerfolds. Well, the first pic in the series, where they still have some covering. 
I was working on “I am not the Warrior, I am the Weapon”. As a life concept, and for a lady who has had her life changed through, wolf, bear, eagle and buffalo, who swims with otters, wearing a war bonnet, hit home.  You either ‘know’ me, or you don’t. ​

Please believe me, if I had of known this was going to be a "thing", I would have used better paper.

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I was in that point of journey return, writing in my diary, at 6:11 am, Friday the 15th of March. 
"We must be Vigilant." came through.
To which I asked,
"Vigilance what does it mean?" 
My husband came in with the news at 5:00 pm 
We tuned in the TV and I heard Ms Adern, our Primesinister say "we must be vigilant". I should of known. I didn't have that time to tease the message out then and there. I should of known though, as every time there is an attack, "We must be vigilant" is the rallying cry of the officers in charge.
Well played Demonic Hoard of Empire, well played.  
Our Turn Now. How shall we Respond? 

In peace, strength and love,
​Juhl xx