Colonisation: what does it mean?
By Roya Azadi
“We are the leaves of one tree.”
Colonise v. 1. a) establish a colony or colonise in a country or area. b) settle as colonists. 2. establish or join a country.
Yeah, but that probably doesn’t mean anything to you.
To Matuva, a young man I know in Zimbabwe, colonisation means the loss of a way of life, traditions, and rights.
To Elizabeth, a young woman I know in America, it means the discovery of new land, and new opportunities.
To Lua, another young woman I know in Papua New Guinea, it means ‘Englis’, better education and health services, and Christianity.
Essentially, ‘colonisation’ is a relative term.
Look deeper
When you look deeper into the story of colonisation, when you look past its history of bloodshed and hatred, you also see the possibility for unity between peoples.
New languages, new skills, new religion – not to replace those which were there before, but to exist alongside them, giving both the colonists and the colonised a chance to learn, understand and develop an appreciation for each other.
Think about the people you smile and say ‘hi’ to when you go to school, to work, or to town.
Think about the language those people might speak at home, their familial and cultural traditions.
Think about this long enough, and you’ll probably realise you’re friends with a number of people who come from a background different to yours – and this is the gift New Zealand gives to us.
No matter where we came from, or where we’re going, we all share a part of ourselves.
We are the leaves of one tree.
This article was written as part of Global Focus a collaborative project of Tearaway Magazine and the Global Education Centre. It was first published in Tearaway magazine and is reprinted here with their permission
Illustrator: Gavin Mouldey
