I am terrified! Last week a post from TRM included a photo from their book, “TONGARIRO skulduggery”, was severely questioned. In total TRM’s post was read by over 2,000, 18 gave “thumbs-up” likes, 4 gave “angry” responses, 50 added mainly critical comments, etc. plus phoned anonymous verbal abusive warnings that TRM will be subject to a formal complaint to the police, etc. Another website generated similar traffic with a similar number of comments. I would prefer not to reply but that might be interpreted that the criticism is accepted. It is not! I doubt if any of the fb critics have even read the book but some hot-heads have gone off half-cocked with threats and abuse…
Hence this response. I have left it a week for some of the hot-headed contributors to cool down. Demands that the post should be deleted have been ignored as it is far too late – the photo was taken in 2018 and has been on FB several times since. The book was published over two years ago.
The claims that I am racist are simply silly. Over the last eighteen years we have employed many Maori and other staff at TRM. Ask them if we are racist… Go on, ask them!
To be fair, I suppose we should also show some acknowledgement to the objectors for generating the most publicity (?) the book and plot have attracted. All publicity, even bad reviews, boosts sales. For boosting sales, it deserves feedback from TRM as well.
Strangely, what was of concern was that none of the complainants appeared to have bothered to read the book in question, but appeared to be looking for any excuse to have a rave and make emotional threats. As they had not read it, they could not discuss or argue the issue so they reverted to racist abuse… This is not unusual. It reached the exhausting stage when I gave up trying to answer so many complaints, but now I suspect we may have identified a major error in their aim. I should have remembered this as a few years ago we received threats of a similar nature which were withdrawn immediately when they realised they had attacked the wrong person!
They appeared to be confusing me with another “Ross Baker” who previously published interesting controversial articles for the One New Zealand Foundation Inc.
Who is the One New Zealand Foundation? Their website states: The Foundation is a voluntary, non-profit Incorporated Society with yearly audits and returns to the Companies Office. It was established in 1988 to stand for one flag and one law for all the people of New Zealand.
That is not me. OK? I have never had anything to do with the Foundation or joined them or printed any of their claims – although I could understand if he may also be complaining if he is being mistaken for me too. It could have been another twist to include in the plot.
With the TONGARIRO skulduggery publication, my main concern was that none of the complainants had even bothered to read it before claiming the writer is racist. They did not have the common courtesy to do any research but appeared to be just looking for an excuse to spout rude emotive threats. Most of the comments being criticised are not mine – they are quotes from others who know far more about these issues.
As a special treat, just for a taste of what these FB critics have avoided, to indicate how biased or balanced the book is (depending on your view?), the following example is from Chapter 20 headed “Historical Evidence” page 137. To my knowledge, no other book has attempted to provide such a detailed fair balanced historical view of land claims in Turangi. In fact, looking back, with the wonderful benefit of hindsight, I was probably too generous.
The Turangi Township Remedies Report 1995
The claim concerned the taking by the Crown of an extensive area of ancestral land under the compulsory acquisition provisions of the Public Works Act 1928 and the Turangi Township Act 1964. By late 1963, it had become clear that the Government intended to proceed with the Tongariro power project. Four possible sites were identified by Crown officials for a construction town to house the many workers who were to be involved in the project. The Crown owned two sites that would have been suitable. In particular, either a permanent or a temporary township could have been built at Turangi East (where there was plenty of Crown land available) or a temporary township at Rangipo. The Crown also considered two other sites owned by Maori. One, at Lake Rotoaira, was the least favoured site of the four. The fourth site was at Turangi West. This, like the Crown’s Turangi East site, was considered suitable for either a temporary or a permanent township. The Crown decided it would prefer to build a permanent township and elected to take Maori land under the Public Works Act 1928 in preference to building on its own land, which was nearby.
The Crown approached the owners’ representatives in April 1964 to seek their approval for the Crown’s establishment of a township on their land. On the basis of numerous assurances and undertakings given to them by Crown offïcials, the people present approved in principle the construction of the proposed township at Turangi. Subsequently, this approval was undermined and negated by the failure of the Crown, in whole or in part, to honour many of these undertakings on which the people had relied in approving in principle the Crown proposal.
Of critical concern to the Turangitukua people was that the Crown compulsorily acquired the freehold of some 1665 acres of the claimants’ ancestral land, despite having promised to take no more than 800 to 1000 acres freehold. The Crown, in effect, took between two-thirds and twice as much land as it had assured the owners it would take. In addition, repeated assurances by Crown officials that the land required for industrial purposes (papakainga land of great significance to Ngati Turangitukua) would be leased and returned after 10 to 12 years, were not honoured by the Crown. The freehold of some 186 acres was compulsorily taken and the land occupied for the Industrial Area. It has never been returned to Ngati Turangitukua. etc
It is an extraordinary sad sign of the times to be criticised and abused for historic reporting and providing photos of evidence of the actual historic negotiations leading to the formation of the Turangi township. Their motives for unleashing such hatred are pathetic and have to be spurious. The Turangi Township Remedies Report was reproduced in full to enlighten readers how recent the land confiscation issues in Turangi were – only 50 years ago and not 150 years ago as elsewhere in NZ. How can that be interpreted by local hot-heads as racist? We now challenge these same social media critics to complain about that report being quoted in the book!
In my defence, the critics need to be asked to explain why would anyone include this dusty pedantic historical settlement information if the aim was to persuade from a biased viewpoint? There are many other juicy controversial examples in the plot – not all pure fiction – which the complainants have ignored as they were unaware of them. Like many other similar successful works of fiction based around historical events, it was deliberately provocative and controversial. Otherwise, it would not have sold so well. That is why readers were warned and it is clearly described as a “Mockumentary” in the introduction and repeated on the back cover. Sadly, the most outspoken complainants failed to show any understanding of the fictional nature of the plot and lost their credibility and any sense of humour as they took it all so seriously.
The reason for publishing the book was mainly to raise $ funds for local environmental projects such as the restoration of some of the neglected Tongariro River anglers’ access tracks. Another important reason was to provide TRM’s fishy guests (aka inmates) something interesting to read on wet days – something about Turangi with lots of interesting history wound around an amusing plot. We know they have enjoyed it as so many books have sold after they start reading it and need a copy to take home.
More sales may be more important now i.e. If the complainants follow through with their threats, any profits might be needed to pay for my legal defence. The book is only available at TRM for only $39 – an absolute steal!.
Warning – if it attracts more rave reviews with similar emotive angry accusations forcing subsequent legal action, the additional publicity generated should boost sales and the price will need to be reviewed as well.
