Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Drug Symposium day two: Māori women in the room

7 Responses

  • Hazel Heal,

    Beautifully done Russell. The excitement of hearing Kiri and Chloe- everybody, but them, wow, most hopeful thing I have seen for ages.

    Dunedin NZ • Since Dec 2016 • 12 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Holy shit. Oregon is decriminalising personal quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ecstasy.

    And it's Republicans doing it.

    Republican State Sen. Jackie Winters claimed the war on drugs as it currently exists amounts to “institutional racism” due to how more frequently minorities are charged with drug crimes than whites.

    “There is empirical evidence that there are certain things that follow race. We don’t like to look at the disparity in our prison system,” Winters said during a hearing. “It is institutional racism. We can pretend it doesn’t exist, but it does.”

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ruth Connor,

    Thank you Russell. Your open minded response to this issue is always refreshing and encouraging.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2016 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Aotearoan,

    Excellent and moving article, Russell.

    However;

    Māori had no use for intoxicants before European contact

    Is incorrect. The berries from the Tutu plant (Coraria) were pulped and juice separated from the toxic (tutin) seed and stalks. The juice was consumed fresh, but also when fermented into wine. This was a potent intoxicant from accounts recorded by pakeha.

    Northland • Since Jan 2011 • 14 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Aotearoan,

    The berries from the Tutu plant (Coraria) were pulped and juice separated from the toxic (tutin) seed and stalks. The juice was consumed fresh, but also when fermented into wine. This was a potent intoxicant from accounts recorded by pakeha.

    Hopefully more reliable accounts, though unlikely to be as entertaining as the tutu scene in Red Mole's Slaughter on Cockroach Avenue. Visiting a rural commune, guru Don Heke, played by Alan Brunton, exhorts his hippie devotees to "Eat sacred tutu berry!" Under the influence of what look suspiciously like jaffas the hippies dance wildly as they're transformed into animals. Eventually they change back, except for the undercover spy who attempted to infiltrate their group, who ends up beaten to death for being a rat.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    Māori watching kereru falling out of trees after too many fermented miro berries, after the initial reaction of "whoo, free meat!", surely would not have failed to think "that looks like fun". Even indirectly, that's a good "use for intoxicants" right there.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

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