When 'alcohol meets ancestry' was the talk of social media last fortnight and it all stemmed from a little micro brewery in Auckland that took the liberty to use our local Maori ancestors to sell their beer.
It was off the shelves before too long, but it highlighted a cocktail that was sold at our bar, Ponsonby Rd, called the Hinemoa and Tutanekai.
As the story spread, newspapers came knocking, TV cameras were at the bar and we were forced to explain our actions. Well, one online petition, a name retraction, a whanau hui and a marae visit later, it's very apparent that a wider conversation needs to be had about the commercial use of Maori names and stories because it keeps popping up.
Last month, it was found that an overseas company was marketing Charles Lindauer paintings of Maori ancestors on shower curtains. This month it's Maori ancestors on beer bottles. What will it be next month? And more to the point, how do we prevent such outrage?
As we continue down our bi-cultural path, where does commerce and culture meet? What is the mechanism for people who want to enter that space? Who plays Judge Judy? There are a lot of questions that need to be asked and the more these issues arise, the more pressed we'll be to find a solution.
