Nelson's Santa Parade with Jordan Henare: 7th of December, 2018

This week saw controversy sparked out of the Nelson Santa Parade when a Non-Traditional Santa was represented this year.

This year’s Santa wore a red korowai, held a taiaha and was Maori.

People from Nelson having a variety of opinions, some said that Santa has always been a jolly white man in a red suit and it was distressing for children to be confronted with this representation. The comment section around these stories left space for many to leave racist remarks resulting in the comment sections being disabled for a stuff article on the topic. The Nelson Deputy mayor Paul Matheson also remarked that he found the commentary on the matter to be “ quite sick”.   

Nelson Council’s decision for this year’s Santa also received a great deal of support for leaning into multiculturalism, and giving the space for Maori representation in what is typically an eurocentric image.

Therapeutic Care Worker, Jordan Henare who works with children and youth in New Zealand joined Laura Kvigstad to discuss what the it meant to see Maori representation in an image that is dominated by European ideals.