Emmy

This summary details an interview with Emilie Rākete on the "Beyond Rainbows" podcast, recorded at Te Puea Memorial Marae in Auckland. During the podcast, Rākete elaborates on the protest at the Auckland Pride parade which aimed to cast light on mass incarceration issues, particularly in Maori communities, and the dynamics of power within queer populations. The dialogue unfolds in the context of the GLITCH Youth Decolonisation Hui that took place at the Marae.

With a focus on their personal journey and activism work, Rākete, a 22-year-old trans individual from Auckland, reflects on the refreshing experience of being among people of color in queer spaces and underscores the often unseen effects of white supremacy. Rākete points to mass incarceration as a significant challenge faced by the Maori and trans communities, and also by people of color at large, noting the influential roles of the New Zealand Police and Department of Corrections in perpetuating this struggle.

Rākete shares a personal encounter involving injury at a protest and subsequent treatment by law enforcement. The response to the incident varied within the community, from strong support to outright threats. This reflects a broader issue of community attitudes toward power relationships and resistance to acknowledging systemic injustice, especially when individuals personally benefit from existing dynamics.

Despite facing serious injury with their arm, Rākete remains committed to raising awareness of incarceration and state violence, particularly in relation to queer identities and the treatment of Maori people. They hope that the event and their experience will foster discussion and reflection on the complexities of state power and its impact on marginalized groups.

Rākete calls for more inclusivity and consideration of power dynamics within queer communities. They stress the importance of respecting the unique threats faced by trans women of color, noting the alarmingly high rates of suicide and violence against this demographic. Rākete advocates for a broader acknowledgment and action to address the violence oriented towards the population, and the disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system.

Moreover, Rākete addresses the need for economic discussions, highlighting the compounding fee increases at universities that disproportionately affect already economically disadvantaged populations, such as Maori and people of color.

The conversation also covers the historical role of law enforcement and prisons in undermining Maori resistance and stresses the continuity of colonization's effects on indigenous populations. This historical perspective is central to understanding the contemporary injustices faced by Maori and the disparities in health, incarceration, and socio-economic conditions.

The podcast underlines that the issues within Aotearoa New Zealand are reflective of a global pattern of post-colonial states oppressing indigenous populations, a reality that places an onus on all community members to critically evaluate and work to change these entrenched systems of inequality.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Emilie Rākete

2010s, accomodation, activism, ahi wi-hongi, aotearoa new zealand, ara taiohi, auckland, beyond rainbows (series), colonisation, community, complicity, department of corrections, dispossession, education, emilie rākete, food, glitch youth decolonisation hui (2015), global capitalism, health, heteronormativity, indigenous peoples, kaumatua, law, mass incarceration, media, māori, new zealand police, occupation, pakeha, parihaka, people against prisons aotearoa (formerly known as no pride in prisons), people of colour, police, politics, poverty, power, pride, pride parade (auckland), prison, protest, queer, racism, rangatiratanga, social media, state power, state violence, suicide, support, tangata whenua, te puea memorial marae, threats, tino rangatiratanga, tiriti o waitangi / treaty of waitangi, transgender, university, violence, wellington, white supremacist violence, women, youth

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