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# Evil Colonialism Strikes AGAIN!
- URL: https://goodoil.news/the-evil-colonialism-strikes-again/
- Published: 2019-11-24T21:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2019-11-24T08:34:36.000Z
- Author: Juana Atkins
- Tags: Health & Fitness, NZ, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-17 03:49

Just when you think that there isn’t anything else that can be **blamed on Colonialism** (which brought the wonders of civilisation to New Zealand like literacy, longer life expectancy, running water and electricity) we find out yet another example of colonial oppression…tobacco!

> “We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and the stupid.” (Exec of RJ Reynolds Billion Dollar Tobacco Company, 1992).

> Did you know the use of tobacco to produce cigarettes is a form of **cultural appropriation** that has, and continues to have devastating impacts on the lives of our wh?nau?

> **Tobacco is a sacred plant** to many indigenous people of North & South America and it holds spiritual significance and has wellbeing-enhancing purposes in its appropriate use. In the colonial history of Aotearoa, tobacco was used as **a tool of oppression** and interrupted our traditional health, social and economic systems.

> He aha o koutou whakaaro? Korero mai!

> [#TobaccoIsNotOurWhakapapa](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/tobaccoisnotourwhakapapa?source=feed%5Ftext&epa=HASHTAG)

I wonder what “oppression” and “cultural appropriation” will next be blamed on New Zealand’s European colonial ancestors? Funny how it is a **“sacred plant”** right up to when it is mass-produced by non-Maori. If it is a tool of oppression what I really want to know is how the tobacco companies manage to ensure that their cigarettes racially profile the smokers and are only addictive to Maori.