The governing ACT Party in New Zealand has criticized Creative NZ for awarding a poet a NZ$60,000 literary prize for a poem that depicts a violent attack on early explorer Captain James Cook. Tusiata Avia, based in Christchurch, published the poem in 2020 to mark the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival in New Zealand. This poet was also recently announced as the winner of the poetry section of the 2023 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement.
The poem imagined a group of brown-skinned women seeking revenge on Captain Cook or similar men for crimes such as theft, rape, kidnapping, or murder. The controversial poem was part of her Auckland Arts Festival show, “The Savage Coloniser,” funded by taxpayers and based on her poetry book of the same name published in 2020. It gained attention after a media outlet reported the show and featured a video of Ms. Avia reading her poem.
David Seymour, leader of the ACT, and Winston Peters of NZ First, part of the tri-party coalition government, spoke out against the poem’s content. The ACT called for the cancellation of the arts festival show’s $107,280 funding, while the NZ Free Speech Union labeled the poem as racist. ACT’s Arts, Culture, and Heritage spokesman Todd Stephenson stated that Avia’s poems are hateful and that taxpayers should not be involved in sowing racial division.
The controversy has extended to threats against Ms. Avia’s life, as she received death threats prior to the opening of her show following the publication of the video. Despite the backlash, Ms. Avia defended her work, stating that poetry has been her strongest, most eloquent voice and spoke for marginalized communities. She also wrote a poem in response to the hate mail she received.
This controversy has also led to discussions about potential cuts to arts funding. The ACT has urged the government to reevaluate spending on such works, while Creative NZ has continued to support the artist. Tusiata Avia has become the fourth person and the first woman of Pasifika heritage to receive a Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement.