A Māori Father Christmas who was subject to racist boos and jeers after appearing in a parade dressed in a traditional Korowai cloak has received a wave of public support in New Zealand and is to appear in a much larger Christmas parade in the country’s capital. Earlier this month, Robert Herewini appeared as Santa in the Nelson Christmas parade, swathed in a traditional Māori cloak of bright red feathers. Korowais – such as that worn by Jacinda Ardern when she met the queen earlier this year – are worn to convey status and prestige. Herewini was referred to as Hana Koko, or Māori Santa.

But his appearance upset many people, with some Nelson residents accusing parade organisers of “ruining Christmas” for their children, and said efforts to reflect New Zealand’s bicultural and multicultural makeup had gone overboard. “Santa is not, has never been and will never be a bloody Māori!” said one person on Facebook.

The Green MP Jan Logie said the backlash against Māori Santa displayed an “emboldened racism” in New Zealand. Herewini said his experience had started on a positive note but quickly turned sour as he realised he faced a hostile reception.

“As we were travelling down the street on the float, you could actually feel the shocked look on the faces of the people and a lot of those were Pākehā [European New Zealanders] people,” Herewini told the Marae television show. “People were giving me the thumbs down or booing me.”(theguardian)…[+]