Ta Moana Jackson, Dame Temuranga batley-Jackson and Harawira Gardiner (Wira Gardiner). Photos / Supplied
Ta Moana Jackson, Dame Temuranga batley-Jackson and Harawira Gardiner (Wira Gardiner). Photos / Supplied
OPINION:
In the past few weeks, we have farewelled three Māori heavyweights. With such a huge loss in a small amount of time comes the urgency for our future rangatira to rise.
You simply could not group Dame Temuranga Batley-Jackson, Tā Moana Jackson and Sir Harawira Gardiner into one category. Each was a respected rangatira but within their own unique Māori way, with unlimited dedication for what they believed in and advocated for.
The book 'Ka Hao Te Rangatahi', written by another Māori rangatira, Hoani Waititi, describes the inheritance of the voids left by our champions. In the figurative way our reo is used, it means to "let the young people go, let the young people have a go".
With the passing of these three great leaders, the saying becomes awakened. It's now time for succession and handing over the guard, to awaken the next lot of Māori rangatira.
I have no doubt that this thought resonates in iwi, marae, and whare all over Aotearoa.
But as is a product of colonisation, comes the destruction of the indigenous people's belief in themselves. In its ultimate form, slavery: where you deprive someone of their own lands, culture, and language.
Dame Temuranga Batley-Jackson. Photo / Supplied
We find ourselves not only deprived of these three visionaries but also of the innate expectation of consistent renewal of tomorrow's leaders.
The second-largest iwi to Ngāpuhi is the 'don't know' iwi group. And so, we must now look at how to rebuild connectivity to one's Māori identity.
Tā Moana Jackson was so in tune with the success of colonisation and the disconnect of tangata whenua. It's so easy to be forever lost in all that went wrong for our people. But exceptionally, his passing leaves teachings to not only challenge our thinking but implement resolutions - should we ever be brave enough to adopt them.
The hard work diagnosing the problem that leaves our whānau worse off has been done by Moana. Western order was simply unorderly for tangata whenua.
We find ourselves still stuck in a 40-year remission period whereby we have still not seen drastic improvement because of the lack of courage to admit the collective vulnerabilities and implement game-changer solutions.
Constitutional law expert Moana Jackson. Photo / Supplied
As was heard at his tangihanga, Jackson's writings and discussions were focused on constitutional change, specifically uplifting the rights of Māori communities. And how coincidental is his passing at a point where Tiriti-based constitutional change is at the forefront of political discussion.
For our future rangatira, who I know are all out there somewhere, the reinvigoration of our connectivity and being pono to who we are as a people of tikanga, a people of Te Tiriti, lies in your hands. Knowing who we are is the bridge to our self-determination, your self-determination.
Co-governance is not about powerbroking over the whole nation's state of affairs. It's about instead being responsible and accountable for our own, by our own.
It's about self-governance, tino rangatiratanga, mana motuhake.
For fragile New Zealand, the effort to regain determination over our own comes as a threat. It makes some feel extremely vulnerable: knowing the effects of their colonial actions with the expectation that ceding authority for the affairs of the indigenous may lead to retaliation.
But look around, we share the same whenua daily. Māori have cared for ourselves through Covid as equally as our treaty partners. Tangata Tiriti are attending kura reo to learn te reo Māori.
These people often fail to remember that we too must uphold our end of Te Tiriti.
Harawira Gardiner, of Ngati Awa. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The legacy of this late trio is unprecedented, their advocacy for Māori admirable, breaking ground for the rest of us and never resting on their laurels. They, along with so many of our great Māori leaders past and present, played a huge role in our journey - which is far from over.
They challenged the status quo; they were change-makers whose influence will be talked about for decades to come.
We as indigenous people are constantly moving forward, seeking the change we deserve and reconciliation that is overdue, however not all of us can lead that charge from the front.
Our Pāti will always carry their legacy, a legacy that we are better off for. But their loss deprives us of much more.
But it's our rangatahi. Advancing with vigour and passion about their culture, their whakapapa, and ambitions to create their own legacy.
I can tell you one thing though: a legacy is not going to be created by how many followers you have on IG or how great your lunch looks on TikTok.
There is no guide to being a great leader, you can't go looking for it. Leadership finds you through your relentless efforts for your communities and your genuine love of your people.
It is not ambition that drives our great influencers. Causation gets you leadership. Everything, every action, word and gesture must have context - and that is the key.
Kua tae te wā, the time is now.
Tangihia a tātau mate puta noa I te motu. Tā Wira Gardiner, Dame Temuranga Batley-Jackson, Tā Moana Jackson, moe mai, whakangaro atu rā.
• Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is co-leader of Te Pāti Māori.
