Lady Tureiti and Sir David Moxon at the Māori King's Hui in Ngaruawahia.
Lady Tureiti and Sir David Moxon at the Māori King's Hui in Ngaruawahia.
OPINION
Where were you when Kiingi Tūheitia gave the call? That’ll be a catch cry for many whānau in the years to come.
Hui-ā-motu will go down in history as a palpable day of mana Māori, kotahitanga, manaakitanga, and aroha ki te tangata – on an unprecedented scale.
Ten thousand people would not have been disappointed. They came, like me, to show love and concern for Aotearoa and its people. They listened and shared kōrero that was constructive and future focused. They were there for the current Māori generation, yet it was the constant reference to future mokopuna unborn that seemed to be the spark that lit all conversations.
My friend Merepeka Raukawa-Tait drove from Rotorua at dawn with her whānau joining a carkoi of thousands heading towards Ngāruawāhia.
After the pōwhiri dedicated areas around Tūrangawaewae marae hosted break-out sessions to unpack key topics of interest: Wellbeing, te reo and tikanga, rangatahi, Treaty and environment, and national unity.
Lady Tureiti Moxon on the protest line. Photo / Supplied
The kōrero was supported by the Whova app that polled whānau on their top three issues and was a repository for pātai raised by them that will form a future report of the discussions and motions made.
I loved the positivity, the age range and diversity of opinions. This was not a group think hui, there are always options that can be put forward to explore. I particularly liked Dame Silvia Cartwright’s international experience that informed the discussion on national identity.
It is obvious that Māori do think about the future of Aotearoa and the legacy they will pass to their mokopuna. They want them to reach their unlimited potential and now realise this will only happen when they envision a thriving future and set about driving it into existence. I got the distinct impression this will be achieved in spite of any government. Now and into the future.
Merepeka’s view is shared by me, who found out 24 hours before the hui our claim in the Waitangi Tribunal against the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora has met the “exceptional” criteria to be heard.
Hui-ā-motu was a wonderful demonstration of kotahitanga and unity. When the King put the call out, everybody came from absolutely everywhere.
I went to the forum on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Taiao. The beauty about that was we were able to get to a point where we could make recommendations and motions to actually put forward what we are going to tautoko and what we are not going to accept.
We looked at Te Tiriti and why it is part and parcel of the fabric of this country. Yet we’re being treated as if the principles of the Treaty mean more than the actual document.
Lady Tureiti Moxon at today's Māorti unity hui in Ngāruawāhia.
This was a great opportunity for everyone to say what they thought, it was a day for iwi to really demonstrate what their whakaaro was around the policies being implemented by the new coalition Government.
The hui was a day to look at what solutions there should be around that, and I believe it was a really, really good start. In fact it was massive now I know the numbers because everyone heeded the call.
Tangata whenua are at a crossroad.
We can continue to live in a world that marginalise us, that actually disregards and disrespects us as Māori and believes that their way of doing is better for us, than what we think without any consultation.
My hope for 2024 is simple, for a reversal in government policy due to this reality check of Māori pushback.
The Government now needs to withdraw all of those promises they made without any consultation with Māori.
Lady Tureiti Moxon is chairwoman of the National Urban Māori Authority and managing director at Te Kohao Health and was a member of the establishment board of the Māori Health Authority.
