The seeds of what could become a new model for Kotahitanga, or a Māori Parliament, were sown at the grounds of Omāhu marae before a crowd of about 2000 people on Friday.
Māori king Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII was in attendance, as were MPs from Te Pāti Māori fresh from their nationwide day of action, and at least 65 iwi and hapū were represented by flags flown from marquee and fences around the marae.
Modlik affirmed the importance of Māori coming together to benefit Māori people, while Barber said a working group would be formed with volunteers by the end of the hui to carry forward the Kotahitanga (Unity, but also Māori Parliament) kaupapa.
About 2500 people gathered for Hui Taumata at Omāhu Marae near Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland
The Kotahitanga Movement began with a hui held at Waipatu Marae in Heretaunga in 1892 and there have been other models since, but Hui Taumata participants on Friday were not looking for a repeat of history.
Tākuta Ferris, MP for Te Tai Tonga, said he was at the hui to support the independence of “Te Iwi Māori”, rangatiratanga and mana motuhake (self-determination).
“One of the big differences between the past and now is Te Iwi Māori has a lot of resources today,” Ferris said.
“[Kotahitanga] is not something that gets created just like that. It is an evolving thing, it will take time but we have to be engaged in it.
“That is the main thing and that is the purpose of today, to engage people, engage all the iwi into the conversation. Nobody has got the perfect plan, but we’ve just got to keep going.”
One of the proposed Kotahitanga models came from Ngāti Kahungunu.
It was a proposed three-tiered parliament structure made up of Te Kauae Raro (Lower House), Te Kauae Runga (Upper House) and Te Tahū (The Ridge Pole).
Barber explained how Te Kauae Raro could involve iwi, hapū, whānau, Post Settlement Governance Entities, Māori business and more.
Te Kauae Runga would be six elected men and six elected women. Te Tahū would be the pillar of spiritual guidance, cultural integrity and political influence upheld by Māori institutions like Kingi Tuheitia, Rātana and more.
Attendee Takutai Tarsh Kemp, MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, had arrived from Parliament where she was involved in the “activation” on Thursday and said she intended to carry on the kaupapa at Omāhu for her mokopuna.
About two thousand travelled in from across the motu to attend Hui Taumata. Photo / Warren Buckland
“[There are] one million Māori. We are 20 per cent of the population and the Budget gave us nothing. So we are here to say it is time for us to rise, take our stand and move ourselves into rangatiratanga,” Kemp said.
Speakers, included The Ven. Ngira Simmonds, Chief of Staff to Kiingi Tūheitia, Hope Tupara, chair of the Māori Womens Welfare League, and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel continued into the afternoon, discussing models of Kotahitanga and plans of action.
James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on the environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz
