Toitū te Tiriti
A response to the National-led governments assault on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Since coming to power, this National led government had implemented cruel policies that directly target Māori, deliberately winding back every single progressive action of the previous government. They killed off Te Aka Whaiora (Māori Health Authority), demanded government departments strip out te reo from names and documents, slashed funding to multiple community services but especially those for Māori, destroyed flexible supports for tāngata whaikaha, and eliminated any reference to achieving equity of outcomes for Māori.
On top of all that, this National-led government is now targeting our collective rights under Te Triti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) through the Treaty Principles Bill they have allowed to progress through Parliament. This Bill has an astonishing 6 months of Select Committee time allocated to it.
It is such a poorly written and conceptualised Bill that a group of over 40 King’s Counsel lawyers have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister and the Attorney General expressing grave concerns and recommending its abandonment”. This is remarkable.
The Treaty Principles Bill directly targets tāngata whenua and actively seeks to strip Māori of their rights under Te Tiriti.
Today, more than 35,000 people joined the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti in Tamaki-Makaurau (Auckland) to show solidarity and support in actively opposing the Treaty Principles Bill.
I was one of them.
Auckland is not my home, but I am here this week attending a much-anticipated and much-needed refresh at the 2024 International Indigenous Research Conference. The kaupapa of solidarity means showing up in person (when and where one can - I know it isn’t always possible for everyone, for all sorts of reasons). The assault by this government on Te Tiriti and on tāngata whenua is so severe and serious that showing up, in person and in solidarity is crucial.
And yet, it was me who was blessed by being present. The hīkoi gave me back ten-fold and then some.
It was an amazing time of (re)connecting with people. I often draw on Dr Hūhana Hickey’s work in my own publications. Despite interacting online, we’ve never met in person. It was a real privilege to have time and space today to have a solid catch-up.
The Child Poverty Action Group team were present in force; similarly, despite our mutual appreciation for the work we do in this space, we rarely get the opportunity to have a decent chat.
Walking along the rise at Takaparawhau (Bastion Point) towards Ōrākei Marae with the hīkoi was an incredibly emotional experience. It caught me by surprise; I am not prone to bouts of emotionality and yet here I was, crying like a baby. This land, these people, this country - we are blessed to be connected. We all deserve better than the division and cruelty being sown by our political leaders.
Hearing the call of the karanga as I neared Ōrākei, feeling the touch of Tāwhirimātea along the crest of the hill, knowing the history of the land I walked upon, being amongst this extensive crowd of people all there for the same kaupapa ... it was deeply moving and powerful. I remain incredibly grateful for the privilege of being there in person.
Today was a deeply moving and emotionally transformative day.
No matter what this National-led coalition throws at us, we shall endure. We have a vision and a hope for a future that exists far beyond Luxon’s simplistic notions of “I’m wealthy and I’m sorted”. We know our futures are bound up together. We know, deep in our bones, that Te Tiriti lays a foundation upon which we can all build a life worth living - for ourselves and those generations yet to come.
Tautoko
Beautiful. Toitū te Tiriti ❤️🤍🖤