Around 300 people marched in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa yesterday to defend kaupapa Māori policies and honour the Treaty of Waitangi amid Government policy changes.
Māori will not stand by and let the Government remove kaupapa Māori policies that have been introduced by past governments to honour Treaty partnership with Māori, say march organisers.
“We march not just for ourselves, but for our mokopuna, ensuring that the legacy of our ancestors continues to guide and empower generations to come. This is our duty, our responsibility, and our unwavering commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” they said.
That was the message people shared yesterday morning at the hīkoi starting at Heipipi Park in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa.
It was part of a nationwide action day called by Te Pāti Māori with the aim to show that Māori will not just stand by and let the Treaty of Waitangi be dishonoured.
The Tūranganui-a-Kiwa march co-organisers Te Rina Armitt and Haley Maxwell saw that Tairāwhiti was not on the regional list of the initial Te Pāti Māori call to action, so the two community members joined forces to pull together a plan of action.
By midday on Monday, with less than 18 hours to organise, a plan was set in place and a Tairāwhiti call of action was released.
Te Rina Armitt said, “52 percent of Tairāwhiti self-identified themselves as Māori in the data revealed from the 2022 Census. To not do anything today, in honour of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and alongside Te Pāti Māori’s call to action would have been a missed representation of that data. We had to make a stand for Tairāwhiti.”
Rain, hail or shine, people from all different backgrounds gathered before walking across the three bridges in Gisborne with Tino Rangatiratanga flags, placards and waiata. The march took place yesterday to align with the opening of the 54th term of Parliament.
There were also smaller gatherings across Tairāwhiti in Te Puia Springs, Tikitiki, Tokomaru Bay and Uawa/Tolaga Bay.
Around 80 protested in Wairoa.
The action comes in response to a raft of co-governance related policies announced last week by the new National-led coalition.
Those policies include all public service departments having their primary name in English, except for those specifically related to Māori; to de-establish Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority; the return of referendums on Māori wards in local councils; and a Treaty Principles Bill based on ACT Party policy.
In the NZ First and National coalition agreement document it states there will be a “comprehensive review of all legislation . . . that includes the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi”, to replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references”.
Also, Waitangi Tribunal legislation will be amended “to refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of its inquiries back to the original intent of that legislation”.
Full and final Treaty settlments will not be touched.
March co-organiser Te Rina Armitt said, “This is not about political party interests, this is our solemn pledge, our sacred kawenata, to persistently champion the ideals of partnership and guardianship, ensuring that the echoes of our past shape a just and equitable tomorrow for Aotearoa.”
Haley Maxwell want to acknowledge all of the whānau, hapū, iwi, tangata tiriti, local police and Māori Wardens who responded to their call and supported the kauapa, with mokopuna and the next generation at the forefront of the hīkoi.
“Thank you all for honuring the tikanga of the hīkoi — we all walked in peace, with respect, focused on our mokopuna and with a beautiful wairua.”
To anyone who would like to be part of future Toitu Te Tiriti ki Te Tairāwhiti kaupapa are welcome to join their community page to stay informed.