Māori, Pākehā and Tauiwi came together at Heipipi Park in Tūranganui a Kiwa this morning as part of the Te Pāti Māori Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi in response to the Government’s actions towards Māori.

Around 1000 people gathered at Heipipi Park by 7.30am before marching around the three city bridges holding banners and flags while chanting Toitū Te Tiriti and playing Māori waiata on a loudspeaker.

Regional coordinator Haley Maxwell spoke to the crowd reminding everyone this was a peaceful protest and to look after each other.

Before 7am, a logging truck driver going past slowed down and started honking his horn while four vehicles backed up behind him.

He said he supported the kaupapa and stopped his truck just before the Gladstone Rd bridge before hopping out and joining the group.

After a few minutes, he got back into his truck and carried on honking his horn across the bridge.

Kiana Ria Renata-Kokiri spoke about the importance of being confident as Māori.

“Let this be a reminder that we are more than statistics and the labels and systems that the Government and its forebears have used to suppress our people and our way of life,” she said.

“We come from greatness, we were born into greatness, we are greatness. Don’t make yourself small to fit in - be loud and proud.

“We are the dreams and aspirations of our tīpuna. Stand up and speak out and let the voices of our mokopuna be heard,” she said.

Students from Toihoukura, the School of Māori Visual Arts and Design, led the march with painted banners and placards with Toitū Te Tiriti and Titoi Te Kawana written on them.

Maia Keane said she was there to be in solidarity with the whole kaupapa.

“It can feel very isolating in the political movement, especially with what is going on around the world and with Palestine and Rafah.

“Sometimes it makes you feel there is nothing you can do. So being here today surrounded by other people who are on the same page as me, makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger rather than just online,” she said.

Tony Chamberlian of Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa has been in Gisborne over the past few days and heard about the hikoi so joined in.

“We have a strong partnership with Māori everywhere we work - 33 per cent of our clients are Māori and all our work reflects our partnership with Māori. We are good Treaty partners and are here to show respect this morning,” he said.

Once the hikoi walked over the Rūtene/Ormond Rd bridge, they stopped outside the Gisborne District Council offices to perform the Te Tiriti o Waitangi haka led by Tapeta Wehi, who had been teaching people it over the past few nights.

“We want to be seen as equal partners at the table,” Maxwell said.

“We want to have a say and they need to listen for our mokopuna and for the betterment of us living together. The Treaty was about us living in unison together.”

After about 10 minutes the crowd walked across the Peel St bridge, down to Gladstone Rd to the lights and along Gladstone Rd before stopping for a short period to sing waiata and moeteatea, then heading back to Heipipi Park.

Gisborne District councillors Nick Tupara, Aubrey Ria, Rhonda Tibble and Josh Wharehinga were also part of the hikoi.

Māori ward councillor Aubrey Ria said it warmed her heart to see the action being taken.

She spoke about how 52 Mayors and chairs across the motu have signed a declaration opposing the proposal from the Government to disestablish the Māori wards.

“It’s not just our Māori wards, its our Tangata Tiriti, our mayors and CEs who are coming together to say we have been disproportionately represented for far too long,” she said.

“We are here as a small part of the puzzle, a nationwide puzzle going off across the motu.”

Ria spoke about the latest Census data released on Wednesday that showed the Gisborne district has the highest proportion of Māori (56 percent) in the country.

“We must ensure they [mokopuna and tamariki] don’t have to keep doing what we are doing when they are our age. We have had too many generations fight the same battle.”

Haley Maxwell said she felt tau (settled) about what happened this morning, with the community coming together.

“I feel everyone was ready and settled, it was positive vibrations and wairua pai across the whole crowd today. I feel happy and proud of our rohe.

“This movement is about future generations and our mokopuna. It’s about creating a better world for them so hopefully they don’t have to rally like this in the future.”

Police said they were very pleased with the sentiment and the behaviour of the people involved in the hīkoi.

“We had fantastic engagement from the hīkoi organiser who promoted peaceful protest,” a police spokesman said.

- Matai O’Connor, Ngāti Porou, has been a journalist for five years and Kaupapa Māori reporter at the Gisborne Herald for two years.