OPINION
What a wonderful day to be a part of the Hikoi to Parliament. To be part of the centre of the crowd and to listen to the various people from all around the world who joined tangata whenua as tangata Tiriti. All these people united together understanding that they were part of the Treaty.
My only sadness is Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Act Leader David Seymour did not front up to mingle.
Congratulations must go to the young people for leading and uniting us all. I know many kaumatua were grateful for their assistance, even though we didn’t have to ask for help, they could see when we needed assistance.
One example was when I was leaving the venue. I was talking behind a Pakeha lady who had two daughters leading her out of the grounds. You could imagine the crowd moving very slowly. Suddenly in front of us are the Mob boys and without being asked, one said: “Move over, we have a kuia behind us”. They all quickly moved to let them through.
I overheard the woman talking to her daughter: “What a wonderful group of men, I was always told they were rude, but that was very respectful”.
Finally, (former MP and Cabinet minister) Matiu Rata, back in the 1980s, said to me: “We people in Aotearoa both Māori and Pakeha signed the Treaty. That makes us two peoples working together.”
There are only two versions of the Treaty, the Pakeha and the Māori - not three or four versions. Kawangatanga and rangatiratanga are the basis. So maybe we need to teach our children the power of these words and their history so they may grow up understanding their own history. At the moment, they learn more of the English treaty then Te Tiriti.
Pauline E. Tangiora
Mahia
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