Nation-wide Call to Action of Kotahitanga

MEDIA RELEASE | 01 Mahuru 2024

Over 2,000 people gathered at Waipapa marae yesterday in a hui organised in just two weeks by some of Maoridom’s most well-known Māori rights activists, whose activism spans across 55 years, Tame Iti, Hone Harawira, Annette Sykes, Mereana Pitman, Ken Mair and Hilda Halkyard-Harawira. Many others were present at the hui as well and acknowledgement was given during the pōhiri to pākehā allies such as John Minto who flew up from Christchurch to reunite with those, he stood beside at the Springbok Tour protests.

Annette Sykes, one of the hui organisers said “This is a time of great turbulence where the need for resistance, activation and mobilisation is greater than ever. It is not only Māori who are outraged by the plan to legislate away Māori rights and tikanga Māori affirmed in He Whakaputanga me te Tiriti, but Pākehā, Tagata Pasefika and Tauiwi are outraged too by these unspeakable violations of Indigenous and human rights, and due legal process. These violations are aggravated by a media that must be made aware that monocultural coverage of the foreshore and seabed is not only bias and sensationalist, but actively encouraging social disharmony and division. We won’t tolerate it and we must stand together united more than ever”

“I call on Prime Minister Luxon to ditch his coalition partner David Seymour and their racist Treaty Principles Bill, their current processes are racially motivated and divisive” - Ken Mair

“The time for hui is over, it’s time for dooey. I’m sick of this coalition already and they’ve only been in government for less than a year. I support the mobilisation of all rangatahi to take the lead on this and our job is to support them” said Hone Harawira to the crowd that gathered.

“I’m ready, I’ve been ready and I’m always ready to activate and educate though the power of creative protest ” - Tame Iti.

As an outcome of the hui, the following declarations were made:

1. This hui declares and affirms its ongoing commitment to Tino Rangatiranga and Mana Māori Motuhake.

2. This hui declares its support for He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the constitutional foundation stones for transformation and constitutional justice.

3. That this hui calls for a National Hīkoi from Te Hapua to Wellington to mobilise all our communities so that we arrive in Wellington on or about the day of the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill.

4. That this hui support efforts to coordinate a Nation-wide Day of Strike Action to confirm our support and commitment to a Te Tiriti-based society.

5. That this hui endorses all whanau, hapū and iwi to initiate activations to protect their rights and interests, and committees be set up to coordinate that to occur, including a national coordinating committee.

6. That we seek the support of our Pākehā allies, Tagata Pasefika, Pacific Islands Network, Asians For Tino Rangatiratanga, Polynesian Panthers and Indigenous nations to stand with us to protect our Māori independence in this nation, and to take actions that affirm mana Māori me Tiriti.

7. That we only speak Te Reo Māori nationwide, for an entire day during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2024.

ENDS

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TE REO MĀORI TRANSLATION OF THE DECLARATIONS

E whai ake nei ko ngā whakataunga kōrero i puta mai i tāmātou hui:

1. Ka whakatīna, ka pupuri kia mau tēnei hui te orangatonutanga o te Tino Rangatiratanga me te Mana Māori Motuhake.

2. Ka pupuri, ka whakatīna tēnei hui i tōna tautoko i a He Whakaputanga rāua ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi hei tūāpapa kia whakawhanake i ngā kawa me ngā tika-ā-ture.

3. Ka tuku karanga atu kia whakaohooho, kia whakakipakipa i ngā hapori maha, kia whakatūria tētahihīkoi whenua, atu i Te Hāpua ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara. Ko te whāinga kia tau ai ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara hei te rā (hei ngā rā tata rānei) ki te rā ka huraina te “Treaty Principles Bill” (ā te 14 o Hepetema)

4. Ka tautokona te whakaaro kia porotēhi tahi ai ngākaimahi o ngā motu o Aotearoa, mā te whakatārewa i te haere ki te mahi. Kia whakatīna tō tātou tautoko i te hiahia kia mana ai ngā mātāpono o Te Tiriti hei tūāpapa mo tō tātou porihanga.

5. Ka whakamana i ngā whānau, hapū, iwi hoki, ki te whakatinana i ngā mautohe, hei tiaki i ngā mōtika, i ngāwawata hoki. Kia whakatūria ngā komiti hei whakarōpu, hei whakahaere i ēnei mahi mautohe, kia horapa hoki ki ngā komiti whakahaere ā-motu.

6. Kia tonoa te tautoko ō Ngāi Tangata-Tiriti, ō Ngā Uri o Te Moana Nui ā Kiwa, o Ngāi Āhia, ‘Asians For Tino Rangatiratanga’, o ngā rōpu taketake hoki, kia tū tahi ai ki te tiaki i tō mātou rangatiratanga ki roto mai o Aotearoa, waihoki, kia whakatinana ai ngā take whakatairanga i te mana Māori, te mana Tiriti hoki.

7. RĀHUITIA TE REO PĀKEHĀ - He rā reo Māori anake, i te wiki o te reo Māori 2024.