General Debate : Wednesday 5 May 2010
Hone Harawira, Maori Party Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau
Martin Cooper – A Leader To Follow

On Saturday, a friend of mine turned 50 (and Tau Henare just wanted to say – Happy Birthday Skunk!), but I thought I’d dedicate this slot to recognising this son of Ngati Aamaru, committed supporter of the Kingitanga, and long-standing member of the Black Power.

Martin Cooper was just a kid when BLACK POWER was born here in Aotearoa, the voice of alienated and freshly urbanised Maori youth, reveling in being outsiders, and rejecting a mainstream society determined to crush the hopes of marginalised Maori youth.

Like many other young Maori coping with adolescence he was a handful, ‘whangaied out’ and eventually finding non-conditional acceptance with the Black Power whanau, during tough and dangerous times when he often ran foul of the law.

But as he matured, his leadership qualities became increasingly apparent, and he soon began to respond to the inner voice that told him that he was Maori, and that the Black Power in Aotearoa was something that had to draw its values and beliefs from the teachings of his ancestors.

Influenced by leaders like him, aimless and often destructive ‘gang runs’ were replaced by marae-based alcohol and drug free waananga, leading to the Black Power taking a firm line against the then all too common practice of gang rape – something that took courageous leadership from Martin & others.

Martin has also been a driving force in the movement to stop the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine, the fulfillment of a promise made at the graveside of a much loved lost brother, Hone Day.

His growth saw him move to Hamilton in pursuit of his reo, and he talks fondly of the whänau who took him in and helped to teach him his mother tongue under the kaupapa of TE ATAARANGI and again, the commitment and the dedication that had marked his time with the brotherhood, showed results as Martin grew into his role as the speaker for his whänau.

Martin’s involvement with WAKA HUIA is also one of long-standing, enabling him to bring the discipline and the power of kapa haka to the Black Power brotherhood. Again, he worked at it with the dedication and the passion that he gave to everything he did, promoting waananga all around the motu, and dedicating his efforts to Ngapo and Pirimia Wehi who even today he proudly calls his mentors.

And he worked, hard, demonstrating the value of hard slog and earning a legitimate income, eventually taking up a job with the Group Employment Liaison Scheme and the COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT GROUP SCHEME where he mentored me into my one and only government job, and giving his all because the kaupapa of his work was giving back to the communities from which he came.

This employment within the belly of the beast raised his consciousness about where the real decisions were being made, and how if you really want to influence the wealth and health of your people, you need to be a policy maker and not just a policy statistic. That knowledge led to him undertaking and being successful with TERTIARY STUDY, reminding us all that the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong obligation, and putting out the challenge again to the brotherhood that to learn is to grow.

In recent years Martin’s knew-found knowledge, his growth and his commitment to Maori development, led to his getting involved with the MAORI PARTY where he quickly became an crucial leader of Pita Sharples’ “A” Team, helping Pete win in 2005, and then taking up a formal role after the 2005 election, a position he still holds today – again, demonstrating another route for young Maori warriors, and another set of possibilities created by his work ethic, and his commitment to a kaupapa.

His loyalty to his KINGITANGA is something he carries without much fuss, a role he accepts as part of his leadership within his whänau and his hapü, a commitment that is life-long, and a belief that he carries in his heart wherever he goes. A proud son of Tainui, Martin is a fine ambassador for his people.

Today I acknowledge a brother of the Maori nation who has shown by his efforts that commitment, dedication, loyalty, and passion are the talents that can take anyone to where they want to be. MARTIN COOPER - a leader in all that he has done and a role model for others to follow.

ENDS

© Scoop Media