Te Whare O Te Rangatiratanga Proposed To Move Māori Forward

Thursday, 21 November 2024, 6:13 pm
Press Release: NGATI KAHUNGUNU IWI INCORPORATED

The historic Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi in which over 35,000 people participated on Tuesday was a clear signal to this government and future governments that any attempt to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi will not be tolerated. Ngāti Toa leader and keynote speaker at the protest on Parliament Grounds, Helmut Modlik says, “The presence of so many Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti in support of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the vision for this land, a people united in honouring our past and walking into our future…together!”

At the hīkoi, Modlik stated clearly “To those who are seeking to ignore or rewrite our history and divide us today, it’s too late, that history is settled, and we are already one people…we’re just not all the same. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not a source of division but of unity and must be honoured by everyone, including us. To do it, a new whare Māori ‘Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga’ is proposed as the waka to carry us forward together when nationwide kaupapa requires it.”

Ngāti Wai Chair and tohunga on the hīkoi that commenced at Te Rerenga Wairua, Aperahama Edwards says, “The denial of our Tino Rangatiratanga ends now! For 184 years, we have faced barriers imposed by the Crown that undermine Tino Rangatiratanga. E tū ko Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga hei tāwharau i te Mana Māori Motuhake.”

Both Modlik and Edwards are members of the Te Amorangi ki Mua Working Group that was formed to carry forward the Kotahitanga kaupapa after the Hui Taumata hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu at Omāhu Marae in May and is proposing that a “Whare o Te Rangatiratanga” be established to take the collective aspirations of Māori forward, regardless of who is in government.

Bayden Barber, Chair of Ngāti Kahungunu says, “Me mihi ka tika ki a Eru mā i te pai o ngā whakaritenga. Kua kite nei i te tū kotahi a te iwi Māori me ngā tāngata Tiriti mai i te Hiku ki te Upoko o te Ika a Māui.” Barber is quick to acknowledge the organisers of the national Hīkoi to Parliament where kotahitanga was displayed in all its glory and majesty.

He continues, “What this Hīkoi has done is bring to the fore the leadership of our Rangatahi; the Hīkoi organisers and the rangatahi who spoke had great strength and conviction. They are not only holding to account the government, but also calling on our Iwi Māori leaders to act. Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga is an action that can continue this very important conversation.”

Chair of Te Kohanga Reo Trust, and reo/ tikanga expert, Raniera Proctor says, "Me Māori te mana, e Māori ai te whare, me Māori te hanga o te whare, e māori hoki ai āna whakarite me āna whakatau. Hei whare Māori mō ngā uri katoa."

The first hui-ā-motu was called by Kīngi Tūheitia at Tūrangawaewae back in January when thousands attended in response to the Coalition Governments tidal wave of policy changes impacting directly on Māori rights. These discussions continued at Rātana and Waitangi with thousands in attendance.

The Hui Taumata at Omāhu Marae followed where thirty discussion papers for Kotahitanga and Rangatiratanga were proposed with 25 speakers from around the motu sharing their thoughts. There was also a space at the 18th Coronation of Kīngi Tūheitia, where Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga was socialised. The last of the hui-ā-motu was held in October at Tuahiwi Marae, hosted by Ngāi Tahu where models of economic sovereignty were presented by Canadian First Nations chiefs. All of this has culminated in the national hīkoi, Toitū te Tiriti which saw te tini me te mano descend on Pōneke.

Treaty Lawyer and Te Arawa leader Annette Sykes says, “What has been reaffirmed in the process of hui and debate to date is that the constitutional authority and responsibilities of Mana Motuhake and Tino Rangatiratanga need to be exercised on at least equal terms with the authority of Kāwanatanga. What is also clear is that the institutions of Kīngitanga and Kotahitanga build on these understandings to ensure our unity as hapu and iwi cements enduring relationships to be forged for the future wellbeing of our mokopuna.”

Says Barber, “The working group has been meeting since the Hui Taumata back in May. We want to get this in front of the motu now so that when hui are convened in 2025 we have something tangible to discuss and debate. We can't lose the momentum of the hīkoi and hui-ā-motu held thus far. This is an exciting opportunity for our people to shape our āpōpō.”

As the hīkoi descended en-masse to Parliament on Tuesday, the work of developing a framework for Māori collectivity and Kotahitanga must happen in conjunction, “The time has arrived to establish a new and historic whare Māori where all of our people’s voices can be heard, where decisions can be made, and united action arise” says Modlik.

Te Whare o te Rangatiratanga has not come from this series of national hui only, it is a culmination of thinking over many years with contributions from some of Te Ao Māori’s best thought leaders such as the late Moana Jackson, Professor Margaret Mutu, Hone Sadler and others where 252 hui were held across the motu between 2012 and 2015 to develop the Matike Mai Aotearoa Report. Te Whare o te Rangatira is consistent with the recommendations from Matike Mai, where shaping our rangatiratanga space is paramount. This puts us in the strongest position to engage with Kāwantanga to achieve the best outcomes for iwi Māori and the nation.

Māori Womans Welfare League National President, Hope Tupara says, “Our people are speaking. Te Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi are the blueprints for a shared system of rangatiratanga that moves from the colonial system of governing. When the first constitutional agreements of our country are realised and we remove the shackles of colonialism that harm wāhine Māori, we will see the full force of a vigorous Aotearoa and a thriving Māori nation.”

“We must be bold enough to be guided by the Wairua of liberation and unity that inspired our tīpuna and prophets during the 19th Century in their resistance against the empire so that our whānau, hapū and iwi flourish and emerge in all its fullness” says, The Rev. Zhane Tiopira Tāhau, Minita o te Piringa Hapū.

It is intended that Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga be discussed by whānau, hapū and marae over the Christmas holiday period with the kaupapa presented at all the key hui across the motu in 2025. More information on Te Whare o Te Rangatira is available at https://www.huitaumata.co.nz/tewhareoterangatira

Te Amorangi ki Mua Working Group is comprised of the following, Bayden Barber (Chair, Ngāti Kahungunu), Annette Sykes (Treaty Lawyer & Te Arawa leader), Helmut Modlik (CEO, Ngāti Toa Rangatira), Hope Tupara (National President, Māori Womens Welfare League), Raniera Proctor (Chair, Kōhanga Reo National Trust), Aperehama Edwards (Chair, Ngāti Wai), The Rev. Zhane Tiopira Tāhau (Minita & Manager Pou Tikanga, Te Piringa Hapū), Emma Gardiner (CEO, Ngāruahine), Danielle Harris (CEO, Rangitāne o Manawatū), Thompson Hokianga (New Zealand Māori Council).

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