The words 'Time to break the walls down' inspired by the House Of Shem song 'Move as One' which echoed across the Kiingitanga livestream on Saturday proved to be a hit with the thousands who tuned in online.
'Time to break the walls down, That are making us fall' are lyrics that struck a chord with Kīngi Tūheitia who admits they inspired him to call for all Māori to rise up, "Break down the walls that make us fall and for Māori leaders take a look at yourselves, are you working for you or for your people?"
Kīngi Tūheitia has challenged Māoridom to remain diligent and focused under alert level 4 as the country comes to grips with the recent Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak in Aotearoa.
In July of this year, Kīngi Tūheitia officially opened Waikato's largest vaccination clinic, which is able to vaccinate up to 1000 people a day, at The Base shopping centre in Hamilton.
"We are strong together and you have shown great strength in the pandemic. Together you have cared for our people, together you have weathered the storm."
In March, Kīngi Tūheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, "I encourage all Māori to get vaccinated as we have done and for all people to remain united as one people under the korowai of Kiingitanga."
A recently published article in the New Zealand Medical Journal indicated that Pasifika are three times more likely to be hospitalised for the virus than non-Pasifika and non-Māori. The report also stated that Māori are 2.5 times more likely than non-Māori to be hospitalised for Covid-19.
"As we continue to respond to the pandemic, so must we continue to hold the Crown to account as a Treaty partner. They are our partners and we understand Mana Motuhake better than anyone else," Kiingi Tūheitia said.
Due to level 4 restrictions, the Koroneihana gathering at Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngaruawahia was cancelled. This meant Kiingi Tūheitia addressed the nation from inside Tūrangawaewe meeting house, Mahinaarangi, live streaming on his 15th Koroneihana.
In his speech, he took the time to address a number of issues affecting Māori, including housing, health, education, justice and protecting waterways. He also identified the need for youth participation in kaupapa Māori and the future of the Kiingitanga movement.
"Maranga mai e te iwi, rise up as one and break down the walls, rise up and show the world we can be everything we dreamed."
Kīngi Tūheitia said he has personally met many rangatahi who are focused on the future of the Kiingitanga movement and the people, who are questioning 'what has happened to Te Iwi Māori in the post-settlement age?' "Our rangatahi inherit this knowledge and pass it on to future generations. The dreams and lessons of our tūpuna invite us to live a life of abundance."
"We are wise in the time of adversity and we are guided by the teaching and wisdom of our tūpuna, and by our mātauranga Māori," said Kīngi Tūheitia.