Police have estimated 5000 people are embarking on the hīkoi across Auckland’s Waitematā harbour bridge.
Te Ao Māori News, Aukaha, and Tahu News are working together today to share coverage in the spirit of kotahitanga and this morning spoke to wāhine rangatahi who have joined the hīkoi in Tāmaki Makaurau.
“I think it’s important for our people to be united and for kotahitanga to be realised especially in this climate,” said Mikaira Matenga of Te Arawa.
Matenga said the government had been “nasty” but in fact it had actually brought Māori together.
The lead organiser of the hīkoi, Eru Kapa-Kingi, has said the hīkoi is for kotahitanga of tāngata whenua and tāngata tiriti.
“All we can do right now as tangata whenua is be together, be Māori, do us. We’ve come this far by ourselves and we can continue doing that.”
Shakayla Andrews-Alapaki of Tahu News asked whether Matenga believed Prime Minister Christopher would keep his word in not supporting the Treaty Principles Bill.
“No, I think that it‘s lip service,” Matenga said.
She said Luxon just wanted to keep the peace and if he could hide behind the other “two heads of the taniwha, then he’ll do that”.
Matenga was joined by her hoa mahi from Te Whānau o Waipareira which she joined in her first role after completing her social work degree.
She said the hīkoi had uplifted her wairua, “coming back to remind me why I do my mahi, to not be neutral in my mahi, and just glad I don’t have to separate the two”.
Mihirangi Harris-Tipoki (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Ngāti Hāmoa) said it was important for rangatahi to join as the Treaty Principles Bill served to threaten kaupapa Māori.
“It‘s important for us to know our history ‘cos if we don’t know our history we won‘t know where we’re going,” Harris-Tipoki said.
“We already have our principles, we already have it sorted but now they want to change it to benefit their own government, their own whakaaro and kaupapa.”
