In light of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, activist Raukawa Newton urges reflection on the devastating toll the conflict has taken on Palestinian lives.
Based in Kirikiriroa, Newton of Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto ki Waikato, Taranaki, and Ngāti Kahu serves as Pou Tikanga of Palestine Waikato.
Over the past 15 months, more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, leaving many whānau pani, or bereaved families, in mourning.
Newton highlights the profound loss as entire families have been wiped out by Israeli airstrikes, with some whānau left without any surviving uri, or descendants.
“For us as tāngata whenua, I think it’s really important for us to remember the mahi doesn’t end at a ceasefire,” she says.
“We talk so heavily about mana motuhake; I’d like to use that same mana motuhake to fight for a free Palestine.”
When she heard about the ceasefire announcement, her whakaaro went to whānau Parihitini in Aotearoa, and she made sure to check in with them.
Newton asked herself, “How do we manaaki and aroha our Paretinia whānau while they cry, celebrate, and grieve, and not just crying with joy but also with sadness?”
Tangihia ngā mate o te pakanga nui ki Parihitini
Ka hoki ōna maharatanga ki te hui tuatahi mō Parihitini i tū ki Tāmaki, ki ngā kōrero i puta i a Eru Kapa-Kingi
“our whānau Paretinia are whānau pani.”
E ai ki a Newton, ko taua kōrero tonu te mutunga kē mai nei o te Māoritanga.
“That for me is in [alignment] with how we manaaki people on marae,”
“As Māori, we know the kawa and the tikanga that we set on marae when it comes to our whānau pani.”
Ka mutu, he tikanga anō tā tēnā iwi, tā tēnā rohe, nō reira, me pērā hoki tā tātou tautoko i ngā iwi o Parihitini.
“As long as we do it under tikanga that is led by our ancestors, by our tupuna, and according to the environments that we are in, that’s what matters to me.”
E ai ki a Newton, ko te reo o ngā iwi, otirā ko ā rātou tikanga anō hoki, te mātua o ngā mahi tautoko, ki te kore ia e mōhio me pēhea tana tautoko i ngā iwi nō Parihitini, nō Pāpua, nō hea atu rānei, me whakapā atu ki aua iwi rā ki te whakarongo ki ā rātou whakaaro.
Tuia i tēnā, hei tāna anō, ko te haepapa nui kei runga i te Māori kia tautokohia te whawhai.
“Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s the tupuna thing to do, and not only to stand in solidarity with Palestine but for all of our oppressed Indigenous people.
“We are not the only Indigenous people on Earth. All of our oppressed Indigenous people are fighting for collective liberation.”
Ko tā Newton, me rite tonu te nui o te tautoko ki tēnā take, ki tēnā kaupapa, ka mutu, ki te titiro atu tātou ki te manomano tāngata i takahia ngā huarahi o te motu ki te whakahē i te pire mātāpono o Te Tiriti o Waitangi, he tokomaha ngā Tāngata Tiriti, Tāngata Parihitini anō hoki, e tautoko ana i te kaupapa.
