Keeping you updated - October 2024

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Click here to view our iwi vision regarding Tino Rangatiratanga. 

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Ngāti Kahungunu, like many iwi, joined the Hui-ā-motu gathering of whānau, hapū, and iwi on 20 January 2024. The invitation was announced by the late Kiingi Tuheitia who saw the need to hold a national unity hui at Turangawaewae marae in Ngaruawahia to bring all iwi together to share and discuss concerns about the new coalition government and their announced statements to remove policies designed to improve Māori health and wellbeing. Kiingi Tuheitia said that “the best response as Māori, is to come together and unite in our efforts”.

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The new government’s first joint announcement which took place toward the end of November 2023 included that they would remove the Māori Health Authority, Māori wards in local government, Māori involvement in the governance of natural resources, Māori language in government departments, the right of Māori children to be kept in their whānau, government services being delivered to Māori, Smokefree New Zealand, the jurisdiction of the Waitangi Tribunal, and Māori rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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Many Māori whānau saw these government statements as a direct attack on Māori. Several protests took place around the country showing disgust in the government.

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Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Chairman, Bayden Barber called for a Hui-ā-iwi to allow whānau, hapū of Kahungunu to come together and share their concerns and submit their thoughts. The hui was co-chaired by Mereana Pitman MNZM. The information from this hui was collated and put into key statements by Mereana band key supporters. This was endorsed by the iwi Board, and taken to the Hui-ā-motu supported by a host of Kahungunu whānau who attended the hui at Turangawaewae along with an estimated 10,000 people from around the country.

Kahungunu’s key statements included:

1. Ngāti Kahungunu reaffirms that Kahungunu did not cede sovereignty.

2. Ngāti Kahungunu has No confidence in the new Government

3. Ngāti Kahungunu will:

• Determine its own strategy;

• Support the actions of other iwi/rōpū that align with our own Declaration of Kahungunu Rights; 

• Work with other groups to protest the repeal of 7AA and the repeal of Smokefree Aotearoa;

• Insist that councils and government continue to acknowledge and give effect to te mana o te wai, te oranga o te taiao; 

• Insist upon the continuation of Māori Wards;   

• Ensure our people remain informed through whānau, hapū hui, education, and regular communications.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi is grateful to Kiingi Tuheitia for leading us through these politically challenging times for our people. The experience in Ngaruawahia was positive and the objective was achieved. The key kaupapa of the hui was kotahitanga - a hui for national unity and an opportunity for our people to kōrero and wānanga as we determine our priorities and establish the kaupapa we want to strive for and achieve. "Our time is now - Kotahitanga is the way" - Kiingi Tuheitia.

Forward plans are to allow people to be involved, included, and informed. This Iwi website page is one way to keep our whānau informed. We believe that the best way to help whānau is to educate them and then allow them to govern themselves. For this purpose, a group of educators and facilitators have been established to work directly with hapū and whānau over the next 12-18 months to educate, conscientize, wānanga with our iwi and anyone who is interested about the impacts of any changes upon their own mana and rangatiratanga as hapū and whānau.

On 6 February 2024, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated  hostied the annual Kahungunu Waitangi Day Celebrations at the Hawke’s Bay Mitre 10 Sports Park. It was a fantastic time to hold a Wānanga to discuss Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our political strategy, share key messages, but most importantly, listen to our people. We were also able to showcase what the iwi mahi is, and how we can assist whanau.

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The hui-ā-motu involved breakdown spaces with areas of focus for each space as follows;

• Rangatahi 

• Te Tiriti & our Environment

• Tikanga and Mātauranga

• National Unity Focus

• Wellbeing of People and Wellbeing of our Economy

At the end of the day keynote speakers representing the focus area panelists gave feedback and a summary of their part of the hui. 

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The overall key message received at the Hui-ā-Motu was that we work together – Kotahitanga.

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“Kotahitanga starts with self. What are we doing as individuals to contribute to our whānau, to our hapū, to our iwi?”

“Governments will come and go. We are going to be here forever, and we need to find new models and be able to unpack our existing models and our models of the past to try and get us further – to go from being good to brilliant”.

“We need to be constantly innovative and inspirational for our rangatahi”

“The best protest we can do right now is “To be Māori, live our lives and uphold our values, kōrero Māori, care for our whānau, our whenua, and each other. Continue to be who we are and live what we believe, and respect one another” – A wise person. 

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People felt comfortable to share and kōrero and ask questions. The key messages will penetrate throughout the country at every opportunity where our whānau gather such as Ratana Pa for the Ratana Celebrations, Waitangi for the annual Waitangi Day event where iwi leaders will gather for the bi-monthly iwi chars forum. While at the ICF, leaders will address ministers including the coalition government leaders. These gatherings will continue to bring alive our Mana Motuhake - Self-determination, independence, sovereignty, authority – mana through self-determination and control over one's own destiny. 

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Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated hosted the Hui Taumata on 31 May - see summary to the left column. Prior to that hui, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi held a Hui-ā-iwi to discuss what KOTAHITANGA means and looks like for us, so we can collaboratively work together and also take the key points of our discussions around KOTAHITANGA to the Hui Taumata. 

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It's important to stay abreast of issues surrounding this kaupapa. No one is more important right now than the person reading this information. You now have a responsibility. What will you do? Will you quickly close this page? Will you share it? Will you be more confident within yourself and show leadership within your whānau? What does KOTAHITANGA look like? Your thoughts matter because you matter.