TOITŪ TE TIRITI!!

In 1835, 189 years ago, a gathering of great chiefs of Aotearoa signed He Whakaputanga with representatives of the British Crown. Five years from that date, Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed between Māori and the Crown. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of light and hope for both parties that allowed the establishment of a government that acknowledged Māori chiefs having rangatiratanga over their lands and ensured all peoples in this country would be treated the same.

184 years after the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Julian Wilcox reminded us of the vision of Mohi Tāwhai, which told of a time when the mana of Te Tiriti would be trampled on and requested his signature be removed from Te Tiriti. When Governor Hobson said no, and Mohi Tāwhai replied ‘Governor, may your words float like balsa wood in the net, and my words sink to the bottom of the sea like stone’. 184 years later, Governor Hobson’s words have sunk to the bottom of the sea like stone.

It is obvious today that the current Government has an agenda to diminish the unique place of Māori in relation to the Treaty, by trampling on its mana. The introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill is a transgression against Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy, the promises afforded in Te Tiriti. Today I call all young people and their whānau to action. I ask that we ready ourselves to oppose in all constructive forms the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill. In saying this, it is not just out job alone to stop what is currently being passed through, we must also ensure the introduction of another Bill that entrenches the text of He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti as the constitution of Aotearoa.

The proposed Treaty Principles Bill states:
- That the government has the right to govern all New Zealanders
- That the government will honour all New Zealanders in the chieftainship in their land and all their property
- That all New Zealanders are equal under the law with the same rights and duties

The urgency of this petition cannot be overstated. For Māori, this bill represents a direct assault on our rights, our culture, and our identity. It threatens to perpetuate the injustices of the past, widening the gap of inequality that still persists in our society today, and taking this into our future. But this fight is not ours alone; it is a collective struggle for justice, equality, and dignity that I hope resonates with every soul who calls this whenua home.

We need you to prepare your submissions opposing the bill, inaction means complacency. If we do not oppose it now, in great numbers, it sends a message to the Government that we support this bill and in effect, support the continued trampling and transgressions against Te Tiriti. Historically, we have not used the submission process system to amplify our voices, and legislation continues to remain unchallenged. The time to amplify our voice is now.

Kāti, hai whakatepe ake te kōrero, me pēhea e kore ai e mutu ki te reo Māori. Nui rawa ngā kōrero mo Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kai te mārama kē koutou ki te horopaki o taku hōhā ki te whakaparahakotanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mārama kehokeho ana mātou te Iwi Māori ki ngā atikara o te Tiriti, ko taku kia koutou te Kāwana, whai tonu i te māramatanga i te pōuri, mā reira pea ka hoki tātou ki te ia o Te Tiriti, he mahi tahi mo te oranga o te katoa, kaua ko te raupatu, kaua ko te whakamate reo, kaua ko te kaikiri ki tōku Iwi Māori.

Ka mutu ki ngā kupu a te Haka o Ngāti Whakaue “Hoariri Karauna - Ka riri au.”