A week-long hīkoi in support of Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been announced for November by the group Toitū Te Tiriti.
Over the course of nine days, the hīkoi will march from Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), to Kaitāia, Whangārei, across the Auckland Harbour Bridge to Bastion Point, Huntly, Hamilton, Rotorua, Hastings, Palmerston North and Porirua. On November 19, it will march on to Parliament.
Organiser Eru Kapa-Kingi said, as the name Toitū Te Tiriti suggests, the hīkoi is in support of the enduring kaupapa of the treaty.
“It’s a movement of liberation and a message of empowerment, and that’s what we’re carrying every step of the way for this hīkoi.”
He said participants would be following the example set by the likes of Dame Whina Cooper who led the land march of 1975, and Hone Harawira who was a key figure of the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed hīkoi. Both historic hīkoi were defining moments in Māori-Crown relations and led to significant change.
“But we’re kind of doing our own version of that and it’s hard and fast, seven days on the road, no mucking around. So that’s kind of our generation’s take on a hīkoi.”
While the main focus was on “planting a seed of belief” in Māori of self-determination, there was consideration for non-Māori too, said Kapa-Kingi.
“That vision, that world, does not exclude [non-Māori], in fact, it’s a world where we can all thrive because when our tupuna lived out their rangatiratanga, it was a world where no one was left behind because our tikanga Māori; everyone gets a feed, everyone lives their best lives.
“And that is the philosophy and the tikanga that will not only save Aotearoa but the world, so that’s the belief that we’re creating and feeding throughout this hīkoi.”
The hīkoi was the latest activation event organised by the group Toitū Te Tiriti. They have led a number of events over the year in response to Government policies that impact Māori, including discouraging te reo use in the public sector, section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki act, Three Waters bill, Māori wards, the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, the Marine and Coastal Area legislation (often mentioned as the Foreshore and Seabed) and Act’s Treaty Principles Bill. In December, a nationwide action day was launched, where rallies were held all over the motu and followed up with other events in April and May.
Glossary
hīkoi – march, walk
kaupapa – cause, movement, subject, topic
tupuna – ancestor
rangatiratanga – self-determination
tikanga – protocols
motu – country