A century after he was Minister of Health Sir Māui Pōmare remained politically potent at Waitara’s Ōwae marae on the weekend, inspiring outright rejection of Government policy on Māori health.
Standing for the Crown, New Plymouth MP David MacLeod bore the stinging criticism with obvious discomfort – like Pōmare, he is a son of Ngāti Mutunga iwi.
Te Rā o Tā Māui Pōmare (Sir Māui Pōmare Day) each year celebrates the first Māori medical doctor and health minister, with kōrero about uplifting Māori health.
On Saturday Pōmare’s great-granddaughter Miria gave the whānau address, condemning health policy changes for Māori.
“Hard-fought, hard-won gains for Māori health over the last 125 years have now been seriously undermined by the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority – a move that has been severely criticised for discouraging Māori initiatives and disregarding the principle of tino rangatiratanga: self-determination.”
Her tupuna embraced scientific medical advances, but Miria Pōmare said he also pushed for a systematic Māori health focus.
Reforms were underpinned by Maori leadership, culturally-appropriate interventions, and commitment to self-determination: principles derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi, she said.
“He knew the issues were not medical alone – they were political and economic and spiritual.”
As New Zealand’s first statistics minister Tā Māui knew accurate data was crucial to win resources for Māori health equity.
Two weeks ago, the Government canned the regular census and will instead collate data already gathered by state agencies.
“It appears to be a sinister reversion back to an assimilationist approach of former times,” said Miria Pōmare.
Her address drew vocal assent and applause.
In Te Ikaroa a Māui – the wharenui built and named to honour Tā Māui – Te Ātiawa and Taranaki leader Wharehoka Wano acknowledged David MacLeod’s whakapapa with Pōmare.
But Wano told the National Party MP that tribal leaders on the paepae agreed with Miria Pōmare.
“Haere mai ki te Paremata o Tā Māui Pōmare (Welcome to Sir Maui Pōmare’s Parliament).”
“And this is the opposition!”
“Forever!” someone called from the floor.
MacLeod stood in place of Māori-Crown relations minister Tama Potaka, who was at MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp’s tangihanga.
“I’m here for the Crown. It’s not David McLeod, it’s not myself, but it is the Crown that I’m representing today.”
He delivered Potaka’s message of hope: health spending rises, hospital upgrades including in New Plymouth, funding for Māori wardens, Kāinga Ora working with iwi housing providers, support for Kura Kaupapa Māori.
MacLeod said Pōmare worked with fellow Māori MPs from different parties.
“Today, we have Maori MPs in all political parties,” said MacLeod.
“We are mainly focused on common goals, just like Māui and Apirana [Ngata] back in the day.”
There was no applause.
Kaumātua Peter Moeahu was glad for the MP’s clarity about representing the Crown.
“I don’t think a helluva lot of the Crown at the moment, David.”
Moeahu said Māori were threatened “every single day” by laws like the Treaty Principles Bill, the Regulatory Standards Bill and changes to resource management and local government.
“We know what you’re doing, David,” said Moeahu.
“But you are demonising us Māori as you do it, so that everybody’s attention is focused on Māori … while you dismantle the environmental protections of this nation.”
Moeahu’s son, New Plymouth District councillor Dinnie Moeahu, took his turn at MacLeod and his Government.
“Since you’ve been in office… I have been more frustrated, angry, mamae — in pain — than ever before,” he told MacLeod.
“You speak with a forked tongue. I don’t believe everything that you said today and I don’t even think you believe it.”
A dozen young Māori doctors at Ōwae to honour Tā Māui told the hui a wave of hundreds more was in the pipeline.
Acclaimed Te Ātiawa brain scientist Professor Sir Richard Faull said his childhood heroes were Pōmare and fellow Ngāti Mutunga doctor and MP Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck).
Faull said Te Tiriti set the gold standard for Māori health and wasn’t about one partner being dominant.
“We have to have our Māori doctors to look after our Māori people and that is non-negotiable.
“Māui Pōmare knew that.”
LDR is local body reporting co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air