Ngāti Kahungunu Political Action Plan 2023-2026
Timeline of Events
1 October 2023
The National Government announces its 100-day plan if elected. This includes detrimental policy changes that affect Māori.
3 November 2023
New Government Election Results confirmed
24 November 2023
New Coalition Government agreement signed between National, Act and NZ First
29 November 2023
The National Government confirms their 100-day plan
30 November 2023
Iwi leaders around the motu are concerned – Iwi signals the need to protect all whānau Māori.
2 December 2023
Kiingi Tuheitia holds the 165th anniversary of the birth of the Kiingitanga movement. Iwi leaders in attendance are very concerned about the rhetoric of the coalition government around the select committee review of the principles of the Tiriti o Waitangi. A few key points are discussed - one is to hold a Hui-ā-Motu to bring the people together.
4 December 2023
Kahungunu announces its disappointment with the government.
5 December 2023
Māori Party Protest takes place at the City Stage, Clock Tower, Hastings
5 December 2023
Ngāti Kahungunu Hui-ā- iwi announced to take place on 16 December at Waimarama Marae,
6 December 2023
Te Tari o te Kiingitanga sends out a panui inviting iwi to a National Hui for Unity to take place on 20 January 2024.
9 December 2023
Whānau Protest takes place at Sound Shell, Marine Parade, Napier
16 December 2023
Ngāti Kahungunu Hui-ā-Iwi held at Waimarama Marae - FB Live
Notes taken at the Hui a Iwi - Motions submitted
20 January 2024
Hui-ā-Motu hosted by Kiingi Tuheitia at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia.
Hui-ā-Motu Face Book Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/taakirituutekotahitangataakirituutemanamo/
25 January 2024
Iwi katoa are encouraged to unitedly attend the Ratana Celebrations
6 February 2024
Iwi katoa are encouraged to attend Waitangi Celebrations in Waitangi in conjunction with the National Iwi Chairs Forum
22 February 2024
The National Iwi Chairs Forum NICF met to discuss a way forward.
26 April 2024
Kahungunu held its Hui-ā-iwi to discuss as an iwi what KOTAHITANGA means and looks like to us. Key points will be presented by iwi leaders at the Hui Taumata. See the notes here.
WHAT DOES KOTAHITANGA MEAN TO ME?
31 May 2024
At the 22 February NICF Hui further decisions made to continue to meet and collaborate and unite - Kotahitanga. A Hui Taumata will be held. Click the links to more info or the official website.
Notes for this Hui Taumata can be viewed on the www.huitaumata.co.nz website
KAHUNGUNU MODEL presented at the Hui Taumata by iwi Chairman Bayden Barber
24 June 2024
After the Hui Taumata, Kahungunu called for interested persons to be part of a group to progress the kaupapa. A group called 'Te Amorangi Ki Mua' was formed to take the kaupapa and the proposed models forward. A media release was sent out. Click here to view it. 'Te Amorangi Ki Mua' have met frequently to discuss and contribute to a way forward.
22 October 2024
In January this year, Kiingi Tuheitia called us together and held a Hui ā Motu centred on kotahitanga and mana motuhake. In his closing address at that hui, he said, “Let the four winds speak”. On 22 October 2024 Ngāi Tahu will hold their hui to bring together their people. The name of the Hui is 'Te Pūnuiotoka. For more information about this hui go to their website tepunuiotoka.ngaitahu.iwi.nz
STAY INFORMED
Please keep informed and read this information on our website –
Website information
Keeping you updated - September 2024
Click here to view our iwi vision regarding Tino Rangatiratanga.
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 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”.
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.
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.
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 key supporters, 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:
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Reaffirming that Kahungunu did not cede sovereignty.
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No confidence in the new Government
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That Ngāti Kahungunu will:
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Determine its own strategy;
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Support the actions of other iwi/rōpū that align with our own Declaration of Kahungunu Rights;
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Work with other groups to protest the repeal of 7AA and the repeal of Smokefree Aotearoa;
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Insist that councils and government continue to acknowledge and give effect to te mana o te wai, te oranga o te taiao;
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Insist upon the continuation of Māori Wards;
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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.
The hui-ā-motu involved breakdown spaces with areas of focus for each space as follows;
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Rangatahi
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Te Tiriti & our Environment
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Tikanga and Mātauranga
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National Unity Focus
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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.
The overall key message received at the Hui-ā-Motu was that we work together – Kotahitanga.
“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.
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.
Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated hosted the Hui Taumata on 31 May - see summary to the left column. Prior to that hui, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi is holding 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.
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.
KEY STATEMENTS FOR KAHUNGUNU
OUR RIGHTS AS KAHUNGUNU ARE INHERENT
The absolute mana and rangatiratanga of Ngāti Kahungunu over our lands, waters, taonga and ourselves precedes the arrival of Pākehā to Aotearoa. Ngāti Kahungunu has NEVER CEDED SOVEREIGNTY - not by our Ngāti Kahungunu rangatira who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi between 5th May and 24th June 1840, or at any time before or after.
Our history and traditions tell us that our tīpuna were politically astute and quick to assert their position and rangatiratanga when required. Since 1840, Kahungunu has met and led resistance in ongoing ways both locally and nationally whenever our pre-existing rights and authority have been threatened, denied, or disregarded.
DECLARATION OF NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU RIGHTS
Between 1997 and 1999 the Ngāti Kahungunu Constitutional Review Committee, Dr Moana Jackson, Mereana Pitman, Mere Ruru, and Taanga Lawrence, met and spoke with 17,000 Ngāti Kahungunu descendants. Through the review process, the committee drew together a Bill of Rights that gives expression to our Ngāti Kahungunu mana and rangatiratanga. This set of fundamental rights for the descendants of Ngāti Kahungunu is titled the Declaration of Ngāti Kahungunu Rights. In 2001 this declaration was adopted at an Annual General Meeting of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.
THE NEW COALITION GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
The new coalition government of National, Act, and NZ First has announced an opening round of targeted actions and repeals that intentionally threaten and directly breach the pre-existing and enduring rights of Kahungunu hapū and iwi. The proposed changes announced by the government are a concentrated attack on Māori rights and several Government Acts, services, and commitments to address the many losses and ongoing inequities suffered as a result of colonisation.
In joint announcements, the Government seeks to redefine Māori rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and remove ratification of the United Nations Declaration of Indigenour Peoples Rights. They have also indicated the removal of:
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The Māori Health Authority
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Te Mana o te Wai from the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020
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Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 – a Tiriti o Waitangi-based provision that ensures Kahungunu tamariki-mokopuna remain in the care of their own whanau, hapū, iwi.
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The use of te reo Māori in government departments
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Power and authority of the Waitangi Tribunal
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Māori Wards from local councils
The proposals themselves are racist in nature and will further intensify systemic oppression, and institutional and interpersonal racism. As our history and traditions teach us, Ngāti Kahungunu will continue to rise, and resist attempts to reduce or disregard our rights.
NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU IWI INC HELD FIRST OF ONGOING HUI-A-IWI
On the 16th of December 2023, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated held a Hui-ā-iwi at Waimarama Marae to listen to the concerns of hapū and NGĀ URI O NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU, affirm our rights and position, and discuss our response to governments proposals. The themes and priorities echoed by speakers and across the livestream and online forums included:
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Reaffirming that Kahungunu did not cede sovereignty.
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Repeated declarations and statements of no confidence in this Government
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That Ngāti Kahungunu:
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Will determine its own strategy;
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Will support the actions of other iwi/rōpū that align with our own Declaration of Kahungunu Rights;
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Will work with other groups to protest the repeal of 7AA and the repeal of Smokefree Aotearoa;
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Insist that councils and government continue to acknowledge and give effect to te mana o te wai, te oranga o te taiao;
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Insist upon the continuation of Māori Wards; and
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Will ensure our people remain informed - and continue to support hapū and whānau through hui, education, and regular communications.
NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU STRATEGY:
Communication and Education is the key to informing our people.
Communications: We will keep our people informed and updated on the changing political landscape so that they can coordinate and respond as quickly as possible.
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Provide a system and platform for new information and communication of updates.
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Communication opportunities for education wānanga and education resources for hapū to learn and understand the history, contexts, and implications of Government changes.
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Hold hui for registered uri o Ngāti Kahungunu only.
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Provide submission templates to accompany material or updates sent out by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc.
Education: Under the authority of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated a rōpū of experts, ie. educators, and facilitators will be established to work directly with hapū and whānau over the next 12-18 months to:
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Educate, conscientize, and wānanga with our people about the impacts of any changes upon their own mana and rangatiratanga as hapū and whānau
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Share resources, approaches, and strategies for action so they can respond to these attacks
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Urge whānau to take protest action within and on behalf of their own whānau.
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Reflect:, evaluate, re-centre and determine our course of action.