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Taketake Tangata - Takea ki te pūtake
Answering the call for kotahitanga
Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Deed/Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua
It has been a busy and demanding year of action to support the rights and interests of our iwi, Marae/ Pā, Hapū and whānau.
Te Kāhui o Taranaki has been immersed in the collective work of Ngā Iwi o Taranaki to advance the collective redress legislation Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua following the signing of Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Deed, in September 2023. We have worked hard to ensure that our whānau are fully informed and engaged in the journey.
The Bill passed its first reading in Parliament in April this year and Te Kāhui o Taranaki represented the views of our whānau in a submission to the Select Committee. The Select Committee is due to report back in October. Following this, the Bill will be ready for its second reading.
Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo honours a Crown commitment to each of the eight iwi of Taranaki to negotiate collective redress in relation to Taranaki Maunga and Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki (currently Egmont National Park). It centres on establishing a two-part framework: Te Mana o Ngā Maunga, recognising, promoting, and protecting the health and wellbeing of the peaks, Te Kāhui Tupua (the collective ancestors), and their status; and Te Mana o Te Kāhui, recognising and providing for the mana and relationship of Ngā Iwi o Taranaki with Te Kāhui Tupua.
Te Mana o Ngā Maunga centres on the recognition of the legal personality of Te Kāhui Tupua. It is the third time a geographic feature in Aotearoa will be granted legal personality, following Te Urewera in 2014 and Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River) in 2017.
Hui ā-Motu/Hui Taumata
In January, Te Kāhui o Taranaki answered the call from Kīngi Tūheitia for iwi Māori to rally in a national unity hui to discuss concerns about the actions of the new coalition government.
The historic hui ā-motu at Tūrangawaewae, attended by an estimated 10,000 people, brought together voices across Te Ao Māori to consider a united response to government plans.
The kōrero continued at Rātana Pā a few days later, at the Waitangi Treaty grounds in February, and at Ōmāhu Marae near Hastings at the end of May, when Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated hosted the first Hui Taumata – the second national hui of the year following Ngāruawahia.
Where possible, we have taken with us whānau who expressed a desire to attend. Our aim has been to support whānau who are feeling the harmful impacts of this government’s divisive legislative regime, to address the issues as they affect Taranaki Iwi directly with the government, and to reiterate our collective demand as Māori to be recognised and heard as a treaty partner across the political landscape.
National Iwi Chairs
We have attended every National Iwi Chairs hui. This forum every three months, for the leadership of some 80 iwi, works collaboratively on the key priorities of iwi who are part of the forum, and is effective in uniting our communities, fostering resilience, and ensuring that the voices of Māori are integral to the nation’s future.
In addition to attending these essential gatherings, our teams and leadership have prepared and presented submissions on numerous issues before a multitude of local and central government committees, agencies, boards and authorities. Where necessary, we have lodged objections and made verbal submissions. In short, we have utilised a myriad of tools at our disposal to speak for the rights and interests of our people.
Hui ā-Iwi
Te Kāhui o Taranaki aims to convene two hui ā-iwi each year, apart from the annual general meeting, to discuss issues of importance. Our last hui ā-iwi shared the expertise of two kaumātua with significant experience in local government and national politics. Former Labour Party minister Mahara Okeroa represented Te Tai Tonga as a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2008. Peter Moeahu has a long history in local government, including as a former councillor, a Taranaki Regional Council iwi representative, an appointee to the council’s Policy and Planning Committee and a long-time Māori ward advocate.
This was an opportunity to wānanga on the impacts of the current government’s actions and gain insights from our kaumātua. A key message was that Māori are not a minority group in our own country, but a Treaty partner. We don’t ask to be listened to – we expect it, and that expectation will be firmly conveyed to the Crown.
The kōrero was grounded in Taranakitanga, underscoring our resilience as a people. We survived the brutality of Parihaka, and Parihaka will remain as a source of inspiration and strength in times of adversity and against seemingly overwhelming odds.
Te Matatini
The premier kapa haka celebration returns to Taranaki in February after 30 years. Te Matatini was last hosted in 1994 in Hāwera. With excitement and great anticipation, Te Kāhui o Taranaki is supporting Te Kāhui Maunga (Taranaki and Whanganui) in preparations to host this showcase event in the rohe of Te Ati Awa. Up to 60,000 whānau are expected to attend the five-day national competition, with a pōwhiri on 24 February 2025 and finals on 1 March. We look forward to coming together to celebrate who we are and the beauty of Te Ao Māori.
