Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO

Across our history there have been many hikoi, each one as significant as the next. These shows of kotahitanga and peaceful action were used to raise issues and promote dialogue as partners in te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Coalition Government’s current priority to “review The Treaty of Waitangi” and Māori policy has sparked a new wave of kotahitanga action. Responding to these concerns over Government policies related to Māori, Kingi Tuheitia called for a hui-a-motu to unify the nation. This was held late last month and with thousands of Māori and non-Māori in attendance and represented another significant milestone in our history.

Waitangi Day is expected to be one of action and unity like no other. This year a rōpu of Māori nurses will be travelling to Waitangi to send the wero that colonisation is a social determinant of health. It is not by choice that we are over-represented in poor health outcomes; it is a construct of colonisation and legislation. We will challenge legislation that continues to enable racist funding that sees our Māori and Iwi provider nurses being paid significantly less – and data and statistics that continuously report our negative health with little action. Not one more policy should be developed without Māori. 

This kaupapa is important for all New Zealanders, not just Māori, because if we have even one community in need that is neglected by this Government, it undermines the entire nation. We all need to stick together to oppose David Seymour’s proposed Treaties bill.

In the photo: Whina Cooper seen here on the Auckland bridge was joined by thousands in her land hikoi to Parliament in 1975.

Here are some other significant historical hikoi that took place in the recent past:

On 13 October 1975 Whina Cooper led the land march to Parliament. Along the way on her journey, she was joined by others until approximately 5000 people arrived at Parliament to present a petition signed by 60,000 people to Prime Minister Bill Rowling protesting the continual loss of Māori land through sales or confiscation. Her message was “not one more acre”.

This represented a significant milestone in Māori history forever captured in the famous photo as Whina and her mokopuna start their journey from the country gravel road to the smoothly paved steps of Parliament. The moment was symbolic as the journey was long, unknown challenges, but with an unwavering determination and action of tino rangatiratanga which galvanised Māori and non-Māori alike.

The Foreshore and Seabed Hikoi in April 2004 began in Northland. As they marched the support increased until they arrived in Wellington on 5 May 2004. The hikoi was against proposed legislation to vest ownership of New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed to the Crown a breach to Te Tiriti of Waitangi.

The hikoi on 29 July 2019 called for a halt to Oranga Tamariki removing tamariki from whānau and Iwi. And removal of Oranga Tamariki legislation which entrenched and enabled such violent and traumatic uplift of a newborn baby from Hastings Hospital.  As we saw in the Hastings baby uplift case.

Unity is strength! Toitū Te Tiriti!! Uphold the Treaty.