Toitū Te TIRITI O WAITANGI - WHY WE MARCHED TODAY
Today our whānau flew to Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington, to join the hīkoi mō Te Tiriti.
We packed our bags, donned our flags, and took our tamariki with us - not just to march, but to be part of something that will shape how they see themselves, their whakapapa, and their place in the world.
It wasn’t just a march for us, it was a moment to show our tamariki what it means to stand tall and to be proud of who they are.
Put simply, our whānau believe in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Tiriti and He Whakaputanga, are the constitutional documents of Aotearoa. It is the foundation of democracy in this country and it deserves to be upheld with the mana and respect it was written with.
Te Tiriti is written in te reo Māori only, not in Māori and English, as many believe. There’s a draft, written by Hobson in English, but anyone who’s ever signed a legal document knows the draft isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. So let’s be clear, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a document written and signed only in te reo Māori and I understand it perfectly in my own language.
So, when someone who doesn’t speak Māori attempts to redefine te reo Māori and reinterpret the document that shaped this nation’s governance, we couldn’t sit on the sidelines.
We marched because this bill - the Treaty Principles Bill - represents something bigger than itself. It stands against everything we believe in as a whānau and as business owners who champion respect for Te Tiriti.
It stands against what we want to teach our tamariki about being proud of their reo, their whakapapa, and their place in this country.
Do I think the bill will pass its second reading? No, I don’t.
Is it a giant waste of government resources? Absolutely.
And from what I’ve seen, most New Zealanders don’t agree with this bill either.
But that’s not why we hīkoi. We hīkoi because some things are worth standing for, and if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing.
Some moments call for action, to be a kaitiaki and to decide the kind of ancestors we want to be.
We want our tamariki to grow up proud of who they are and where they come from. We want them to know that being Māori is something to celebrate, not something to hide. That their reo is beautiful, their whakapapa is powerful, and their tūpuna fought hard so that they could stand tall today.
Watching them march alongside us, waving their flags and walking with pride, was special. I saw their faces light up as they realised they weren’t alone. In fact, more thn fifty thousand people stood with them, shoulder to shoulder, with millions more showing their support around the world. We walked the steps our tūpuna walked before us 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, demanding the same thing - honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
And despite what some headlines may suggest, the wairua of the hīkoi wasn’t filled with anger or division. From where I stood, it was filled with aroha, manaakitanga and pride. Mana whenua laid out their tikanga and expectations early at Waitangi Park early this morning and everyone respected these.
However, I felt aroha for those employed by the Crown, who must stay politically neutral or risk their livelihoods. I saw manaakitanga of our tamariki, kaumātua, Tangata Tiriti and people of all iwi who were all made to feel welcome and safe.
And I saw pride in the tens of thousands who came together, united in the same kaupapa, standing tall in their own mana.
Today wasn’t just a march. It was a moment of connection, of unity, and of purpose. I hope our tamariki will carry this moment with them for ever.
That it will remind them of their strength, their identity, and their responsibility to uphold the values of Te Tiriti for their own tamariki and mokopuna.
Toitū Te Reo. Toitū Te Mana. Toitū Te Tiriti.
Anton