Mokopuna are at the core of the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti movement, according to Rawiri Waititi.
As the fierce winds fanned the inaugural day of the national hīkoi at Te Rerenga Wairua, Waititi said “Kei te oreore tō tātau iwi Māori, kei te oreore ō tātau mokopuna.”
(Te iwi Māori are moving, our grandchildren are moving.)
The co-leader of Te Pāti Māori was “blown away” by the crowds of tamariki at a dawn karakia today, beginning the nine-day journey to Pōneke / Wellington.
“He nui ngā mokopuna i tae mai i te rā nei, [kia] kite mai rātau, kia ako kē rātau i te āhuatanga tū kotahi.”
(Lots of children have arrived today, so they may see and learn about standing as one.)
Waititi highlighted the significance of beginning the hīkoi at Te Rerenga Wairua.
“E tika tonu kia tīmata mai i konei, nō te mea ko ngā hīkoi kaitā katoa o te motu i roto i ngā taumahatanga, [i tīmata] mai i Te Tai Tokerau.”
(It’s only right that this starts here because all of the big national hīkoi that came in times of distress, started in Te Tai Tokerau.)
“Nō reira ātaahua tēnei tīmatanga o tātau. Kua takitaki[na] ngā karakia, [kua] herea ngā taura i runga i ngā hū, arā, kua rite te iwi Māori [kia] takahia te whenua nei, kia tae ki ngā tiriti pūkohu tāiri o Pōneke.”
(So, this is a beautiful beginning for us. The karakia have been done, the laces on our shoes are tied and te iwi Māori is ready to traverse the land to arrive at the mist-covered streets of Wellington.)
The Toitū Te Tiriti movement was initiated by Te Pāti Māori, and some say it is gaining its own separate independence.
“Me tū tēnei kaupapa hei kaupapa kawe mō te iwi Māori. Kei te mōhio aua i te rā tuatahi o tēnei kāwanatanga, kōrero mai te iwi māori - kei te aha kē tātau? Ā, ka whakaritea ko te kōkiritanga o Toitū Te Tiriti.”
(This movement is to be carried by te iwi Māori. I know on the first day with the new government, Māori were asking what [Te Pāti Māori] was doing. Then the Toitū Te Tiriti movement was established.)
“Kua rite te iwi ki te kawe i tēnei kaupapa. Waiho mā Te Pāti Māori te taha ki te kāwanatanga, ka waiho ko te mana motuhake ki te iwi mā rātau anō hoki e kawe tēnei kaupapa.”
(The people are ready to carry out this movement - leaving the political side to Te Pāti Māori and the ultimate sovereignty to the people, that they may carry this movement.)
“Engari kāre e kitea he rerekētanga – ko tātau tātau. Ahakoa ngā hīkoitanga, ahakoa ngā iwi, ahakoa te hapū, ngā whānau me ngā kaupapa maha e kawea nei [e] tātau, me whakakotahi tātau.”
(But there is no difference - we are all one. No matter the journey, the tribes and subtribes, the families and different initiatives we carry, we must unite as one.)
“Me whakakotahi tātau ki roto i te taha mana motuhake, me whakakotahi tātau ki te taha ki te kāwanatanga, kia kotahi ai te aro mō te oranga o ā tātau tamariki mokopuna hei ngā rā haere ake nei.”
(We must unite for ultimate sovereignty, we must unite for government issues so we are united in our approach for the future of our mokopuna.)
