OPINION: Indigenous people around the world will be watching the latest election results with interest.
Not because every country is moving in the same direction, far from it, but because voters are showing they are willing to change course.
Look at the United States.
Despite Donald Trump being in the White House, American voters have delivered a string of historic firsts.
Native American women have broken new ground in Congress and state politics. A Muslim senator has been elected, an openly gay man has won a Senate seat, and a Black woman has made history as a governor.
For Indigenous people, those breakthroughs matter.
They show that even in a deeply divided country, voters can change who gets a seat at the table.
And that should resonate with Māori.
68% of eligible Māori voters cast their vote at the last election. And given the number of whānau who marched on Parliament this term and helped crash the parliamentary website with a flood of select committee submissions, I’m banking on that number going up this time around.
There is a sense that change is possible.
The question is not simply whether the left or right wins. It is whether voters think the current direction is working and whether they want something different.
We are seeing that play out around the world.
Brazil has swung back to the left, while other countries have moved right. The common thread is voters challenging the status quo.
But for Māori, there is a bigger question than who gets elected.
Representation doesn’t always equate to sovereignty.
Having Māori MPs and ministers matters. Having Māori voices in Parliament matters.
But tino rangatiratanga asks a more fundamental question: Who actually has the power to make decisions about Māori?
That sits at the heart of the debate over Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For generations, Māori have fought for a greater say over our whenua, resources, language, culture and future.
We have fought to be heard and for that voice to mean something when decisions are made.
We have also seen what happens when Māori do not use that political voice.
Policies can be introduced that affect our whānau, our communities and our future without us having enough influence to stop them.
That is why the Māori vote matters.
It isn’t because Māori are one political bloc — we are not. Māori have different views, different priorities and different political allegiances.
But collectively, Māori voters have the power to influence the direction of this country.
Tomorrow is our chance to use it.
The lesson from overseas is simple: voters can change the political landscape.
They can surprise governments. They can overturn expectations. They can decide the status quo is no longer good enough.
Māori voters have that same power.
So perhaps the question is not simply: who should govern Aotearoa?
It is: who will give Māori greater power to shape our own future?
Because representation matters.
But sovereignty is bigger.
So, tomorrow e te whānau, get out and vote.
Have the kōrero. Know what you are voting for. Take your kaumātua, your parents, your kids who are old enough to vote, your mates.
Whatever your politics, use your voice.
Get out. Get involved. Get your vote counted.
