Address to Iwi Leaders Forum

Hon Tariana Turia; Co-leader of the Maori Party

Address to Iwi Leaders Forum

Thursday 19 August 2010; 4pm

When I arrived today– I was greeted with a modern day karanga. Someone’s alarm on their car was resounding in the car park!

We are at a pivotal point in our history as a people.

Each of you brings with you a vast archive of solutions which aim to advance our cultural revitalisation; protect your tribal wealth; and to dramatically improve the position of the uri you represent.

If we were to gather those whanau, those hapu, within this one space what an incredible vision we would have of the power and potential of our people.

Because this is about our survival.

In keeping with the modern day context, I was thinking about the lyrics of Bob Marley and the Wailers

“We’re the survivors, yes the Black survivors
I tell you what: some people got everything;
Some people got nothing;
Some people got hopes and dreams;
Some people got ways and means.
In a way that sums up our situation.

For much of our history; survival has been about finding the ways and means to focus on what will make the difference between existing and flourishing. Far too many of our people are just existing.

We know now that material resources do not make a home on their own – that spiritual and cultural growth is just as important in our development.

And I think about Ngati Raukawa, in my electorate boundary, and in particular the wisdom of Matua Whatarangi Winiata who has provided huge guidance to myself and indeed our political movement.

Matua has spent his lifetime promoting his passion for economic enterprise, alongside an investment in the survival of tangata whenua as a people through our commitment to kaupapa and tikanga that are sourced from whanau, hapu and iwi.

Surviving physically is one thing – but surviving with all of the other indicators of cultural, social and spiritual resilience is essential if we are to lay a proper foundation for our future.

And so I say to us all – when we open our accounts, throw open the books to the glare of public scrutiny, how confident can we be that the care and wellbeing of our whanau are creating the gains that we need?

How much are we investing in our families – not just in releasing them from hunger or from strife – but more importantly in their capacity to be self-determining?

What are we doing to create the potential for what our tamariki can be?

Later today, you will be hearing from the Minister of Social Development, who will share with you the sad stories of the state - the histories of children alienated from the whakapapa into which they were born.

It is the same old story, the repeat button jammed into self-defeating cycles of hopelessness and despair.

Children who deserve more, some who never find their way home. We can change that record, all of us in this room, and we must.

What will it take for us to take back the responsibilities and obligations which are uniquely ours as whanau, hapu and iwi?

Any one of us can come up with theories of disarray that stem from the industry of misery.

But who amongst us can take on the far harder challenge, to inspire us to inspire our families to believe in ourselves?

I was asked to focus on the potential of Whanau Ora - and it would have been easy enough to talk to you about the process of Expressions of Interest; of establishing Regional Leadership Groups; of the potential of that policy to influence millions of dollars of state funding: to leverage off the success of Whanau Ora to influence a Whanau Ora appropriation in other sectors.
Because Whanau Ora – at its very core – is about our families restoring to themselves the essence of who they are; determining what is important for them; instilling in ourselves the belief that the wellbeing of our whanau is the most important thing that we can do.

And I come back to the concept of alienation.

I wonder why it is that finally when the leadership of our iwi is actively being sought by the Crown, that there are some of our own people talking against them?

Because the modern communication system is so effective, we receive a daily diet of messages which express sincere concerns about the role of iwi. They use the term ‘corporate iwi’.

I tell you what – when you are part of a Government there is nothing more disheartening than to hear such criticism from our own; of people who are trying to move us forward.

We have to start listening, and to think about how to include them because it is obvious that they don’t feel included.

A key plank in our strategies forward, must surely be kotahitanga.

I have listened to the call for kotahitanga around economic opportunity and I’m putting the challenge out that there is also our opportunity to express kotahitanga regarding Whanau Ora.

I think of those of our whanau who don’t attend hui, who never come to the marae – and all of us in fact know who they are.

How do we engage with our own; how do we reinstall the kaupapa and tikanga of our tupuna in the expression of manaakitanga, kotahitanga, kaitiakitanga and more?

I am the first to be highly critical of ideas that come out from Crown agencies, which seek to play with our concepts, and to believe that equates to cultural competency.

But I will not restrict my quest for perfection to just the agents of the state.

I want, so much, for all our whanau to be self-determining, to be living healthy lifestyles, to be participating fully in society but more importantly in te Ao Maori, to be economically secure, cohesive, resilient and strong.

That requires all of us to step up to the mark, to engage the disengaged; and to embrace the alienated.

It is about refusing to close our eyes to our responsibilities. It is all well and good prioritising our assets towards the resolution of claims, or to advance the pursuit of economic development, but if our rangatahi are out of work; lost to the grip of mind-altering substances; lacking ambition or confidence; then surely our tribal ledger is in a bad state.

I have no doubt that this work is going to be incredibly difficult for us, given the situation our whanau are in today.

The thing is, that I have every confidence that we possess the secrets to our success.

The potential for our whanau has never been greater than now – and one of the most incredible things for me in taking Whanau Ora on the road, has been the opportunity to witness such unprecedented levels of optimism from our people.

There is a fresh air of exuberance that is amongst us.

We have the intellectual and cultural capital within our midst to defy the expectations that others may project on us. And we must.

And from what I have heard right across the motu, we have so much experience now to combat the tickbox mentality, and instead focus on achieving real outcomes – outcomes that come from investing in and empowering whanau.

I want to salute our iwi entrepreneurs, our whanau innovators, who have taken on the new technologies, while still building on whanau strengths and capacities.

We need you because we need our young working. It is one thing to talk investment but we must ensure that the economic force we seek results in jobs for our young. With 65% of our people under 35 years of age, what are we doing for them?

Our biggest infrastructure is our people and our young – and if they do not get work your Public Private Partnerships will be investing in Courts, Prisons and Youth Residences.

Survival is about each of us being prepared to be proactive – rather than reactive; to create our own strategic plans rather than forever providing feedback to others.

At this time, we are at a critical phase in our development.

The relationship between iwi and the Crown must be formalised.

As iwi, we must not have a relationship that is a contractual one, based on service provision. Our iwi must determine what the nature of the partnership is.

This relationship must be based on a partnership arrangement between government and iwi and we must ensure we are engaged with our whanau and hapu.

We will know we have been successful when instead of Government Ministers releasing endless data of deficiency and dysfunction, our own tamariki will be proud to celebrate their stories, to promote the traditions and the achievements of their own.

We have a right to expect educational success for our tamariki mokopuna. We cannot allow the education system to continue to fail our tamariki. Iwi must stand up for the future of our young where there is the majority of our people. We must speak up, get into our schools, make the educational system deliver for our whanau.

We must restore modern training for today’s job market and for trade opportunities. Our young have a right to work.

We need you to push these issues. There are many things we can do. We need you to do it together.

We want all our whanau to know what resilience means in a practical sense – to manage crisis, to confront challenges and to invest in their future.

I absolutely know that we can do it.

The question is not about the how or even the why – it’s all about the who - and who is going to provide that leadership; who will care for our collective wellbeing, who will make it happen?

I hope it is a question that we can answer today.

ENDS