When I was at elementary school (primary school) in New Zealand I learned about Captain James Cook – that he discovered the Hawaiian Islands in 1778.

I learnt that he landed in New Zealand and that he mapped my country, that he named many of the places in my homeland. Cooks Strait, Banks Peninsula, Stewart Island to name a few. In recent times we have the James Cook Hospital, the James Cook College, and the James Cook Hotel.

At school I learnt that Sir Walter Raleigh in England laid his cloak on the ground to allow Queen Elizabeth to walk across the mud – that Sir Francis Drake played bowls before going into battle against the Spanish Armada. That William Tell shot an arrow through the apple placed on his son’s head.

Ladies and gentlemen I am talking about colonisation. I am talking about the imposition of the colonial settler’s culture and way of life on top of the traditional way of life and customs of the indigenous inhabitants of the land. Colonisation happened all over the world, in New Zealand and in Argentina, in Australia, South Africa and in Hawaii.

How ever did Cook manage to discover Hawaii when our people had been living here for one and a half millenniums before he arrived?

My friends, in the late 1970s I made on my first visit to London, England, the antipodes of my tribal homeland in New Zealand. When I arrived and visited the various memorials in Trafalgar Square in Westminster Abbey and so on – I already knew all about the history of those places. I had been brainwashed by the ethnocentric history lessons in my schools and my University in Auckland. In all my social studies and history lessons I learnt so much about the coloniser’s history on the other side of the world – and almost nothing about the history of my homeland Aotearoa, New Zealand. What little that was mentioned about traditional Maori society was in most instances incorrect – and romanticised or sanitised and bore little or no relation to the actual spiritual, cultural and social events in my Maori history.

When I was elected to Parliament in Aotearoa I asked why those in power had so much difficulty in accepting the concept of tangata whenua, indigenous inhabitants. I stood before a predominantly Päkehä Parliament as the Co-leader of the Maori political party and I said to them – I quote:

“Why is there so much resistance amongst Parliamentarians to accept the concept of Tangata Whenua as significant in our country’s administration and in our history? We learn about the events in world history, of cultural origins, of countries customs. Where is the recognition of the 1000 year bond between Maori and these islands? Why do we accept the world’s history and not our own? The Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution, the Battle of Waterloo, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle – we know about these things, these people.”

It is so easy for us as Pacific People, as Polynesians, as Eastern Polynesians, as Maori and Hawaiians to feel our identity with our seas, with our oceans, with our islands and with each other. Our Polynesian nations have a cultural and spiritual history of living in the South Pacific for hundreds of years.

So what is this thing called tangata whenua that makes us uniquely – as one with our islands? It is knowing who we are, where we have come from and then, where we must go.

If recite my genealogy to you from the beginning – from my origins, then I talk of Ranginui, the Sky Father and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother – and they begat Täne who mated with Hine Ahuone, and they begat Hine Titama – from Hine Titama came Murirangawhenua, and in turn she begat Hine Taranga. Hine Taranga was Maui’s mother.

Ranginui = Papatuanuku

Tane = Hineahuone

Hine Titama

Hawaikinui

Murirangawhenua

Hine Taranga

Maui Tikitiki a Taranga

etc.

These are my origins – I was born eons ago. And I can tell you about these people and the events of their lives – because I know them – because they are me. And the name of this place is called HAWAIKINUI.

And I descend, and at 46 generations away I am called Tararoa. And I descend generation after generation in these islands – my nationhood extends.

And when I descend to only 37 generations away from today I am called Toi Kairakau.

So what of Toi Kairakau? Of Rauru? My history, my tangata whenua-ness, my 1000 missing years? Toi Kairakau crossed the pacific and came to New Zealand. At that same time, Eric the Red was expelled from Iceland and voyaged to colonise Greenland. Toi Kairakau is my ancestor; he lives still, in me. His history, his genealogy, is my history, my genealogy, my bonding to these islands. And now my islands are called Aotearoa. Toi’s son was Rauru and his son was Whatonga. From Whatonga came Tahatiti, from Tahatiti, came Uenuku. And at this time in history, William of Normandy conquered England and became King William the 1st.

Aotearoa 37. Toi Kairakau
36. Rauru
35. Whatonga
34. Tahatiti
33. Uenuku

From Uenuku came Ruatapu. From Ruatapu came Rakeiora. From Rakeiora came Tama ki te Hau. And these are my ancestors – Tangata Whenua – and they are me. And this ancestor, Tama ki te Hau lived at the same time of the great military leader Genghis Khan, who established the Mongol Empire, uniting almost all of Euro-Asia. And my genealogy descends to Tama ki te Ra, Tama ki te Matangi. And now the Magna Carta is signed on the other side of the world.

33. Uenuku
32. Ruatapu
Aotearoa 31. Rakeiora
30. Tama ki te hau
29. Tama ki te Ra
28. Tama ki te Matangi

And I know all about these people because these people were me. I know the adventures they had and their significance is my history, in my descent, in my nationhood.

I continue to Tama ki Reireia mai Hawaiki, Te Kahuarero, Pita, Rere, Tangi, Maika, Toto to Tamatea Arikinui.

27. Tama ki Reireia mai Hawaiki
26. Te Kahuarero
25. Pito
Aotearoa 24. Rere
23. Tangi
22. Maika
21. Toto
20. Tamatea Arikinui

As Tamatea Arikinui I was chief over the great tapu war canoe Takitimu, and I sailed many seas. I brought the Takitimu from Rarotonga to Aotearoa and I lived in Kaitaia. I became the eponymous ancestor for all descendants of the Takitimu waka. At this time, history records the crusade of Joan of Arc in France, who was burnt at the stake, aged nineteen years.

20. Tamatea Arikinui

19. Rongokako = Muriwai

Aotearoa 18. Tamateurehaea Pokaiwhenua
17. Kahungunu

From Tamatea Arikinui came Rongokako who married Muriwai and begat Tamateaurehaea Pokaiwhenua. As this person I brought the great Takitimu canoe from Awanui in the north to Tauranga – I stayed a while and my people settled here – they are known as Ngati Ranginui today and trace their descent to me. I travelled on around the East Cape and stopped at Whangara before moving on to Mahia Peninsula, which I named Nukutaurua-Mahia-Mai-Tawhiti, now known simply as Mahia. I settled here and so did my son Kahungunu.

As Kahungunu I had nine wives. My final marriage to Rongomaiwahine began the tribe named after me – Ngati Kahungunu. I was not a great warrior, but I was a handsome, cunning man with great mana. My wife was beautiful and her beauty was renowned throughout the land – she came from the descent line of the Kurahaupo canoe.

17. Kahungunu

16. Kahukuranui

Aotearoa 15. Rakaihikuroa

14. Taraia

Then came Kahukuranui, Rakaihikuroa and Taraia. As Kahukuranui I have retained the mana of my famous father – today there are many carved meeting houses named Kahukura, after me.

As Tairaia, I sought to lead my people further south from the Wairoa district. Although not a great warrior myself I did lead my followers into Whanganui-a-orutu, which is now the Napier city region. At this same time Columbus stumbled upon America.

My eldest son Te Rangitaumaha reigned as King in this Hawkes Bay region. We fought and drove the Rangitane people south and then occupied the Hawkes Bay.

14. Taraia To Kahungunu
13. Te Rangitaumaha
12. Te Huhuti = Te Whatuiapiti
Aotearoa

11. Te Wawahanga
10. Te Rangi Kawhiua
9. Manawaakawa
8. Te Rangi Koianake

And this is my genealogy. As the eldest child of Te Rangitaumaha, I, Te Huhuti, a woman, carried the mana of our descent line. I swam the lake Roto-a-Tara at Pukehou to join with my warrior husband, Te Whatuiapiti.

As Te Whatuiapiti I had great mana from my father Takaha, a war chief, also descendent from Kahungunu. I was a warrior chief and my marriage to Te Huhuti meant that my descendants now would lie in the mana descent line of the Hawkes Bay people. From this marriage the sub-tribe of Te Whatuiapiti began. I lead the people in many victorious battles.

And my genealogy descends closer to this day and I know of the deeds of Te Wawahanga, his son Te Rangi Kawhiua and his son Manawaakawa, because I was all of them in my nationhood here in Hawaiki, in Aotearoa. Now at this time, Cromwell overthrows the British Monarchy and declares a Republic. As Te Rangi Koianake I settled at Te Hauke and gave my name to the sub-tribe Ngati Rangi Koianake.

Now at this time, Cromwell overthrows the British Monarchy and declares a Republic.

Te Rangikoianake’s eldest son was Te Kikiri o te Rangi.

Aotearoa 8. Te Rangi Koianake

NEW ZEALAND

7. Te Kikiri-o-te-Rangi Hawea

6. Kanohituhanga

5. Te Aro Atua

4. Hori Niania

3. Paora Kopakau

2. Ruiha Niania

1. Pita Sharples

As Te Kikiri o te Rangi I was the greatest war chief of my time. I lead war parties to avenge the death of my grandfathers Manawaakawa and Te Rehunga. I left Hastings to do this and the mana over those people was assumed by my young brother, Hawea. I moved to the fortified pa at Horehore, Takapau, and launched my escapades from there. The sub-tribe Kikiri o te Rangi carries my name.

I had red hair, like my great, great, great grandfather, Te Whatuiapiti, and I inherited my warrior skills from him and his father Takaha. And now, at this time – the white man has come to this land and he calls these islands New Zealand.

And the genealogy continues – Kanohituhanga, Te Aroatua, Hori Niania, to Paora Kopakau, to Ruiha Niania.

As a woman, I Kanohituhanga, like my ancestor Te Huhuti, held the mana line of our hapü. I married Te Umurangi to whom the famous song of my tribe Ngati Kahungunu was composed – Pinepine te Kura.

“Tenei te tirahou, tënei haramai nei

Ko te Umurangi na te Whatuiapiti”.

And this is my genealogy. I know these people because I am these people. And at this time Captain James Cook arrives at Hawaii and is killed a year later at Keala Ke Kua.

As Te Aroatua, I lived with my cousin Paora Kopakau who with Te Hapuku gave the land to Governor Gray for a school – for Te Aute Maori College, the second eldest school in New Zealand. A school that produced many famous old boys such as Sir Apirana Ngata, Sir Maui Pomare, Sir Peter Buck, Te Rangihiroa, Sir Turi Carroll and many others.

Hori Niania sold some land, became rich and incurred the wrath of our people. Paora Kopakau was named after his earlier mentioned uncle and was my grandfather. My mother was Ruiha and I lived in her. Now she is dead and her nationhood lives in me and my son, also called Paora Kopakau Niania, and in his son, who carries our ancestor’s name Koianake.

So you see – I am not of today.

I am not just of the last three hundred years, or the last thousand years.

I began here.

I am Hawaiki

I am Aotearoa

I am New Zealand

I am of the Pacific

I am of Polynesia

I am Maori nationhood

I am my ancestors

and now – I also live in my son

and also – I live in his son

I am here forever

I cannot die

I am tangata whenua

My extravagance in talking whakapapa (genealogy) with you tonight has been deliberate. It is my view that the concept of tangata whenua is not fully understood by various member states, and by many of those persons who do not share first nation’s origins. Even worse there are those who feel excluded within their community, by the concept of a ‘tangata whenua’ and would seek to discredit the concept with cries of “special treatment”, “special privileges”, “discrimination”. I also believe that the whole question of the status of tangata whenua is a critical issue at this time, here in Hawaii.

In my work in Aotearoa and with other nations, I have encountered considerable antagonism, often expressed as deliberate opposition, towards the maintenance and support for the language and culture of the tangata whenua.

It would seem to me to be absolutely essential at this time to promote any, and all, Hawaiian cultural activity under the concept of “tangata whenua”. This would serve to place such efforts outside of comparison with the proposals of other racial groups. Hawaiian language and culture are an essential part of both the history and the current expression of the ‘genre de vie’ of Hawaii. ‘Tangata Whenua’ becomes the rationale for the general Hawaiian community to support the growth and maintenance of its distinctive identity.

Hawaii’s brand (in today’s terms) is the Hawaiian culture. Palm trees and sunshine, luxury hotels and sandy beaches can be found in a smorgasbord of island territories throughout all the oceans. The language of Hawaii and the social expression of the culture of Hawaii remain only within these Hawaiian islands.

I have made these comments in the wake of the recent unsuccessful attempt by non-tangata whenua sources to place the special services offered by the Kamehameha schools as being unlawfully discriminatory.

The courts did not uphold their challenge this time, but there will be others. The defence to defeat all such challenges is totally aligned to the concept of tangata whenua. It has reference to traditional Hawaiian society and to the process of colonisation, and to the disestablishment of traditional Hawaiian social and political structures – and of course to the consequential effects leading to the loss of Hawaiian language use and cultural expression.

And here I refer to the “United States Public Law 103-150, 103d Congress Joint Resolution 19, November 23, 1993:

“To acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the January 17, 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and to offer an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii”.

In this law the United States Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

Acknowledges and apologises for the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and acknowledges the historical significance of this event resulting in “the suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the native Hawaiian people”.

It also apologises for, and acknowledges the role of the 1893 overthrow in causing “the deprivation of the rights of the native Hawaiians to self determination”.

This law defines ‘Native Hawaiian’ as “any individual who is a descendant of the aboriginal people who, prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now constitutes the State of Hawaii”.

This formal apology signed by President Bill Clinton – offers a definition of Native Hawaiian in accord with that of the Kamehameha Schools.

In addition it acknowledges the significance of the overthrow in that it resulted in the suppression of the inherent sovereignity of the Hawaiian people; also this law expresses its commitment to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow.

And perhaps most important for today’s times, this law admits to, and apologises for, and I quote “the deprivation of the rights of the Native Hawaiians to self determination”.

In short, this law, this apology, defines and acknowledges tangata whenua, and it provides a kind of template for the reconstruction amongst the tangata whenua of their cultural and self determination which must include language and culture.

In addition to the concept of tangata whenua being the rationale to openly promote Hawaiian language and cultural growth amongst those of Hawaiian descent, it can also serve as a uniting factor to increase the range of activities and the numbers involved in the whole cultural resurgence process.

And here I would like to acknowledge those entrepreneurial elders who saw fit to establish the Pa Kui a Lua – which as we all know, now has many branches throughout these islands developing under the authorities of the Lua group and the Holo organisation.

What courage, what commitment, to resurrect the ‘marae’ culture of old. My own organisation of Te Whare Tu Taua o Aotearoa “The National School of Traditional Maori Weaponry and Fighting Arts” has been working with these two organisations since their very inception.

As fellow “first nations people”, as fellow “tangata whenua”, as Polynesians, as relatives “whanaunga”, we have been sharing culture and research, wänanga and hui. It is important at this time, as we exist as cultures under the threat of a global pandemic – that the Kamehameha kaitiaki – the guardians of the Kamehameha estate and its programmes – actively identify with, and publicly acknowledge the efforts of all tangata whenua groups to develop Hawaiian cultural and language programmes.

Often within our tängata whenua society we are found to be competing with each other. Competing for resources, competing for authority, competing for legitimacy, competing for mana.

In New Zealand society this is a feature amongst my people – and is all too often triggered by a divide-and-rule Government. Here we must rise above these debilitating factors and promote very widely the concept that it is “good to be Hawaiian”.

Kia kaha tatau.

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