Our Shared Responsibility: Kinship Beyond Borders for Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Written by Emele Ugavule
My hands carry the stories of waters that colonial maps could never understand. As an iTaukei woman with Tokelauan and Uvean ancestry, living on the whenua of Te Atiawa, I am a living contradiction to the colonial borders that exist to separate Oceanic peoples.
My nena came to Aotearoa in the 1960’s. Her ticket was paid by Judith Huntsman, an anthropologist, who my nena was the cleaner for in Nukunonu, Tokelau. My mum then moved over as part of the Tokelau Scholarship Scheme to Whangārei when she was 8. My sister was born in Whangārei, and adopted by a Ngāpuhi whānau. My dad travelled here from Fiji as a ship builder in the 80’s. My parents met in Whangārei and I was born in Takapuna in the 90’s.
The pathways that made this possible, were created by the British Empire. Fiji was a former colony of England, with the deed of cession signed by Paramount Chiefs in 1874, and it gained independence on the 10th October 1970. Britain annexed Tokelau in 1916, and transferred administration to the New Zealand government in 1926 and citizenship was granted to Tokelauans in 1948. In 1980, the United States and New Zealand signed the Treaty of Tokehega which officially annexed Olosega to the USA as part of American Sāmoa and Nukunonu, Fakaofo and Atafu to New Zealand. Tokelau remains a self-governing colony of New Zealand in 2024.
The British Empire drew its lines with rulers, documents and new names but my ancestors navigated by stars, currents, and winds that connects our islands across Te Moana Nui-a-Kiwa. My connection to Aotearoa predates any national flag, anthem or passport yet although I am Tagata Moana my family were granted access to Aotearoa through te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Hikoi mō te Tiriti in Te Whanganui-a-Tara photo by Emele Ugavule
Hikoi mō Te Tiriti in Whangārei by Elsie Andrewes
Supporting Tangata Whenua and their fight against the government is a non-negotiable for me and our collective. It is a continuation of one of my tubuna’s most profound practice - kinship across our wansolwara.
In the words of the Waitangi Tribunal,
The Treaty Principles Bill has been “designed to end the distinct status of Māori as the Indigenous people of this country”.
Not only will the bill passing be a breach of Te Tiriti which is a partnership established between the Rangatira o Iwi who signed Te Tiriti and the King of England, but it protects Tagata Moana, Pākehā and Tauiwi from exploitation by means of capatalism through over-development and mining of whenua and moana and the gutting of departments that are meant to exist in the interests of the public.
In the first year of government, this coalition have made significant direct attacks on Māori through trying to get rid of Māori wards, disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora - The Māori Health Authority, removing section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 which in practice compels it to ensure tamariki Māori in its care remain connected to their whakapapa. And that has been the foundation for their targeted attacks on Tagata Moana including the Ministry of Pacific Peoples losing 37% of it’s workforce that serves a growing population of 400,000 Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa, and significant increases in the cost of immigration visas - in some cases more than double the previous fee amounts.
The ‘Treaty Principles - Bill Basics in Six Simple Slides’ infographic below from @ngaahaumi explains why this bill is bad, illustrating in detail the three principles presented in the bill and what will happen if it goes through.
Standing beside Tangata Whenua, honours the networks my tūpuna held for not just the future of my family but for the future of all of us.
Colonial borders are an illusion, designed by the state to divide and conquer.
The British renamed our islands, transformed our traditional governance structures, created administrative categories that had nothing to do with our environment specific social and cultural realities, and what we see happening in Aotearoa today is a continuation of that insatiable imperialist need to extract and exploit.
Natasha Ratuva with her daughter, Te Rauhina Tīpoki-Ratuva and nephew, Tuimana Ratuva at the Wairarapa Hikoi mō te Tiriti.
My son, Emosi Ugavule, flying the Tino Rangatiratanga flag proudly at the Pōneke hikoi.
Studio Kiin is a collective of mothers and aunties, architects of futures not yet imagined, storytellers weaving protection for our children through every breath, every creative act, every stand we take for justice.
When we look at our children, we see generations of resistance embodied just by their very existent. In the words of Aunty Audre Lourde and our sister, Makanaka Tuwe, ‘The personal is political.’
Outside the pōwhiri led by Ngāti Toa at Takapūwāhia Marae in Porirua for the Hikoi mō Te Tiriti manuhiri. Photo by Emele Ugavule
‘Proud to be Māori’ and ‘Ka Ora Tonu Matou - Ake, Ake, Ake!’ banners opposite Takapūwāhia Marae in Porirua. Photo by Emele Ugavule
Supporting Toitū te Tiriti is a covenant with future generations. We are creating the world our children will inherit (particularly those in our care who are Tangata Whenua) - not just through words, but through active, embodied commitment.
Our resistance is in our continuance.
Our sovereignty is in our relationship to ourselves, each other, to our lands, to our waters and is unshakeable.
Our shared responsibility is to kinship beyond borders, for our kaiga in Aotearoa and the whenua that has held and housed us for generations.
Poster of Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke ripping up the Treaty Principles Bill in parliament on the streets of Pōneke
So now the Hikoi is finished, What is next?
It’s time to write submissions to stop the bill passing in parliament.
What you need to know:
Submissions close midnight January 7th
Want to learn more before making a submission?
Nadine Anne Hura’s latest newsletter is an excellent accessible overview of the history of hikoi as protest led by Dame Whina Cooper, the context of Ka Mate! in parliament, and the work of the Waitangi Tribunal which you can read here.
Not confident in writing your submission from scratch?
Treaty lawyer and educator, Roimata Smail, has put together a template via their website Wai Ako Books, which you can access here. Key myths that Roimata clarifies:
“Myth: Bulk template submissions are counted as one.
Fact: False. Select committees count all submissions individually. For example, the Environment Committee recently reviewed 26,855 submissions, including forms, on the Fast Track Approvals Bill. Every submission counts.”
Feeling overwhelmed by the submission process?
Ngā Haumi, a “Rōpū for tāngata Māori, iwi taketake & all our Haumi committed to advocating for climate justice” have created a step-by-step guide on how to make a submission here.
Work better in group settings?
I will be hosting online group submission hui for anyone who just needs a buddy to body double. Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with when the sessions will be.
