‘The Originals’ mobilise against ‘lightning war on Māori rights’

Ken Mair, chair of Wai Māori Trust Photo: RNZ / Leigh-Marama McLachlan
By Layla Bailey-McDowell for RNZ
Veteran Māori activists are mobilising against what they describe as a “blitzkrieg” on Māori rights by the coalition Government and have called for a wānanga to discuss a plan of action.
“The Originals” include Hone Harawira, Annette Sykes, Mereana Pitman, Ken Mair and Tame Iti, and they plan to hold an active wānanga at Waipapa Marae in Auckland this week.
Their aim is to rally together Māori and allies across Aotearoa to confront what they perceive as an attack on tikanga Māori, te Tiriti o Waitangi, He Whakaputanga and te ao Māori by the current government, organisers say.
Harawira, a prominent activist and former MP of Te Tai Tokerau, earlier in the year urged rangatahi to take a leading role in protest movements.
However, organisers said that the escalating challenges faced by Māori have urged him to advocate for a more “unified approach”, bringing together veteran activists with younger leaders from across the country.
Mair, a seasoned activist, issued a direct challenge to the Government, accusing it of acting in a “disgraceful and hostile” manner.
“Enough’s enough. You need to ensure that your actions finish yesterday. If you don’t, there will be repercussions and ramifications.”
Stop attacking Māori
He said the Government needs to “stop attacking Māori”.
“Stop attacking the environment, stop attacking our children, stop attacking the health aspirations of us, stop attacking Māori wards. Stop it.”
Tama Potaka, Minister for Māori Development and Māori Crown relations said: “New Zealanders are entitled to organise lawful demonstration. That is part of our democracy”.
Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of New Zealand First, responded to the activists’ accusations by criticising their use of the term “blitzkrieg”.
The German word translates to “lightning war” and refers to a military strategy used to achieve rapid and decisive victories by using fast, concentrated, and overwhelming force. It was popularised during World War II.
“It shows you how out of touch they are with 2024, a term from Nazi Germany, so to speak. It shows how desperate they are either in not understanding the efficacy of the English language or the Māori language for that matter,” Peters said.
He called the group “corporate activists” and “political has-beens”, asserting that their views do not reflect the concerns of the majority of Māori.
“Two of the three heads of the coalition have a Māori background, yet they’re accusing the Government of being racist and attacking Māori, when in Parliament we’ve got more Māori today than we’ve ever had.”
Peters said that the Government was committed to addressing issues that matter most to “ordinary Māori” such as the cost of living, housing and healthcare.
He rejected the activists’ claims that the Government was undermining tikanga and te Tiriti, and said that their interpretation of these concepts was “unintellectual and historically incorrect”.
“We’re prepared to hear anybody out and listen to anybody,” Peters said, “but these activists do not represent the views of the vast majority of Māori who are concerned about everyday issues rather than fringe causes.”
ACT Party leader David Seymour also responded to the activist’s national call to action and questioned their name “The Originals”.
“I always thought ‘The Originals’ were the legendary 1905 All Blacks, but I guess anyone can give themselves the name,” Seymour said.
He defended the Government’s actions and said all New Zealanders had equal rights to flourish on their own terms, “to get a world-class education, own their own home, work a well-paying job, and be safe on the streets”.
“That aspiration is for every New Zealander, regardless of who their ancestors were.”
Seymour said the Government was “far from attacking any group based on race” and was “promoting equal rights for all”.
Mair said the Government had “no legitimate right to act on our behalf” and its actions are “undermining the constitutional pillars of our nation”.
“Our tūpuna, if they saw what was going on, would be standing up and doing exactly what we’re doing. We are determined to show a coordinated show of force as we confront the chaos inflicted upon us.”
There was a need for immediate action, Mair said.
“This is the continuation of taking our land, attacking our children, and undermining our rights. We cannot stand by and allow this to happen.”
The ‘active wānanga’ will take place at Waipapa Marae in Auckland on August 31.