Category: Te Ao Māori

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has “escalated discrimination against Māori”, health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon has told the UN in Geneva.

Moxon (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Kai Tahu) presented her complaint to the United Nations Committee on Eliminating Racial Discrimination (CERD) in the early hours of Tuesday (NZ time), specifically its five-member working group responsible for the Early Warning and Urgent Action procedure.

CERD has only issued one other specific decision under this procedure for New Zealand – in March 2005, concerning the New Zealand Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.

Under CERD the New Zealand government is required to regularly report on its progress at eliminating racial discrimination and supporting Indigenous peoples, ethnic and religious minority groups to enjoy their rights and freedoms.

“I brought this urgent complaint because, since late 2023, the coalition government has escalated discrimination against Māori, spread misinformation, and overridden constitutional norms. These actions breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our founding agreement,” Moxon told the committee.

“Your 2021 state report is now redundant. Instead of progressing toward eliminating racial discrimination, the government has been rapidly dismantling protections and creating unprecedented harm. Multiple indicators of your Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure are now met: new discriminatory laws, political exclusion, dismantling of oversight bodies, inflammatory rhetoric, encroachment on Indigenous lands and waters, and environmental deregulation that harms Māori communities.”

Moxon singled out:

Moxon also pointed to two laws passed in the past fortnight, the Regulatory Standards Bill which she said “gives a single minister power to review laws using standards that exclude Māori rights and Te Tiriti;” and the Education and Training Amendment Bill, which removes obligations for schools to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi.

“I urge the committee to express grave concern, require urgent reporting, conduct a follow-up visit within six months, and call on Aotearoa New Zealand to honour Te Tiriti and to stop regressive measures, misinformation and constitutional overreach. Māori are experiencing accelerating, state-driven harm. Urgent action is needed now.”

The CERD Committee review session for New Zealand opens early on Wednesday morning (NZ time) with an introductory statement by Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith.

Representatives from the New Zealand government will then respond to questions from members of the CERD Committee.

The Committee will publish draft findings and recommendations for New Zealand before the end of its 116th session, which concludes on 5 December.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The late Tāmaki Makaurau MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp was subjected to “the most despicable behaviour” by Te Pāti Māori leadership, expelled Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris claims.

Takutai Tarsh Kemp, who died in June, underwent treatment for kidney disease in the first half of this year.

In an extended interview with RNZ’s Mata programme, published on Tuesday, Ferris claimed the leadership of Te Pāti Māori was trying to oust Takutai Tarsh Kemp from her seat in the months leading up to her death.

In response to this and other claims Ferris made in the interview, Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere declined to comment on what he described as “any matters based on hearsay, innuendo, accusation or insinuation”.

Alleged treatment of ailing MP

In June, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer served out a two-week suspension from Parliament’s debating chamber as punishment for performing a haka.

Ferris said the co-leaders were completely absent from Parliament in this period, leaving the remaining four MPs to take on the full weight of the party’s responsibilities.

In that period, the MPs agreed an intervention was needed to raise their concerns with the coleaders, but Kemp passed away before that could happen, he said.

And when Kemp passed, a decision was made to take her body to the West Auckland marae, Hoani Waititi, without her parents knowledge. Instead, Ferris said, they learned about it via the radio.

A spokesperson for the Te Pāti Māori co-leaders said “hearsay or speculation” should be directed to Tamihere for a response.

Bullying allegations

Ferris claimed the leadership had shown a pattern of bullying his female colleague.

After Kemp’s death, Oriini Kaipara won a byelection to replace her as Tāmaki Makaurau MP. Ferris said it had been agreed with Kaipara she could bring her own team onto the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate committee if she won the byelection. But that has not happened – a reflection of the existing committee “bullying” and “standing over” her, Ferris said.

He claimed the current committee was undermining Kaipara’s credibility as an MP in order to retain the voting power of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Ferris said a “reset hui” was staged on a day that Oriini Kaipara and her whānau should have been celebrated.

‘Ceasefire’ hui went awry

According to Ferris, at a three-hour meeting where a ceasefire was called, everyone agreed except the president John Tamihere. He claimed Tamihere instead threatened the Kapa-Kingi family with utu.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, who earlier this months was expelled from the party, called the hui for the six MPs to work through issues, Ferris said. But days before, the makeup of the hui changed and the executive council attended, including Tamihere.

Expulsion, aftermath and the future

Ferris said he learnt about his expulsion when he was at a tangi and called the leadership a “pack of mugs”.

He still considers himself a member of Te Pāti Māori because the process they used was not robust, he claimed. He said he feels aroha for the party’s staffers who he claimed are burnt out because of underperforming leaders.

Te Pāti Māori was obviously suffering reputation damage, and it needed to stop, he said.

Last week, Ferris said he wrote an appeal to the national council to make space to share his, KapaKingi and Kaipara’s position but it was completely ignored.

It was back in the people’s hands now to save the Te Pāti Māori Kaupapa, he said.

Mata contacted members of the executive council for comment but only received a short response from Tamihere.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Expelled Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says an iwi has called for the party’s President, John tamihere, to step down at a Te Tai Tokerau hui at the weekend.

Te Tai Tokerau was calling on Te Pāti Māori to reinstatement their MP Kapa-Kingi, and for improved relations between the ousted MP and her former party.

That came from a hui called for by Te Rūnanga Nui Ā Ngāpuhi where more than 200 people packed into Kohewhata Marae in Kaikohe to speak with Kapa-Kingi face-to-face and decide on their response to her and Tākuta Ferris’ expulsion from the party this month.

Among those in attendance were Ferris, Tāmaki Makaurau MP Oriini Kaipara and whānau from across Te Tai Tokerau and Muriwhenua.

There was broad support for Kapa-Kingi at the hui to remain the MP for Te Tai Tokerau and hopes Te Pāti Māori could mend the current schism in time to contest the 2026 General Election as a unified party.

Many also called for the party’s president John Tamihere to stand down.

Te Pāti Māori’s National Executive declined an invitation to attend the hui citing concerns around potential legal trouble – a move described as “extremely disheartening” and “insulting by hui organisers.

The party has alleged Kapa-Kingi “overspent” her electorate budget and, along with Ferris, plotted to take over the leadership of the party. Kapa-Kingi has denied both claims.

Speaking to the crowd, Kapa-Kingi addressed the claims of financial mismanagement. She said she had received an email from the Parliamentary Services Office that she was in fact within her Parliamentary budget – by $1.

“I want to share that with you, because there’s so many other mischievous and bad stories that have been told for bad reasons… and I want to be able to correct those things so that people know better what has actually happened from me.”

Kapa-Kingi said there were dynamics of “sexism”, “narcissism” and “misogyny” at play within the party.

“What is getting played out against me, and against my colleagues – and one of my dear colleagues that is no longer here – is all of that horrible, yuckiness, targeted at wāhine Māori.” she said.

She said some Māori might feel like the last 12 months had been “the worst ever”, the worst was still yet to come.

“I love you, and I am here for you and I’m not going anywhere.” she said.

“And how do we end this? We stand JT down. That’s how we end it.”

Looking ahead

The ultimate goal of the hui was for Te Tai Tokerau to discuss strategies on how to respond to Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion and find consensus on how move forward.

All who wanted to speak where invited to do so, while note takers gathered their kōrero to report back on later in the evening.

The hui was both jovial and tense, at times, as kaikōrero took turns sharing their whakāro to the whare. Some spoke about the need for young people to step up into leadership positions while others spoke of how Te Whakaputanga needed to be at the centre of decision making.

Among the speakers Ngātiwai rangatira Aperahama Edwards who said many people were feeling hurt and confused, especially after the unity displayed during Te Hīkoi mō te Tiriti.

“We want it to end,” he said.

“We don’t want our people led into the trenches to have choose sides.”

Edwards said the ructions within the party had taken attention away from other kaupapa, like the recent changes to the Marine and Coastal Areas Act (MACA).

“I ended up going down to Parliament , so I’m probably the last person to give advice to either of them on how to get back in there. I went down and got kicked out of there to try and draw attention to what’s happening in front of our eyes.”

“But the only kōrero that was being consumed in the media and on social media was the inferno raging within Te Pāti Māori.” he said.

Edwards said it would be the taimariki who carried the mauri of the hīkoi to Parliament that would be most affected.

“Where’s the aroha for those taitamariki? Because they’re looking at all their superheroes sitting across both camps, embroiled in this raru, and their hearts break.” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

That came from a hui called for by Te Rūnanga Nui Ā Ngāpuhi where more than 200 people packed into Kohewhata Marae in Kaikohe to speak with Kapa-Kingi face-to-face and decide on their response to her and Tākuta Ferris’ expulsion from the party this month.

Among those in attendance were Ferris, Tāmaki Makaurau MP Oriini Kaipara and whānau from across Te Tai Tokerau and Muriwhenua.

There was broad support for Kapa-Kingi at the hui to remain the MP for Te Tai Tokerau and hopes Te Pāti Māori could mend the current schism in time to contest the 2026 General Election as a unified party.

Many also called for the party’s president John Tamihere to stand down.

Te Pāti Māori’s National Executive declined an invitation to attend the hui citing concerns around potential legal trouble – a move described as “extremely disheartening” and “insulting by hui organisers.

The party has alleged Kapa-Kingi “overspent” her electorate budget and, along with Ferris, plotted to take over the leadership of the party. Kapa-Kingi has denied both claims.

Speaking to the crowd, Kapa-Kingi addressed the claims of financial mismanagement. She said she had received an email from the Parliamentary Services Office that she was in fact within her Parliamentary budget – by $1.

“I want to share that with you, because there’s so many other mischievous and bad stories that have been told for bad reasons… and I want to be able to correct those things so that people know better what has actually happened from me.”

Kapa-Kingi said there were dynamics of “sexism”, “narcissism” and “misogyny” at play within the party.

“What is getting played out against me, and against my colleagues – and one of my dear colleagues that is no longer here – is all of that horrible, yuckiness, targeted at wāhine Māori.” she said.

She said some Māori might feel like the last 12 months had been “the worst ever”, the worst was still yet to come.

“I love you, and I am here for you and I’m not going anywhere.” she said.

“And how do we end this? We stand JT down. That’s how we end it.”

Looking ahead

The ultimate goal of the hui was for Te Tai Tokerau to discuss strategies on how to respond to Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion and find consensus on how move forward.

All who wanted to speak where invited to do so, while note takers gathered their kōrero to report back on later in the evening.

The hui was both jovial and tense, at times, as kaikōrero took turns sharing their whakāro to the whare. Some spoke about the need for young people to step up into leadership positions while others spoke of how Te Whakaputanga needed to be at the centre of decision making.

Among the speakers Ngātiwai rangatira Aperahama Edwards who said many people were feeling hurt and confused, especially after the unity displayed during Te Hīkoi mō te Tiriti.

“We want it to end,” he said.

“We don’t want our people led into the trenches to have choose sides.”

Edwards said the ructions within the party had taken attention away from other kaupapa, like the recent changes to the Marine and Coastal Areas Act (MACA).

“I ended up going down to Parliament , so I’m probably the last person to give advice to either of them on how to get back in there. I went down and got kicked out of there to try and draw attention to what’s happening in front of our eyes.”

“But the only kōrero that was being consumed in the media and on social media was the inferno raging within Te Pāti Māori.” he said.

Edwards said it would be the taimariki who carried the mauri of the hīkoi to Parliament that would be most affected.

“Where’s the aroha for those taitamariki? Because they’re looking at all their superheroes sitting across both camps, embroiled in this raru, and their hearts break.” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Māori Rhodes Scholar says Mākereti (Maggie) Papakura, believed to be the first indigenous woman to study at Oxford, was a huge inspiration behind his choice to study at the same university.

University of Waikato honours student Naianga Tapiata will complete a two-year Master of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Oxford from 2026.

“We heard the stories of Maggie Papakura growing up, but I never dreamed of it, never saw it being possible,” he said. “Then I remember the first time I was lucky enough to go to Oxford and visit her urupā.

“That, I think, sparked something in me where I realised, ‘Oh, this is possible. This is possible for a young Māori to go to a university like Oxford’.”

Born in Matatā in 1873, Papakura explored the customs of her people of Te Arawa from a female perspective. She died in 1930, just weeks before she was due to present her thesis.

Her thesis was posthumously published by friend, Rhodes Scholar and fellow Oxford anthropologist T K Penniman, in a book entitled The Old-Time Māori and she was awarded a posthumous degree by Oxford University in September 2025.

Tapiata was raised in Rotorua, near the village of Whakarewarewa – the same thermal village Papakura once guided tourists through. She was able to demonstrate that Māori culture had value on the global stage, he said.

“Everyone talked about her when we were over [at Oxford], where she lived, the people she interacted with, and the conditions of care I think she gave to everybody in her vicinity demonstrated to me, I think, the ability for Māori to help offer things to the world, not just how Oxford or the world can help offer things to us, but it’s a reciprocal relationship.

“I think Mākereti was the embodiment of that.”

Tapiata (Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Waikato) is the first graduate of kura kaupapa Māori to become a Rhodes Scholar.

The scholarship is administered by Universities New Zealand and includes a three-stage interview process, involving references, academic results, essays and in-person interviews. Established in 1902, the scholarship is the oldest international graduate scholarship programme in the world.

Tapiata told RNZ it was still a surreal feeling, even two weeks after it was announced, and he was grateful to all the people who had contributed to his education.

“I think it’s a testament to the way they’ve invested in to kaupapa like Te Aho Matua, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kohanga Reo, etc.”

Tapiata said we were living in a time of revitilisation of indigenous cultures across the world, and Oxford – as a place steeped in colonialism – could play a role in understanding the crossroads of indigenous cultures and Western society.

“I think what’s more important for me is the learning outside the classroom, walking through the halls where colonialism was thought about and strategised about. [What’s] probably more important to me is the people that gather at the University of Oxford and the experiences that come with the diversity of people.”

Indigenous scholars and scholars who were passionate about indigenous cultures had an opportunity to gather at Oxford, and wānanga about these issues, he said.

“I think the collaboration opportunities that come with that, to see what we could do, not just at Oxford, but what we could take back to our own people and help to offer to Oxford opportunities that I think we all hope and dream that our own cultures, our own ways of living have an opportunity to help solve some of the world’s greatest problems like climate change.”

The timing of Tapiata’s study at Oxford couldn’t be any better.

“I think that goes back to the kōrero about Maggie Papakura,” he said. “She enrolled at Oxford in 1927.

“It’s been 98 years since she enrolled. It’ll be 99 when I head over and, only a couple of months ago, she got her degree posthumously awarded to her.

“I think timing played a big role in this opportunity for everyone involved.

“I think, the ability of time to go beyond the normal conditions of human nature, how that can play a role in decision-making is important.

“As we know, as Māori, when you set sail according to different environmental tohu, those factors, I think, play a role in everything, not just things that are Māori, things that are indigenous, but also how they can play a role in things and opportunities like this.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

It will be a case of iwi versus iwi at the Taranaki Tū Mai festival over the weekend.

More than 5000 uri of the eight iwi of Taranaki are expected to come together in Ōpunakē to celebrate their unity through cultural activities and “friendly” sporting competition.

Taranaki Iwi is hosting the ninth edition of the biennial event featuring about 30 events and activities across eight venues.

Taranaki Tū Mai Trust chairperson Wharehoka Wano said the festival was founded on three pou – kotahitanga (unity), whanaungatanga (connection) and Taranakitanga.

“It’s a unifying kaupapa because often we are doing our things as individual iwi and hapū and marae, but this is about us just being together and then the Taranakitanga is just celebrating our identity as descendants of Taranaki Maunga.”

He said iwi spent a lot of time working in the political, social and environmental spheres and “sometimes we just need an event which is about celebrating who we are”.

That didn’t mean competition wouldn’t be intense.

“I mean, of course we’re passionate, we enjoy and love competition. So, the rivalry is passionate and when we play, whether it’s netball, league or basketball, you can see and feel the passion.

“Because when you put on the iwi shirt you have responsibility to do well for your tribe. So all of that goes on, but as soon as the competition is over we hongi and embrace.”

Cultural activities included this year were wānanga, a hīkoi to Te Namu Pā, maara kūmara (gardening), kapa haka and tautohehohe (debating).

Sporting codes range from bowls, darts and pool, to rugby league 9s, netball, touch, volleyball and softball.

Two new events had been added to this year’s competition – euchre and surfing.

Wano was particularly pleased to see surfing on the list.

“It’s taken me nine events to get surfing into the programme and it does help that we are in Ōpunakē, but really we’ve got quite a strong community of Māori surfers that have performed at the highest levels both nationally and internationally.

“So, I’m looking forward to spending time with my surfing community and also helping them to have a connection back in the tribal area.”

Tumu Whakarito (chief exectutive) of Te Kāhui o Taranaki, Damon Ritai, said hosting the event was a huge undertaking.

“If you think of some of the numbers in terms of registrations, for our iwi alone we had 993 bags ready and prepared to be picked up by whānau and that’s just one of the iwi, so there’s thousands of whānau that we that we are anticipating arriving here.”

Accommodation at Ōpunakē and surrounding marae was full or near capacity.

Ritai said beyond the sports and activities, the popular tamariki zone was returning and about 14 food trucks would be at the main festival hub axis between Ōpunakē High School, and Sinclair Electrical and Refrigeration Events Centre, which would also include a hauora hub and information stalls.

“I think there’s the island-style foods. You’ve got raw fish, you’ve got some hangi that will be available. I mean just for us we have 3000 we will be catering for on Sunday for a hangi – that’s something we are doing as an iwi – but you’ve got a whole lot of different food trucks that are going to be available to whānau, so I know they’ll be really popular.”

Ritai was looking forward to a giant catch up.

“You know, the reconnecting with people that we haven’t seen for a time. I think, yeah, just having us all together in one place with great weather and getting involved in sporting events and involved in discussions and knowledge sharing.”

Meanwhile Wano, who also had whakapapa to Taranaki iwi, had his eye on capturing the Taranaki Tū Mai title from the last host, Ngāti Tama, on his mind.

“They are coming back to retain their trophy and, of course, Taranaki iwi as hosts have a responsibility to challenge for it. So, yes, there’s certainly a trophy for the main winners.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 1000 schools have now publicly reaffirmed they will continue giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the government removing Treaty obligations from the Education and Training Act.

As of 21 November, 1007 schools have been added to Te Rārangi Rangatira, a growing list of public commitments made by boards, kura and principals’ associations across the motu.

Lawyer Tania Waikato, who is collating the statements and publicly sharing the list, said the surge of support from kura sends a clear message.

“Everything this government is doing to try and remove Te Tiriti from that conversation is being resisted.”

She said the response shows a “grassroots backlash” to the change.

“It’s totally organic. It’s not being led by any particular person or movement. It is a wonderful expression of kotahitanga.”

‘This is the hīkoi for the schools’

Waikato compared the outpouring of statements to Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti, the nation-wide movement opposing the Treaty Principles Bill and policies impacting Māori.

“This is the hīkoi for the schools. It gives that same feeling of unity and community,” she said.

She said schools are rejecting claims that Aotearoa is divided over Treaty issues.

“The Government, and the ACT Party in particular, have tried their darndest to convince everybody that we’re divided… but the truth is actually quite different.

“The vast majority of people want to get on with the business of what they’re doing – teaching the children and ensuring that they have a good education system to do that in.”

Waikato said the letters arriving daily from boards and principals, shows just how much it means for them to uphold Te Tiriti.

“One of the most amazing things about being in my shoes at the moment is that I get to see all of the amazing letters that have been written,” she said.

“Each one of them is uniquely expressing what Te Tiriti means to them within their communities, all of the hard work that they’ve done with the relevant mana whenua… They are fiercely proud of all of that mahi.”

She said the kura see the benefits and they understand how that translates into better educational outcomes.

Why Te Tiriti matters in schools

Waikato said schools repeatedly describe Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a “founding constitutional document”.

“They’re grounding their teaching frameworks in the bedrock of our country. We are not America. We are not an overseas jurisdiction that doesn’t have a history. We came to be a country because of Te Tiriti,” she said.

“To ignore that is to ignore part of the framework that makes Aotearoa what it is.”

She said schools view the removal of Treaty obligations as a step that “undermines equity and clarity” for whānau.

“The government is doing that very purposefully because they do not want the place of Māori within the Treaty partnership to be recognised,” she said.

“What the schools are saying is: too bad. We’re going to continue anyway.”

Associate Education Minister David Seymour earlier posted to social media in response to schools’ statements, and said the government had not banned schools from teaching about Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“I have some disappointing news for them. They’re not rebelling against the evil government because Parliament hasn’t banned them from teaching about the Treaty.”

He said boards are still required to “take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for the school reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity”.

Seymour also criticised what he described as an “intolerant, bullying tone” from schools.

“If someone has different priorities from them, that’s okay. What happened to live and let live?”

He said the government’s only demand, through ACT’s coalition commitments, is that “academic attainment becomes the paramount goal of a school board”.

He also noted that “all seems to be less than 200, mostly small, schools” had signed on at the time.

Waikato said the comments made by the Minister are “out of touch”.

“Some of the schools that are actually on the list already are some of the largest schools in the country,” she said.

“I find it very offensive that he thinks the size of the school means that it doesn’t really matter… For me, all of that just highlights that the Minister is out of touch with what our schools are going through, and very out of touch with what the concerns of parents like myself want to see.”

‘Legislation matters’

The Auckland Primary Principals’ Association (APPA) – representing 428 principals and kura – are among the rōpū issuing formal statements to the Education Minister opposing the legislative change.

“Te Tiriti is not an optional extra. It is our foundation constitutional document,” it said.

“Removing the obligation weakens accountability, risks inconsistency across the motu, and gives schools that are reluctant to engage an excuse to step away from commitments that should be universal.”

The association said principals across Tāmaki Makaurau are “united in their concern”, noting schools have spent years building relationships and local curricula grounded in partnership.

“This work has been deliberate, hard-won, and essential to improving outcomes for Māori learners and ultimately for all ākonga.”

They called on the Minister to reverse the recent legislative change and reinstate the Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligation for school boards within the Education and Training Act.

“Voluntary commitments alone cannot guarantee equity. Legislation matters. It sets expectations, protects progress, and ensures every board in Aotearoa New Zealand holds the same responsibility to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

Waikato said the association’s message hits at the heart of why schools are speaking out.

“Legislation matters,” she said.

“It sets expectations for what schools must do, and what parents and children can expect. As soon as you remove a legislative requirement, it removes that expectation.”

She also rejected suggestions that commitments to Te Tiriti detract from academic achievement.

“It’s not an either-or,” she said.

“Educators beg to differ, and they’re the ones who should know.”

RNZ has approached the Education Minister for comment.

In an email to the sector earlier this week, Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Government’s “number one priority is educational achievement,” and said that parents and volunteers on school boards should not be responsible for “legally giving effect to the Treaty”.

Stanford said the Crown “remains accountable for its Treaty commitments,” and that boards will instead be required to focus on equitable outcomes for Māori students, access to te reo Māori, and policies that reflect cultural diversity.

“As Minister, I am committed to lifting educational achievement for every student in our education system,” she said.

“I also strongly believe it is the Crown’s responsibility to meet its Treaty obligations by supporting Māori educational success. We’re raising Māori achievement which is a core tenet of our treaty obligation.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Around 932,000 people, or 18 percent of people living in Aotearoa, identified as Māori as at 30 June 2025, according to estimates released by Stats NZ.

The latest projections indicate the Māori population is likely to cross the million mark and increase to between 1.02 million and 1.09m in 2033.

Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a self-determined cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizenship, according to Stats NZ.

Ethnicity differs from the population of Māori descent, which is based on whakapapa, a person might acknowledge they are of Māori descent but choose not to identify as Māori. The latest estimated resident population of Māori descent was 1,036,000 at 30 June 2023.

Stats NZ population and housing spokesperson Sean Broughton said people of Māori ethnicity were projected to make up around 20 percent of New Zealand’s population in 2048.

“Our Māori ethnic population is growing at a faster rate than Aotearoa New Zealand’s population overall, mainly because of higher-than-average birth rates combined with a younger age structure.”

Māori births averaged about 17,000 a year between 2012 and 2025. The projections indicate that Māori births could exceed 19,000 a year by the late 2030s, as children born since 2000 reach childbearing age.

Inter-ethnic partnering also plays an important role in the growth of the Māori population. About one-quarter of Māori births are from non-Māori mothers with Māori fathers.

“Identifying with multiple ethnicities is common for Māori. Children and parents of Māori ethnicity will often identify with other ethnicities,” Broughton said.

In the 2023 Census, 59 percent of the Māori ethnic population identified with other ethnicities (up from 44 percent in the 2001 Census):

• 53 percent identified with European ethnicities (40 percent in 2001)
• 11 percent identified with Pacific ethnicities (6 percent in 2001)
• 2 percent identified with Asian ethnicities (1 percent in 2001)
• 0.4 percent identified with Middle Eastern / Latin American / African ethnicities (0.2 percent in 2001)

Death, migration and an ageing population

There were almost 5000 Māori deaths in the June 2025 year. Like deaths for all other ethnic groups, Māori deaths are projected to gradually increase as more people reach older ages.

Net migration is likely to reduce the Māori ethnic population, with migrant departures assumed to exceed migrant arrivals in most years.

“However, net migration losses will be more than offset by assumed net gains from inter-ethnic mobility, with more people identifying with Māori ethnicity over time,” Broughton said.

Despite having a youthful population, the projections indicate a gradual ageing of the Māori ethnic population.

The Māori ethnic population aged 65 years and over is likely to more than double from 75,000 in 2025 to around 180,000 in 2048. The population in the older working ages, 40 to 64 years, is also likely to grow significantly, from 230,000 in 2025 to around 370,000 in 2048.

As a result of the faster growth at older ages, the median age of the Māori ethnic population is likely to increase to about 35 years in 2048, compared with 28 years in 2025.

The median age of the total New Zealand population is likely to increase to about 43 years in 2048, compared with 38 years in 2025.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The chairperson of Te Rūnanga Ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi says he is “extremely disheartened” by Te Pāti Māori declining an invitation to meet with Te Tai Tokerau voters.

Rūnanga chair Mane Tahere had invited the national executive of Te Pāti Māori to attend a face-to-face hui at Kohewhata Marae in Kaikohe this Sunday to discuss the expulsion of Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and what the strategy for the electorate would be heading into next year’s general election.

Te Pāti Māori declined Tahere’s invitation, saying in a letter they had been advised by “multiple rangatira of Te Tai Tokerau” not to attend “at this time”.

The letter said the party was also dealing with some legal proceedings and had been advised that attending may be seen as “interfering with that process”.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the intention behind your invitation and remain committed to the wellbeing of our people and to appropriate kōrero at the right time and in the right way,” the letter said.

In a response sent out on Thursday, Tahere said the national executive’s absence would send a loud message about how Te Pāti Māori values its northern voter base.

“At present, it appears that value is very little.

“I cannot accept the reasons given for your non-attendance. My invitation made it absolutely clear that this hui would be held under tikanga on the marae, a setting that Te Pāti Māori, of all political movements, should instinctively understand, respect, and be guided by.”

Tahere said claiming multiple Te Tai Tokerau rangatira advised them not to attend did not stack up with the personal conversations he had leading up to the hui.

“I have spoken with many rangatira across Te Tai Tokerau who recognise the importance of this hui for our whānau and who believe firmly that Te Pāti Māori must be present, because showing up is who we are as iwi Māori.”

Speaking to RNZ, Tahere said more than 10,000 people voted for Mariameno Kapa-Kingi to be their MP, another 7000 gave their party vote to Te Pāti Māori and a few hundred were registered to attend the weekend’s hui.

“We are not hillbillies sitting up here with pitchforks. We’re a mature lot, many of our Ngāpuhi people are quite on to it.

“The whole point of the programme was for whānau and even Whāea Mariameno to have their kōrero and to ‘hohou te rongo’ because we were cut out of much of the decision-making about our own candidate – we still have that mamae (pain) as voters in that it’s just off-kilter.”

He said the way Kapa-Kingi was expelled from the party was “un-Māori” and it “glaringly obvious” the national executive was following “Pākehā ture”.

“A hui at the marae can break through all of that.”

Despite the no-show, Tahere said the hui would still go ahead and the door would be open for Te Pāti Māori to attend.

“I was also encouraged by the positivity coming out from many of the attendees and whānau I’ve spoken to about being strategic, having some outcome that is focused on us as a people and being collective and united.

“You go through some riri, but you also come out with ‘ko puawai tēnei, he mea rawa mō te iwi’… the pressure should be put on them so that they reconsider and turn up.”

Tahere said Te Tai Tokerau represented a key electorate for Te Pāti Māori and not turning up on Sunday could spell disaster for the party at next year’s election.

“Everybody will be assessing the political structuring of ‘where to next’, whether it’s Labour or New Zealand First… the Te Pāti Māori voters, I would say, from what I’ve been hearing, are very much hōhā.

“This could be the make-or-break, and, perhaps by not turning up, political suicide for Te Pāti Māori.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

This year’s World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) has arrived at what organisers describe as the “perfect time” – with thousands of delegates gathering in Tāmaki Makaurau as Indigenous rights face renewed pressure in Aotearoa and abroad.

Held in partnership with mana whenua, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the week-long hui brings together delegates from across the world.

While the focus is on education, global shifts in geopolitics – including policy rollbacks, reforms, and debates over Indigenous rights – have shaped much of the kōrero.

WIPCE 2025 co-chair Professor Meihana Durie told RNZ although the kaupapa was about celebrating and recognising the place of indigeneity in the world, it could not have come at a better time.

“The thing which worries us all here at this hui is that the New Zealand government, in particular, seems hell-bent on removing any reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and it sends a message to our people that they don’t care about Māori education.

“We, on the other hand, are here to find the solutions.”

Political climate ‘cannot be ignored’

Across Aotearoa, hundreds of schools have publicly pushed back at the government’s plan to remove the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, saying their commitment to the Treaty will remain unchanged.

The Treaty requirement previously in the Education Act said schools would give effect to Te Tiriti, including by ensuring plans, policies, and local curriculum reflected local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori; taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students.

The Education and Training Amendment Bill, which passed its third reading at the beginning of November, removed this requirement.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said they made the change because the treaty was the Crown’s responsibility, not schools’.

“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.

“But what is not clear is a conferred and unreasonable treaty duty that they are expected to decipher.”

As a response, a growing number of New Zealand schools are reaffirming their support for Te Tiriti. Te Rārangi Rangatira, an official list of the schools reaffirming their support had reached 792 as of 19 November.

Durie said that feeling of support was also being felt strongly by educators attending the conference.

“It’s important to call that out. It’s important to hold the government accountable for their continual removal of any sense of honouring and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” he said.

“In the last two weeks, we’ve now had hundreds of schools saying to the government, ‘we disagree vehemently with that directive’.”

He said Aotearoa was not alone in facing political pressure. Indigenous communities in several countries are confronting governments taking approaches “whereby, in their view, indigeneity doesn’t matter”.

“That’s why we’re here. We share what we’re going through with our Indigenous brothers and sisters, but we also take so much inspiration from what others are doing across various nations.”

Sharing mātauranga (knowledge)

Aotearoa has long been regarded as a global example of language and cultural revitalisation, Durie said.

Delegations from Canada, Hawai’i, Samoa, the Sámi region and across the Pacific have been seeking insights into Māori immersion education, iwi-led school models, and community-driven revitalisation initiatives.

Durie said those exchanges were grounded in reciprocity.

“He aroha ki te tangata. Anything that we’ve done in the past and in the present, we share our journey with other Indigenous nations,” he said.

“But at the same time, there’s this tauutuutu – this reciprocity, this give and take – where we have just been amazed by what others are doing in education.”

A consistent theme throughout the week is that Indigenous nations cannot afford to become complacent.

“We can’t be stagnant. We can’t just reach a particular point and expect that things will continue to flourish.”

Alongside keynote speakers and hundreds of presentations, discussions this week have centred on kotahitanga (unity), shared strategy, and the reaffirmation of Indigenous sovereignty.

Sessions have included youth leadership, health and wellbeing, the protection of ancestral knowledge, and linguistics and cultural revitalisation.

“This week has been all about affirming the status and the sovereign rights of us as indigenous nations,” Durie said.

“That’s the first thing. Secondly, to remind Aotearoa about the fact that we are an Indigenous nation, lest the government, and lest others, forget.”

He said delegates want the voices and images from the gathering to reach far beyond Tāmaki Makaurau.

“We want the messages from this hui… to go out around the world to remind the world about their role and responsibility in ensuring that the sovereign rights of Indigenous nations are acknowledged and accepted.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand