“What’s good for Māori is good for Tangata Moana”: Pacific solidarity runs strong at Koroneihana

“More than friends, but whānau.” That was the message Māori speakers repeated to Pacific visitors on the third day of Koroneihana at Tūrangawaewae marae.

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There’s a lot of our whānau from the Pacific. They live here in Aotearoa, and there’s a whole lot of relationships that have been built up over many years.

The annual celebration brought leaders, community representatives and delegates from across the Pacific together to honor the reigning Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Ngā Wai Hono i Te Pō. For Māori and Pacific communities, Koroneihana remains a place where long-standing relationships are renewed.

Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said many Pacific peoples now call Aotearoa home, making those relationships especially important. “There’s a lot of our whānau from the Pacific. They live here in Aotearoa, and there’s a whole lot of relationships that have been built up over many years,” he said. He added that the priority should be to ground the relationship first, allowing practical work to follow.

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It’s more than just ‘cousins’ of the Pacific. It’s more, family of the Pacific, tēnā koutou.

The presence of Fiji’s paramount chief of Lau Province, Ratu Tevita Kapaiwai Lutunauga Uluilakeba Mara, and Tonga’s Princess Lātūfuipeka reinforced that bond, Papa said. “It’s more than just ‘cousins’ of the Pacific. It’s more, family of the Pacific, tēnā koutou,” he told those gathered.

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It’s important that we stand with our cousins of the Moana, you know, in solidarity to support them in their rights.

Green Party candidate Michel Mulipola said Pacific peoples had an important role in standing alongside Māori and supporting their rights. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick urged people to focus on what could unite them rather than what might divide them. Hamilton Pacific Community Association representative Jordan Nonoa also emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relationships. Tongan youth representative Sister Funaki described the gathering as filled with connection, love, warmth and joy across the cultures of the South Pacific.

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We’re all aware of the things that could divide us. But if we just spend a moment to actually fixate on the things that could bring us together, on the things that are so amazing and beautiful about this country, and we work on building those things up, we’re unstoppable.