Iwi leaders debate inside the whare Kahukuranui at Omāhu Marae. Photo: Marc Daalder/Newsroom
Around 200 Māori leaders debated the idea of an assembly representing all Māori at a hui at Omāhu near Hastings on Friday.
The idea of an assembly of iwi, hapū and other Māori groups that could promote a collective response to government challenges was floated by a working group which emerged from a series of hui which began in January of last year.
Under the proposal, called Te Whare o Te Rangatiratanga, the assembly was envisaged as a body that could support whānau, hapū and iwi decision making, provide a stage to unite around issues of importance and protect and promote indigenous rights.
Speakers at the hui said whatever form the body ultimately takes it couldn't just replicate the structure of Parliament.
Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber admitted the idea of a single body representing all Māori was met with some scepticism but said that's exactly why discussions like this were needed.
"Anything new, anything that's coming from iwi and kaupapa Māori groups there's going to be a level of scepticism and we heard that today.
"People aren't going to swallow that all in one go and that's why we're talking. Okay it's going to take some time, it's going to take some education, but that's good, this is an opportunity to put the seed in the ground and see if there's any merit."
Ngāti Kahungunu Chair Bayden Barber speaks to iwi leaders at the hui. Photo: Marc Daalder/Newsroom
Some iwi leaders suggested that more time was needed so Māori were not left behind as their leaders charged ahead.
Barber said many Māori were disconnected from wānanga of this nature so there was a lot of engagement that still needed to happen before the idea could get over the line.
"You've got to start somewhere and this is a start. He timatatanga noa iho tēnei.
"Long term there's an opportunity to really use a kotahitanga movement like this, really support the aspirations of our people."
The chair of Te Rūnanga o Toarangatira and a member of the working group which put forward the proposal, Helmut Modlik, said even if the model was far from perfect, Māori needed a way to pool their power efficiently.
"I think the priority is to stand up the whare, make sure it's inclusive so everyone's inside, keep the winds and the rains off us and then in the days and the years ahead of us we can make it better and better," he told the hui.
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