Tame Iti was welcomed onto Waitangi this morning in a special pōwhiri marking the return of Ngā Tamatoa to Waitangi, after 50 years .
As a part of Ngā Tamatoa, Iti was a prominent voice and face leading the movement aiming to rescue and normalise te reo Māori in the 1970s.
He says the fight is very different in today’s climate.
“We have to be a lot smarter today. I think we have a new generation, and the generation we have has come from the kōhanga reo and the kura kaupapa. It’s a new breed, smart. They didn’t carry the trauma that we carried, my nanny and koro, it’s a new breed coming. And I’m excited by it,”
Although the country is in the midst of great debate over Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the proposed Treaty principles bill, Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe) says he doesn’t want to pay any mind to that topic.
“Kāore noa ōku whakaaro o ō rātou na pōrangitanga, kūaretanga. Engari ko te mea kē kia aronui tātou te tangata ko tēhea te huarahi hei whai mā tātou.”
(I pay no mind to their craziness, their ignorance. Instead we as the people should focus solely on which route we should take.)
Iti’s time with Ngā Tamatoa
Reminiscing on his time as an activist for Māori rights, Iti says he has regrets on the measures he took.
“It was inevitable for those protests. I will make no apology for that, because you had to have a loud voice.”
White flags were waving this morning as a sign of a new blank canvas
But the reason for his return to Waitangi was in remembrance of Ngā Tamatoa.
“I haramai i runga i te hokinga mahara ki te hunga i tū rātou i konei i ngā rima tekau, rima tekau mā rua tau ki muri, ko Ngā Tamatoa tērā,”
(I came here on the basis of remembering those who stood here 52 years ago, that was Ngā Tamatoa.)