From Aotearoa to Palestine: Matariki Reflections

It’s Matariki, and I am with my whānau by the coast with a bowl of hot boil-up on my lap and some fry bread in my hand. We’re gathered around a bonfire, resting after a long day of attending Matariki festivals and watching kapa haka. As well as joining in the celebrations, I am taking a moment to reflect on the year that’s passed and looking to the year ahead. 

We’re living during a time of political unrest, and I am seeing more and more people being radicalised in either direction. We are responding to injustices and oppression with anger, and we are channelling our anger into resistance which is only growing stronger. I also see a lot of anxiety from people, especially around the possibility of a global war. Change can be overwhelming when it seems to be happening so quickly, and when the future is still uncertain. 

In the midst of it all, I am watching in real time that our culture is alive and thriving. Much of our culture was eroded through colonisation, but it is being revitalised and it is around us every day. Matariki was nearly forgotten, but it is now celebrated nationally and is quickly becoming widespread and central for everyone in Aotearoa. Decolonisation is not a distant dream; it is real, and it is happening now. Despite the attempts of this government to suppress our voices and culture, we remain strong. I am immensely proud of the way we all stood up against the Treaty Principles Bill, and then again against the Regulatory Standards Bill. 

This year I have Palestine in my thoughts and in my heart. I am thinking about all of the whānau and tamariki who have been murdered by Israhell, and I quietly pray for their safe passage through Te Ara Wairua. A few months ago I saw a video of a little girl surrounded by rubble, holding up a sign that read ‘Toitū Te Tiriti’. I know that Palestine will be free soon, because we will continue to fight for them and stand with them in solidarity. Our struggles are similar, and we are fighting for the same things. Time and time again, we raise our tino rangatiratanga flags and our Palestine flags side by side. We know that we cannot be free until all of us are free. 

Recently Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church led a demonstration of hate. They used taiaha to shred apart flags, including pride flags and Palestine flags, and then proceeded to burn them. They referred to Islam as ‘an evil satanic religion’, which is especially horrific with the genocide already happening. They used our culture as a weapon against other minority groups. Their actions are not representative of what Christianity is–a religion which prioritises love at its very core–or of who Māori are. Scapegoating and fear mongering is divisive and only perpetuates further harm and violence towards our most vulnerable groups. 

But I know that Aotearoa knows how to resist. We have the strength of our tīpuna and we know how to care for our communities, and this is what will prevail. Matariki is not just a time for celebration; it is a time for remembering, for mourning, for looking ahead, and for planting new seeds. As I sit near the warmth of the fire in quiet reflection, I am filled with anticipation and hope. Times are uncertain right now, but the uncertainty is also filled with possibility. I believe in us, and I believe in our future.