Ka Ora, Ka Ora

“To my enemies and assassins ‘Ka Ora, Ka Ora’

Painting of Te Rauparaha Ngāti Toa Rangatira pulling the finger. Much can be said of his legacy, deeds and accolades. If I was to name one, it would be survival which led to the creation of the world-famous haka ‘Ka Mate’. MP Hana Rawhiti invoked the haka within the walls of parliament in opposition to the treaty principles bill as she tore in half a physical copy, becoming a worldwide phenomenon inspiring indigenous movements all over the world.

Artist and Ngāti Toa descendant Taupuru (Ariki) Brightwell’s response to Aotearoa’s current affairs. The vision of portraying the great Rangatira in this fashion came from my father, and inspired by the March 2024 protest at Freyberg High when the students confronted David Seymour by invoking ‘Ka Mate’ in opposition to his anti-Māori agenda. If my tipuna were to witness the treatment of our people today, I believe it would be in his character to react in this manner, watching as the people of Aotearoa harness his haka to defy colonial rule. The painting was then carried by friends and whānau at the Toitū te Tiriti activation in November at Papaioea and Paremata for the world to see.

This Matariki marks the second Māori New Year, our battle with the three headed taniwha threatening to undo decades of progress between tangata whenua and tangata tiriti, creating much divide and turmoil throughout the nation. We have reached a critical moment in our history, Matariki brings a time of change, reflection and to regroup as we prepare for the next battle to protect the taonga our tipuna handed to us for generations to come. Our ancestors stand with us, strong and proud and as expressed in the haka,

“I live, I live, will never die, will never die!”