“As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and other tā moko.” — Brisbane-based lawyer Bridget Burton.

“Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on healing.

“The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture.” — Mark Feary.

“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I’ve grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-chancellor (Pasifika), Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.

“Rather than stripping each other down, perhaps this is the moment to hold compassion for those we have chosen to lead us, even when we disagree, even when they fall short.” — Shonelle Wana.

“It’s spiritually powerful music, and that’s why I gravitate to it. We hear the music, and we feel it. And then we hear the social commentary, and it just tops it off and validates our feelings.” — Katchafire’s Logan Bell on reggae’s appeal.

“Every movement that changes the world depends on two kinds of energy. One pushes from the outside, demanding transformation. The other works from the inside, turning vision into practical steps.” — Sacha McMeeking.

“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.

“The idea that people educated in this country should devote a small fraction of their undergraduate study to understanding our history and its relevance to all citizens today ought to be unremarkable.” — Emeritus Professor Alison Jones on Auckland Uni's decision to drop proposed compulsory courses.

“For many, he is the face of Tūhoe, of resistance, of the resurgence of te reo, of the return of mataora.” — Eugene Bingham on Tāme Iti’s memoir, ‘Mana’.

“A new modus operandi for Māori and Pākehā relations in the 21st century may draw at least in part on some of the lessons learned from the encounters that took place before 1840.” — Vincent O’Malley, from his new book The Meeting Place.

“Māori are lagging in every social and economic indicator, and the rest of the country seems to think that’s an acceptable status quo. But you won’t read about it when Te Pāti Māori are busy hogging the headlines.” — Aaron Smale.

“Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — Aroha Gilling.

“Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the uncertainty of our inboxes and calendars.” — Nathan Hira.

“We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us.” — Marli Olive Wesley.

“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

“For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzhu Fu.

“When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a mental health support programme in Ohakune.

“In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones.

“For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mike Smith.

“The recognition of tikanga strengthens the rule of law. By contrast, rhetoric from the executive that disparages judicial engagement with tikanga undermines the separation of powers at the core of our constitutional order.” — Natalie Coates and Tai Ahu, Te Hunga Rōia Māori.

“The sands here are not just matter, materials, or commodities. They are alive with the energy of our mountain and moana. They carry whakapapa. They are not for sale.” — Kate Paris in Pātea.

“Tākuta Ferris was off course in so many ways. ‘Asians’ have their own history of subjugation to white supremacy and British colonial rule.’ — Kim Webby.

“Even the most skilled school leader is constrained by the ongoing failure of the state to address the deep inequity in our education system. New Zealand ranks 33rd out of 38 developed countries for its overall equality in education.” — Rebecca Macfie, author of ‘Hope and Hardship’.

“New Zealand would do well to pay close attention to understand just how far it has moved towards the fringe of international political thought.” — Professor Dominic O’Sullivan.

“We want them to be champions, but more importantly, we want them to be good human beings.” — “Champion maker” Lolo Heimuli, who coached 10 world champions and more than 100 national champions in combat sports.

"Last weekend, Nadine Mortaja, a 26-year-old Palestinian New Zealander, led 50,000 people in the historic March for Humanity through the Auckland CBD, to demand that the New Zealand government impose sanctions on Israel for its war crimes in Gaza."

👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 Ali & her have been an inspiration every week !

You can always rely on @etangata.bsky.social to move beyond clickbait to discuss and present issues in depth.

We're saddened by the passing of Dame Joan Metge this week, at the age of 95. In 2015, we had the privilege of sitting down with Joan to discuss her remarkable journey helping shape how New Zealand talks about race relations. Our condolences to Joan's whānau and the many lives she touched.

“This year has been about navigating the surprising layers of grief for a language I never had until now, and envying anybody who grew up with it.” — Michelle Campbell.

“Kids’ homes and schools are the top exposure zones for junk food marketing in Aotearoa. That’s not passive exposure, it’s precision targeting.” — Vinetta Plummer.

“We should not underestimate the capacity of our children’s brains, but should be celebrating and supporting all the benefits of their potential bilingual superpowers.” — Linguist Hilary Smith.

“It was a way for me to let out my frustration and to feel like I was doing something, even if it was just a little part. Chanting genuinely gave me a purpose, a way to keep going.” — Nadine Mortaja, who led last week’s March for Humanity in Auckland.

“I wanted to share something that the world could hear and see, so they could start making a better judgment of who we are. That's the goal, to basically reintroduce ourselves to the world.” — Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, co-creator of Hawaiian historical drama series ‘Chief of War’.

“It was a thrilling cacophony of joyous birdsong. A jostling, prancing throng of utterly diverse tangata whenua giving vigorous and unified voice to a new māori era.” — Tainui Stephens on the response to Kuini Nga wai hono i te po’s first speech.

“We want the best for our children. We want to be loved. And we want the best for our parents as they age. It doesn’t matter what your socioeconomic status is — we have these things in common.” — Rachel Karalus, mayoral candidate in Kirikiriroa Hamilton.

“I realised during those meetings that people who are not Māori aren’t often exposed to the ongoing effects of colonisation. They seldom take the opportunity to listen to tangata whenua.” — Catherine Delahunty on the campaign to educate voters about Māori wards.

“Increasing deportations may look strong on law and order domestically, but it will cause untold damage to our Pacific relationships.” — Henrietta McNeill-Stowers.

“She had emerged from a year of mourning for her father, and her remedy for Māori advancement was couched in encouragement to let wounds turn to scars, and to turn from anguish and protest to acceptance and new economic plans.” — A commentary on the first speech from Te Kuini.

“Generational trauma rises in me every time I think of Nana as a little girl being violently punished for speaking the only language she knew. Generational aroha pushes me forward to the mic.” — Marama Davidson on her reo journey.

“Using woke as a slur dismisses not only a word but the centuries of struggle, pain, and progress it represents. Whether intended or not, it aligns with the same forces that upheld slavery, apartheid, and white supremacy.” — Gregory Fortuin.

“In one year, the public account has grown by more than the total paid out in Treaty settlements since 1994 — that’s every single claim across three decades.” — Bevan O’Connor, candidate for Hastings District Council.

“While the Pacific Islands Forum is often described as the region’s premier political gathering, it has never been a space owned solely by Pacific nations. From the beginning, Australia and New Zealand have sat at the table.” — Sione Tekiteki.

“You can still deliver a pepeha — even if, like me, you’re Māori and don’t know your whakapapa.” — Emma West.

“I’m just focusing on Sāmoan food, instead of calling it Pasifika food or Polynesian food, and just trying to see if being specific with one’s culture is a way to success.” — Henry Onesemo, owner of award-winning restaurant Tala.

“Her farewell was her final gift. She showed us the strength of our culture, the resilience of our whānau, and the power of kaupapa Māori when it is lived, not just spoken.” — Shonelle Wana.

“Western, colonial education systems may be out of favour in 2025, but call it a ‘knowledge-rich’ system, and somehow it’s more acceptable.” — Erica Hamilton, secondary school teacher.

“As a nation, Te Tiriti, Section 4, and iwi rights and responsibilities are the strongest protections we have against extensive privatisation and commercialisation of the conservation estate.” — Melanie Nelson on proposed changes to how conservation land is managed.

“What I love about this kaupapa is bridging that gap between our community members, especially our youth, and the professional setting of the opera.” — Stacey Leilua, creative producer of NZ Opera’s ‘The Monster in the Maze’.