Members of Whakauae Research Services Ltd were pleased to support WRS staff member Luke Enoka recently when he presented at the Holders of Our Knowledges and Keepers of Our Stories Symposium, in Melbourne, Australia. Invited by the team at the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, Melbourne University, Luke was the only Māori speaker who, along with more than a dozen Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous guests presented on various research projects hosted by the institute. Topics on the day ranged from experiences of birthing on country to the maintenance of language and culture through to forestry practices.
Luke’s presentation, Kia wetea ngā here a te Kāwana: Casting off the Crown’s shackles, told the story of Ngāti Hauiti’s struggle for tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and their resilience throughout history. The story begins with the colonial oppression faced by Winiata Te Whaaro and his hapū, who were forcibly evicted from their land despite their resistance in 1897. The narrative then shifted to the Iwi’s governance revival throughout the 1970s and 1980s, focusing on the tribe’s reclamation of cultural identity and self-governance. The establishment of a tribal council in 1994, outside of legislation, marked a significant moment of casting aside colonial shackles and exercising self-determination. This story, ably recounted by Luke, provides the background to the current Whakauae project Rapua te ara Rangatira kia hikitia ai te oranga tangata: Leadership, governance and decision-making models to achieve health equity. This project supports the legacy of those visionaries who strove for a hapū-based governance model, one which remains separate to and from the confines of a Crown-Iwi relationship.
Members of our team who accompanied Luke to the University of Melbourne acknowledge our hosts, the Indigenous Knowledge Institute for their manaaki during our time in Naarm, and the traditional owners of the Kulin Nation on whose land we gathered.
Enoka, L. (2024). Kia wetea ngā here a te Kāwana: Casting off the Crown’s shackles. Presentation at the Holders of Our Knowledges and Keepers of Our Stories Symposium, Indigenous Knowledge Institute, Melbourne University, Naarm, Melbourne 9 August 2024.
