Our columnist Leigh-Marama McLachlan urges people to stop moaning about iwi checkpoints and hapū support and let Māori leadership help us through.
When hundreds of people in Northland were queuing in the hot sun for hours to be tested for Covid-19 this week, it was local iwi who tookimmediate action to provide the people relief.
Northland iwi Ngātiwai handed out bottles of water and fruit to those who had been sitting in hot cars for hours, as well as advocating for more resources such as toilets for those waiting.
It is a real shame that Covid-19 has been detected in the community again under what appears to be concerning circumstances – three cases now of the virus being picked up after leaving quarantine.
We know how quickly the virus can spread, especially the highly infectious South African strain which has been detected here. This is an important reminder for those of us around the country to remain vigilant, to keep up our hygiene practices and to use the Covid tracer app or at least make a note of where you go.
It is comforting to see health officials and the public kicking into gear, with huge numbers of people turning up to be tested for the virus in Northland this week.
In an effort to beef up protection, some Māori leaders from Te Tai Tokerau want to set up iwi checkpoints again to monitor who is coming into the region.
Remember the South Taranaki iwi checkpoint mid-last year noted that more than two thirds of drivers should not have been on the road.
Despite this, I have had to brace myself for the flurry of outrage from members of the public about the checkpoints. Many New Zealanders claim they are wrong, illegal and should not be happening.
From my perspective, I cannot help but think how lucky those communities are to be served by such caring and protective Māori leadership. And I am disappointed to hear that Police have already shut down at least one checkpoint.
Let me be clear – iwi and hapū have held mana over their respective lands for hundreds and hundreds of years and their key concern is the wellbeing of their people and communities.
Their decision to set up checkpoints is solely to protect people and if you live in their region then you should be grateful that they are this invested in keeping the virus out of your towns.
Businesses now have to display a QR code for people to scan in with the NZ Covid Tracer App. But too few people are using it. Photo / file
But from what I saw when Taranaki iwi set up a checkpoint in the thick of it last year, they were met with abuse and hatred, racism and even death threats. Why fight extra protection from Covid-19?
I would say the response to checkpoints has been more to do with racism and people having a problem with Māori asserting their mana, rather than the checkpoint itself.
People need to think long and hard about where their anguish comes from and actually acknowledge iwi and hapū for their unrelenting response to the pandemic in Aotearoa.
From the time we realised how dangerous the virus was, iwi, hapū and Maori organisations have gone above and beyond to support their communities and to protect the vulnerable.
In the past year, tens of thousands of people have received care packages from their marae, hapū and iwi and many of these collectives faced barriers even trying to help in the first place.
Iwi health organisations reported being left out of the loop by Government officials, being denied testing kits and extra resources, and being cut out of the planning and decision-making.
With history telling us that Māori fare the worst in pandemics on our shores, no wonder iwi leaders act quickly and do take it upon themselves to make sure their people do not slip between the cracks again.
Leigh-Marama McLachlan. Photo / file
Māori people from the North are formidable and proud, and they have been turning out in droves to be tested for Covid-19 which is great.
Out of precaution, iwi leaders have already cancelled several hui at Waitangi next week and opted for online hui. It will be interesting to see whether other planned events at Waitangi will still go ahead.
If they are cancelled, Māori leaders would have lost two key opportunities this year to confront the Government over Māori issues and to seek to hold them to account.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern usually kicks off the political year with a visit to Rātana Pā, which did not go ahead this year, before spending several days in Waitangi and delivering a speech about how the Government is working for Māori.
They are important opportunities for Māori to elevate our concerns to the public sphere and whilst I understand that safety comes first, I do hope that the opportunity isn't lost altogether.
