‘We are the descendants of giants – let’s act like it’ – Meth crisis tales of woe fire up Ngāpuhi leader, action plan soon

Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi is working with the Government and police to come up with a solution to stop Northland’s spiralling methamphetamine crisis.

Methamphetamine has no place in Northland and working with Government and other agencies will help deal with the region’s meth crisis, Ngāpuhi leader Mane Tahere says.

Chair of Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi, Tahere, recently wrote to Police Minister Mark Mitchell and other senior Government ministers asking for urgent action after he saw youths openly smoking methamphetamine on Kaikohe‘s main street during the day.

Since Tahere went public with the crisis, he has heard other harrowing tales of people dealing with the situation, including an 80-year-old kuia who has had an eight-year struggle with local users constantly causing trouble with her and her whānau.

As well, Mitchell and other senior officials will visit Northland shortly to hear first-hand those tales of lives lost to meth.

It’s believed that an action plan to tackle the crisis could be released in the next week or so.

Kaikohe locals believe that methamphetamine is an “epidemic” in the town.

Tahere said the rūnanga is taking a bold stand in the fight against the pernicious and addictive Class A drug and was determined to work with the Government and other agencies to win the fight.

He said the iwi will continue to raise consciousness around the devastating impact meth is having on whānau and hapū (subtribe) within Te Whare Tapu o Ngāpuhi.

Tahere said in a recent meeting with Government ministers and agencies, he came away convinced that these matters are being taken seriously.

Tahere met with Mitchell, Māori Affairs Minister Tama Potaka, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and other senior departmental officials in Wellington earlier this month to discuss the issue.

Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngāpuhi chairman Mane Tahere is working with the Government to come up with a plan to tackle Northland’s methamphetamine crisis.

Mitchell said there will be targeted gang busts in Northland, similar to last year’s Ōpōtiki raids, in an effort to crack down on methamphetamine use in the region.

He said the meeting resulted in a clear path forward and police would work with iwi and other local leaders to address the problem.

Northland has the highest methamphetamine usage rate in the country.

“It was a positive meeting with strong commitment around the table to work together,” Tahere said.

The iwi leader’s message to anyone involved in this destructive habit is clear and uncompromising.

“We all come from rangatira whakapapa [noble genealogy] – meth is not a rangatira kaupapa [noble pursuit]. If you’re on the gear – get off and seek support. If you’re involved in distribution – go get lost. This is Te Whare Tapu o Ngāpuhi and meth has no place here.”

There were organisations out there that would help people get off the drug and more work was being done in that area.

Tahere said the partnership between the rūnanga and various Government ministers and their agencies signals a unified approach rooted in both the reality of what’s happening and community-based action. There is a shared understanding that tackling meth requires more than enforcement – it requires community leadership, healing and restoration.

“Working alongside communities is how we begin to create meaningful change. Police cannot do this on their own was the affirmative theme of the hui [meeting].”

Tahere emphasised the importance of Ngāpuhi leading the solutions from within and holding firm to the mana and tapu (sacredness) of Ngāpuhi spaces.

At his local takiwā (cluster of local marae) hui, marae representatives shared more horrifying stories about the impact of meth in the area’s valleys and on marae.

“I sat there listening to an 80-year-old kuia explain her eight-year struggle with local users constantly causing trouble with her and her whānau, it is so sad. Meth is desecrating our whakapapa, our homes and our sacred spaces. It’s time to stand up, speak out and reclaim our future. We are the descendants of giants – let’s act like it. We need to use every tool available to us in a strategy that is real."

He said the rūnanga and the Government remain committed to continuing their kōrero (discussions) and will provide further updates in the coming weeks as plans are developed and actions begin.

“This will be followed by a visit from the police and other ministers to some of our marae and community to hear first-hand some of the struggle but, more importantly, some of our solutions.”