Joining me live from the Waitangi treaty grounds
is Labour Minister and Waitangi National Trust Board member,
Peeni Henare.
From what I can see on your singlet,
you were supporting the Philadelphia Eagles
at the recent Super Bowl game?
Yes definitely.
My team reached the top and so did my iwi of Ngapuhi.
Clearly good vibes at Waitangi this year,
but surely you realise your government
must deliver to Maori to retain that support and goodwill?
Yes that's correct.
We have all seen the good vibes that is at Waitangi,
but we must not think that the work is done.
What we want to do in the years ahead is to uplift Maori kaupapa,
not just kaupapa of Ngapuhi and Northland.
There's much work ahead of us.
But for now, I will say Waitangi was a success.
Awesome, Peeni.
Your team are doing great with developing relationships
with iwi.
Your colleague Andrew Little says Ngapuhi settlement by 2020,
but your kuia Titiwhai doubts that
- how realistic, how challenging is that 2020 settlement goal?
That's the core of my upbringing.
Myself and some of my generation
really want to get these claims sorted for Ngapuhi.
So I will say we have come too far to give up now.
If the minister believes we can get this sorted
within the next few years, then I support and believe him.
And we will work to make it happen.
We've seen iwi like Tainui, Ngai Tahu and Ngati Whatua
who have really prospered as a result of treaty settlements
- how important is such redress for the future of Ngapuhi?
Yes, that's correct.
But let's not build houses on sand.
Our plan is to fortify the foundation such as genealogy
and building relationships within Ngapuhi
and from there we will stand strong and firm.
You're also a member of the Waitangi National Trust,
the body that administers the treaty grounds,
what are the plans for the future?
One big plan that's ahead of us
is to create a museum as a memorial place
for our soldiers in the 28th Maori Battalion
who went to WWI and WWII.
And to educate everybody on the place behind me
which was where the soldiers left NZ
and where Apirana Ngata made his the price of citizenship speech.
So we of this area support building a place to honour and remember them.
There's also plenty of other things ahead of us,
one is working with Te Tii Marae so that it doesn't lay forgotten.
We only have a short amount of time left Peeni,
but I would like to acknowledge you.
It seems your efforts to help the PM learn Maori is really paying off.
And she's passionate about uplifting and using our language
in all that she does.
Yes that true.
She's a brave woman and an educated woman.
She has all the capability to speak Maori.
She's also aware of our ancient custom
when it comes to the placenta,
which is to bury it back into the earth where it came from.
Peeni Henare, thank you for your time.