In his opening address to the Deep South Alcohol Harm Reduction Conference in Ootepoti Dunedin today, Kaiaarahi of Kookiri ki Taamakimakaurau Trust and WAI2624 lead claimant Raawiri Ratuu issued a wero to non-Maaori organisations to return funding they’ve received in the name of reducing alcohol harm to Maaori.
“Show some integrity and give the money back, so it can be redirected to Maaori to make a difference in ways only they know how.” Mr Ratuu says.
“Non-Maaori will never truly understand what ‘harm’ means, nor what it looks like, for Maaori at a deeper level.
“Maaori do not need non-Maaori saviours. We have mana motuhake.”
In his koorero, Mr Ratuu spoke about the significant progress that by Maaori, for Maaori leadership has delivered in reducing and eliminating alcohol harm to Maaori.
“We are increasingly returning to becoming the determiners of our future, the future of our whaanau, our hapuu, our iwi, our tamariki, our mokopuna, and of hapori Maaori.” Mr Ratuu says.
“There will always be a place for a kaupapa relationship, for non-Maaori to work alongside Maaori in charting a path to achieving our aspirations.
“The role for non-Maaori in that relationship is to step back and let Maaori determine what that path looks like.”
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