“The atmosphere at the marae today was overwhelming – in terms of the sheer numbers of people representing various iwi and entities across the nation and the region, plus the Cook Islands Prime Minister and his contingent who attended to pay respects to King Tuheitia and the bereaved family,”
“What was especially moving was to hear the compliments regarding the King urging not only Māoridom but all New Zealanders to rally together. That is kotahitanga going into the future, instead of the threat posed by some of the Government’s coalition partners to disempower Māoridom going forward. The King’s principal speaker, Rahui Papa who spoke late yesterday summed up beautifully what the King meant by kotahitanga, that there’s a space for everyone going forward together.”
