E kore au e mutu te tu ki te pakanga. Kia kai rano au i te rere ua o te po. Katahi ano au ka mutu te tu ki te pakanga. Ka hinga hoki ra Te-Wao-Nui-o-Tane ki raro nai. E te ti, e te ta, nau mai ki te whare korero o Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi tenei, e mihi atu nei ki a koutou katoa. Welcome to The Hui, Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. It's the military installation that modernised modern warfare, and it was designed right here by Maori. I think it stands as a temple, if you like, of what warfare really was for our people back then, and how brilliant Kawiti was as a tactician. As the nation commemorates the New Zealand Wars for the first time, we look back at the stories of Ruapekapeka. And, what they have to say is raw and confronting. I tried to commit suicide, I think, a couple of times. It's sort of like a tsunami that is just fully engulfing you. Maori artist reveal their experiences of depression, in the hope of saving lives. Copyright Able 2017 Karahuihui mai. Later in the programme, I speak to the new Minister of Maori Development Nanaia Mahuta, engari matua ra i tenei ata ` This weekend, for the first time, Aotearoa is officially commemorating the New Zealand Wars. It's said more than 3000 Maori and Pakeha lost their lives in a series of battles that began with the Wairau Affray in Te Wai Pounamu. But it was at Ruapekapeka in the mid-North where te ao Maori's greatest military strategists made their mark on modern warfare. Now, a special digital project hosted by RNZ and with the support of New Zealand On Air records the history of the last battle of the north. Today, The Hui presents an exclusive preview of 'The Stories of Ruapekapeka'. Kia tahuri ake tatou. (SOLEMN MUSIC) (WATER SLOSHES, BIRDS SING) (SOLEMN MUSIC CONTINUES) In December 1845, just five years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the relationship between Maori and the British government had turned sour, with war breaking out. More than a thousand British Army and Navy troops struggled through bush for two weeks in appalling weather, to attack a pa in the middle of nowhere. (WHEELS CREAK) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) The world's biggest superpower are about to take aim at one of the most sophisticated military installations they've ever tackled anywhere in the world. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Strategically built inland by hand, 30km south of Waitangi,... this is Ruapekapeka ` the Bat's Nest ` a construction that was 10 months in the making. a fortress that would shelter its people from the enemy. Nga Puhi chiefs Te Ruki Kawiti and Hone Heke have been fighting the British forces in a series of battles, allowing Kawiti's strategic masterpiece at Ruapekapeka to be built as a trap for the British. What do you think the legacy of Ruapekapeka is? It's one of pain, sorrow and determination. Pain, because of what our tupuna endured here. Sorrow, because of the enduring loss post the battle of Ruapekapeka. It's inspirational. It's a legacy. It's something that shines as a beacon of hop for our people, despite its tragic past. It continues to remind us of our determination and what I think we can aspire to, which was what Kawiti said, which was, 'Titiro ki nga taumata o te moana,' in his lament after the battle. (SOLEMN MUSIC) To understand what happened at Ruapekapeka, we need to understand the events that happened in the north after the signing of the Treaty. So I've come to meet historian Dr Vincent O'Malley, who specialises in the New Zealand Wars. An overarching theme of all of the New Zealand Wars is these two competing ideas of what the Treaty was about. On the one hand, you have the Crown's idea, which is based on article one of the English translation, that the Crown has full sovereignty over New Zealand after 1840, and that's its expectation. On the other hand, article two of Te Tiriti, where Maori are guaranteed te tino rangatiratanga over their own affairs. And so there's a clash of these visions. On the one hand, Maori expectations of partnership. On the other hand, Crown assumptions of unbridled sovereignty. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Tensions began to really ramp up here in the Bay of Islands immediately after the signing. And that's because the new government changed the rules. Maori were no longer able to charge anchorage fees. They couldn't even mill their own kauri. And for Maori, it was the beginning of an economic decline that's still being felt to this very day. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (YELLING, CANNONS FIRE) The British plan was simple: bomb the enemy into submission. This went on for 10 days, without the loss of a single Maori life. Why do you think this location? Was it specific? Was it chosen? He most definitely chose it, and let me show you why. Kia tupato o waewae whutupaoro. Ae. Ae. Ae. From most vantage points, even low into the trenches like this place, from here and other places in the pa, you can still see a clear line of sight to Hokianga, and also to Rakau Mangamanga in the east, and the purpose of that was to unify the people of the north against a force like this. So you can call on people if you needed. There's an old saying, 'Ka mimiti te puna ki Taumarere, 'ka toto te Hokianga. 'Ka mimiti ko Hokianga, ka toto ki Taumarere.' The bombardment was constant. You can only imagine what it was like for the people here, with the impact and the noise, and then finally the British stormed Ruapekapeka, and it's said the only man left here was Kawiti himself. The rest had fled through the tunnels and the trenches, and they were at the back of the pa. (KARAKIA) One of the stories says that the people were at prayer, not expecting the British to attack on a Sunday. (KARAKIA CONTINUES) (HORN SOUNDS, CANONS FIRE) When the attacks started, the warriors went back into the pa to defend Kaiti, and the women and children escaped into the bush. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) And so when they finally entered the pa, what would they have found? It would have been rather confusing, given it would have looked deserted. There were a few warriors simply to hold off the onslaught, or hold off the oncoming raid, to allow others to escape. There were also dead. Yes. They found some who had died throughout the battle. But for the most part, it was pretty much deserted. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) They found a prayer book too? They did find a prayer book, and that prayer book now is a taonga to us. It's come back to us, though, because when they found it, they claimed it for themselves too. Finding this prayer book, does it say to you that the people in the pa were Christian? Most definitely. We know that many of our tupuna around that time started changing their names and were becoming more and more influenced by the Christian ways, so it's not surprise that they found that and that we were considered a religious people. Once cleared, British engineers made sketches of Kawiti's military masterpiece, finally getting an up-close look at the fortress they were unable to crack. Soon after, they burnt it to the ground. (OWL HOOTS, FIRE CRACKLES) In 2017, what are the effects of that campaign against your people? Poverty hit our region. Poverty that hadn't been experienced, given the boom times in the Bay of Islands. It's had very much a negative impact on our people after the battle of Ruapekapeka. But this place still stands as a beacon of your success. Despite some historians saying we lost the war or we won the war, this place is here today as a memory and as a beacon of what our tupuna believed in and what we stood up against. We are dispossessed of your land, our resources, and we stand naked before the government. Kei te rongo au ki te mamae kei roto tonu i a koe, to iwi, to hapu. Oh, ae. Ko te poharatanga o te iwi e aue ana ra. Me pehea ra ko tatou tamariki ka ora i roto i tenei ao? Yeah. (SOLEMN MUSIC) Ka pupuhi te hau te paura, ka pakarukaru ma kohua rino, ka tawhewhe nga paraikete whero. engari ka toi tu i te whenua. 'The Stories of Ruapekapeka' was funded by New Zealand On Air. If you'd like to watch the full documentary, you'll find it at rnz.co.nz, along with extended interviews, virtual reality clips and animations. Kia mau tonu mai ra. Akuanei, ka korero ahau ki te Minita mo nga take Maori. Nanaia Mahuta joins me next. Kei te matakitaki koutou i a Te Hui. Kua roa nei tenei wahine e whakakanohi ana i tona iwi i roto i te Whare Paremata. Nanaia Mahuta was just 26 when she first became a list MP, 21 years ago. This week she made history, becoming the first wahine to be the Minister of Maori Development and the first Minister to wear a facial moko. Despite being instructed not to vote for her by her cousin Kingi Tuheitia, the voters of Hauraki-Waikato sent Mahuta back to Parliament with an increased majority of 10,000 votes. And she's been rewarded for her success, picking up ministerial portfolios in Local Government and Associate Environment. No reira, kei takutahi inaianei ko te minita hou, ko Nanaia. Tena koe. Tena koe, Mihi. Ka nui te mihi atu ki a koe. Tekau nga poti ki waenga i a korua ko` a rahui. Ahakoa te wero a te pati Maori me te kingitanga, e eke panuku koe, heoi ano, kua tau te po ehu ki waenga i nga koutou? Ko korerotia nga kaipoti ana ko te tera wahanga, ko te mahi inaianei. Kia whakatu he piriti, kia honohono ki nga kaupapa ki ia ai e nga hiahia o te iwi Maori. You are the first wahine to take on the portfolio. What is the difference you'll bring to the table? There are a number of things. Definitely an eye to the future; a focus on ensuring that the levers of government will improve outcomes for Maori; a believe that the way in which we are involved an innovate solutions for Maori can be pushed out across the whole of government sector; but also a passion to work alongside this government to restore equity and attack the issues around inequality and poverty that have been holding our people back. The Maori Development minister often takes a group overseas, and the focus has been on ` I forget the term for it ` but taking groups of Maori leaders and business leaders offshore. Is that something that you'll continue to do, or will you focus more here in Aotearoa? A bit of both. Obviously, what happens within NZ is a benchmark in terms of how we're progressing the well-being of Maori, but also the opportunity space in terms of how Maori are continuing to participate in our domestic economy. In the international forum, it's really what that trade, export window looks like, our cultural capital and how that contributes to the framing of NZ at large, so I intend to do a bit of both. If you put homelessness and poverty to the side, those big issues, what is the top of your wish list? Your personal wish list. I think it's more than a wish list; it's a program of action. If we look at the whole-of-government agenda to tackle some really key things affecting NZers, but Maori in particular, in terms of poor educational outcomes, housing, all the issues around housing, improving healthcare and status, and also ensuring that we have better opportunities to transition our people to the future workplace expectations. Those are all going to benefit our people. But in particular for me, I think it's important that we look to where Maori need to be in terms of the contribution to our economy and lifting our skillset across our youth demographic. I think we can make some really good inroads there. So a focus on youth and employment? I think that's very important, because it is about the future of our people but also our country. Ko tohua ko Andrew Little mo te tu nga take Tiriti. He says on his agenda is Nga Puhi. Will you be assisting him in those negotiations? I certainly intend to provide as much support and advice to help him get his head around this portfolio. I have no doubt that he has a strong social justice conscience that prepares him well for this portfolio. Is it achievable, Nga Puhi? Have you got a timeframe for it? Well, I'm sure he will reflect on the challenge to get Nga Puhi to the table, and I guess part of the challenge is Nga Puhi's alone. But knowing that Nga Puhi is a significant iwi yet to get to the table to progress its Treaty settlement aspirations makes it a high priority, alongside those who are already in the process. The former minister Te Ururoa Flavell was from Nga Puhi, as are you, and he removed himself, saying it was a conflict of interest. Do you feel the same? I think that most Maori will say that there's some sort of conflict of interest. Ultimately, we're not the minister responsible for advancing the Treaty settlement policy or program of action, and certainly we will make ourselves available to provide support where asked. Just quickly, before I move on from that issue, do you have confidence in the group that has the mandate, Tuhoronuku? I think that's a matter for the minister to determine. What I have confidence in is that the aspiration within Nga Puhi is to move forward. How about Te Ture Whenua? That was the last Minister of Maori Affairs's pet project. Is that something that you're going to look at? Before the election we said that we weren't confident about the process that was undertaken. It was a mess, and we've inherited that. We've given no undertaking that we will progress Te Ture Whenua Maori. In fact, that bill has come to a complete halt and will do under our government. Our challenge now will be to look towards other ways in which we can get improvements to the legislation, but alongside the real aspiration. That's to improve the governance around Maori landowners so that they can address the issues around better utilisation of their land and asset base. Te Matawai is another bill that turned into law, and it replace Te Whakaruruhau and things like that in broadcasting. Do you like the idea of Te Matawai? It's not about liking the idea of Te Matawai. It's about having a long-term strategic commitment of the place of te reo and how we grow that, because it is an intrinsic part of the fabric of our country, so` So should it be for iwi to protect and promote te reo, or should it be a Crown responsibility? I think if you look at Te Matawai, it puts the obligations in two places. One, certainly with the iwi. Two, for the Crown to have its own strategy. We're yet to frame that up. I certainly think that it is an important element to think about what this government's strategic approach to supporting the growth of te reo could look like, and we have the opportunity now to come up with that strategy. And one of those strategies is te reo Maori in school. That's been a promise of the Labour government coming into it. How soon will we see something happening in schools? Sooner than the previous government, I would hope, with an emphasis on looking at our teaching workforce in the first instance, but also building through the curriculum a commitment to the things that make a difference` Six months? One year? Two years? I think we could do this within a reasonable timeframe. Certainly we'll see some inroads in this term of government around the teaching aspects of it, and certainly at the primary school level, and integrating history into the curriculum is something that we're committed to as well. Ka pai. It's Ra Maumahara this weekend, the commemorations. How have you spent your weekend? I had the privilege of being able to attend the launch of Moetu, a book by Witi Ihimaera, translated by Hemi Kelly, hosted at Mangatoatoa marae, near to Orakau. There are a number of regional events on to commemorate the NZ Wars. Overall, the aspiration is to support the first national commemoration at Ruapekapeka, which I understand is on the 10th of March next year. Ka pai. I want to see that continue. Tena koe. E haere ake nei i runga i a Te Hui. E whakakotahi ana etahi ringa toi Maori hei hapai ake i te maramatanga mo te mate papouri. Ka hinga hoki ra Te-Wao-Nui-o-Tane ki raro nai. Auraki mai ano. It's often referred to as 'the silent killer'. 14% of adult New Zealanders have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives. Now, a group of Maori artists are breaking the silence, speaking out about their own experiences of depression in the hope of helping others. Kei a Rewa Harriman te roanga ake o nga korero. I kept telling myself, 'I'll kill myself. I'll kill yourself. If you hurt yourself, I'll hurt myslef.' It's sort of like a tsunami that is fully engulfing you, and you're so overwhelmed that you don't know what the ... it is. Around that time, I tried to commit suicide a couple of times. They're words from the heart. They're hard to hear, hard to stomach, and they're even harder to say. Depression, kind of coin it like it's something almost comedic. Like, 'Oh, yeah, I'm so depressed,' just to cover how it really is affecting me. These artists are giving an honest voice and face to depression. I know for myself, when I've heard other people share their stories, it makes me feel less alone. As part of mental health week, Creative Natives Aotearoa have undertaken a North Island tiki tour, filming different artists talking about their own experiences with depression. And I can just saying anything, eh? We're talking to them about their journey through depression and, really, strategies they have put in place to manage their situation, overcome their situation, address it. Producer Te Whenua Harawira and her crew Lahni Sowter and Jared Culling started their journey in Auckland, and in six short days went to seven towns, spoke to 14 artists, shooting hours of footage, capturing stories they hope will change lives I didn't really need to twist anybody's arm to be involved in this, and I told them it's totally grassroots, kaupapa-driven. I purposely didn't go for funding, because I didn't want anybody's korero to be restricted. We just want the korero to flow. And it did. All of the artists opened up and shared some of their darkest moments on camera. Some, like musos Markus Taukiri and Bennett Pomana, for the very first time. There were times and days where all I wanted to do was to just stay in my room, stay in bed, close the curtains and isolate myself from the world. # Keep my head up and walk the streets till dawn. # Pomana, a TV presenter and rapper, has been dealing with his bouts of darkness for years, denying anything was wrong and escaping through his music. I've come to accept that it is depression. I just had a bout a couple of weeks ago where I didn't want to do shit, so I've recognised that I know what it is, and now it's just being able to deal with it. His good friend Markus from Native Sons has also been suffering in silence, until he started opening up this year. I knew that there were things going on ` I would chew my teeth and sweat a lot. I just didn't know what to call it. Te Whenua Harawira's own struggle with depression sparked the idea for the hikoi. Last year, she had a stroke, which sent her in a downhill spiral. To have to return home to your parents' house and have somebody drive you somewhere and somebody help you put your clothes on. It gets to you after a while. But a trip to Dunedin to see a friend changed everything. I remember one thing he said to me, 'Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, 'cos none but ourselves can free our mind.' I've always held on to that, That's the one message that kept getting me through. I kept remembering that song, and so that's the title of our doco. The Creative Native crew will upload the individual stories on their Facebook page as a tool for anyone in need. When I first came up with the idea, it was to produce a resource that whanau, people my age could access. If you look at the artists that we interview, it's ones that have influence. People like Horomona Horo. That fella is known worldwide for this stuff, taonga puoro, but nobody knows that when he comes homes to his whanau, he's mamae. He's sad. The hikoi has been emotional for the crew and the artists, but it's one they're all grateful to be a part of, like DJ Poroufessor, who's taken his decks around the world. This is brilliant, actually. Te Whenua, what she's doing. We need these stories. We need our stories to be told. I'm grateful for having shared what I did today, and it actually made me think. I need to talk more about this, about this side. It's not all about flashing bells and airplanes and hotels. There is a dark side that comes with it, and it's about knowing how to manage it. Knowing about it, firstly, then having strategies to make sure that you can keep safe. We've been taught as men to not say anything, to just harden up, to take a concrete pill and don't talk about your feelings, emotions, don't talk about how you're feeling. I guess it's that silence that's killing us. I think it's time for us as men to talk more. That's right, and that's the exciting bit. Like I said to the bro when we were sitting there, I'm so happy because you guys have given me so much. 10 years worth of korero to put in my kete in this one little session. I feel I've been mentored, I've been counselled, and I got it for free. # We gotta live the life we love # and love the life we live. # We gotta hold on, stand strong. # We are not alone. # The message that's coming through loud and clear: depression doesn't discriminate. It affects probably every New Zealander, just people don't know it. And that's the great thing about interviewing these different artists. Each one has their own story. Each one their journey, and what that journey looks like for them. Each one has their own story of emancipation and how they've come out of it. Is it part of your healing journey? Yeah, it's been an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, people that I've admired, respected, and hearing their stories has given me the opportunity to fill my kete with new matauranga, in terms of ways to cope with what's happening with me. Yeah. Tau ke. Na Rewa Harriman tera purongo. Hei tera wiki i runga i a Te Hui. Morrocco Tai will be known for the last minute of his young life. NEWSREADER: He sped of down Bairds Rd and then crashed into this tree. Male driver has died at the scene. I just want the police to stop doing this. Why didn't they just park up at his house and wait for him there? But there was so much more to the 15-year-old that didn't make the news headlines. He could sing. He could do the haka. Yeah, he was jut a lovely child, that's how I know him. I know him as a good boy. Morrocco's aunt, Kelly Ngaruhe Rogers, wants people to know the real boy, the kind she called Sunshine. We all know him as Sunshine. He brightened our whole family up. Thanks for joining us today, hui hoppers. We'll post links to the show on our Facebook page and on Twitter @thehuinz, and you'll find all our stories on the Newshub website. Kua hikina te hui mo tenei ra. The Nation's next. Pai marire ki a tatou katoa. Captions by Tom Pedlar. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017