A leading voice for Indigenous rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand) will visit the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ on Thursday, October 30, to discuss the future of Indigenous governance and solidarity across the Pacific.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te P¨¡ti M¨¡ori and a member of New Zealand¡¯s Parliament, will appear in an onstage conversation with Noelani Goodyear-°²¹ʻ¨±è³Ü²¹, a professor at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹. The free public event at the art auditorium is hosted by the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series and begins at 6:30 p.m. ()
“We are deeply honored to host the Honorable Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, whose leadership embodies the courage and clarity our times demand,” said Goodyear-°²¹ʻ¨±è³Ü²¹. “Grounded in the tino rangatiratanga (absolute sovereignty) of her people and a visionary in her pursuit of thriving futures for Aotearoa and Oceania, she is not only a parliamentarian but a protector. This dialogue is a rare opportunity to learn from her experience and to strengthen the ties between our nations, connected by our great ocean.”
Standing for justice
Ngarewa-Packer has spent decades defending M¨¡ori lands and waters. Before entering Parliament, she led her iwi (people), Ng¨¡ti Ruanui, in successful campaigns to block seabed mining off the South Taranaki coast. Those battles continue to guide her work in national efforts for environmental protection, poverty reduction and equity for M¨¡ori communities.
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, which is organizing the event, is a joint venture of UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, The Learning Coalition and the Â鶹´«Ã½ Community Foundation, with support from the UH Foundation.
This event is made possible through the sponsorship of Kai¨¡ulu by Kamehameha Schools, and with additional support from the College of Arts, Languages & Letters, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and William S. Richardson School of Law.