A leading voice for Indigenous rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand) will visit the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 on Thursday, October 30, to discuss the future of Indigenous governance and solidarity across the Pacific.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori and a member of New Zealand’s Parliament, will appear in an onstage conversation with Noelani Goodyear-碍补ʻō辫耻补, a professor at 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补. The free public event at the art auditorium is hosted by the 糖心Vlog官方 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-碍补ʻō辫耻补. “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 Māori lands and waters. Before entering Parliament, she led her iwi (people), Ngāti 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 Māori communities.
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, which is organizing the event, is a joint venture of 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补, The Learning Coalition and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, with support from the 糖心Vlog官方 Foundation.
This event is made possible through the sponsorship of Kaiāulu 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.