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Foreword

Tena koutou.

Tena koutou, otira, i nga tini mate, kei tena marae, kei tena marae, e takoto ake nā. Kei te tangi tonu te ngakau, ki a rātou kua haere ki tua o te ārai.

Heoi ano, tena tātou tonu nei, ā me ngā mihi hoki o te wā, o Matariki e arataki nei, i a tatou.

Arā ngā piki me ngā heke o te mahanatanga o te ao e noho nei tātau. E whakaaro tahi ana a Aotearoa me era iwi nunui o te ao ki te waihanga kaupapa hei whakapumau i to tatou oranga ki runga ki te mata o te whenua.

E ngākaunui ana te iwi Māori ki tenei kaupapa nui whakaharahara a, e ngakau nui ana ki nga kaupapa kua whakaputaina mai e te kawanatanga hei whakatinana i ona ake whakaaro. Ko tona whainga nui ia, ko te whai wāhi nui tonu o nga Iwi ki roto i ngā whiriwhiringa katoa e pa ana ki tenei kaupapa.

Ma konei, ka taea e ratou te pupuri i o ratou tikanga me to ratou nei ake mana ki runga ki o ratou whenua otira ki nga taonga katoa i mahue iho e nga matua tipuna. Ma konei ano ka whakatipu kaha te oranga whanui o o ratou whanau o o ratou hapu a ka kiia o ratou uri he tangata

Kia maumahara tatou ki te whakatauaki e kii a nei:

“He aha te mea nui o Te Ao?

he tangata, he tangata, he tangata”

 

[TRANSLATION] Greetings,

Let us pay respects to the departed from all regions. Let us also rejoice in our lives and in this season.

Māori embrace the challenge of the Government’s ambitious climate change programme as New Zealand works with the countries of the world to find new and innovative solutions to address to the serious climate change problems facing the world today.

In doing so, always holding dear to core values as Māori, preserving our ancestral lands that are the essence of who we are, to realise the dreams and aspirations of our elders.

Māori are committed to participating fully towards implementation of the of the climate change programme that may enable our children and grandchildren to face a safe and secure future.

Let’s remind ourselves of a wise Māori proverb:

“What is the most important thing in the world?

It is people, it is people, it is people”

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