More than 170 indigenous, business and global leaders from across Aotearoa and around the world are set to converge on Hamilton tomorrow for what is being touted as the first-of-its-kind economic investment summit hosted by Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.
The invite-only Ōhanga ki te Ao summit was announced by Te Arikinui during her first national address in September. She urged Māori to attend to make global alliances with those keen to work with Māori.
“Ko te kotinga tēnei i te whakawhirinaki o tātou ki te kāwanatanga, ko tētahi huarahi pea tēnei ki te mana motuhake kua roa e tūmanakotia nei.”
(“This is a chance to achieve our economic aspirations independently of government in our pursuit of self-determination, sustainable futures and thriving peoples.”*)
She said the summit was one of two unrealised goals of her father’s, the late Kiingi Tuheitia. Establishing seed funding from iwi entities in the form of the Kotahitanga Fund was the second.
“Pēnei i taku pāpā, ka tuarā pahore, ka taniwha nihorau hoki taku kōkiri i ēnei kaupapa kia rangatira ai, kāo, kia ariki ai i ahau ana ōhākī,” she vowed.
(“Like my father, I will work tirelessly to continue his legacy.”*)
In a statement, Kiingitanga spokesperson Rukumoana Schaafhausen said the summit ws about “securing Māori prosperity” through “collective action and purpose”.
Ngāi Tahu leader Justin Tipa said the iwi supported Te Arikinui’s call for unity and “charting a new path towards economic self-determination and prosperity”.
“The calibre of international guests at the summit is testament to the attraction of Māori enterprise and the potential for new ways of investing and partnering for mutual benefit,” he added.
Leaders from domestic and international businesses, pension funds, asset managers, and Māori and indigenous community representatives are expected to attend.
Alongside Schaafhausen – who had a background in law and governance – other keynote speakers included former New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr, Dame Therese Walsh, Dame Pania Tyson-Nathan, Malaeulu Aysha Rimoni, chief executive of Māori Investments Ltd Tiaki Hunia, former Wakatū Corporation chief executive Kerensa Johnston, and former Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran.
In addition to the summit, the Kohinga Koha Māori business expo will showcase Māori and indigenous businesses with a focus on procurement opportunities. The expo will also feature a Taniwha Den – a play on the popular Dragons’ Den reality TV business show where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors.
The Māori economy contributed $32 billion to the country’s GDP in 2023, according to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment figures, from an asset base of $126 billion.
*Translation provided by the Office of the Kiingitanga.
