May 01, 2018
Rangatahi model delegation to UN
A rangatahi delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has come back fired up with the need to continue the fight for indigenous rights.
Te Wehi Wright was one of 12 rangatahi who made the trip to New York with help from Dr Lance O’Sullivan’s Moko Foundation.
He says the trip made him realise the respect Maori are held within the international indigenous community because of the progress made in language and cultural development.
And while for many groups the UN is where they go to get a voice, for Maori most of the work is still to be done back in Aotearoa.
"Whatever we do at home helps leverage all the other indigenous communities globally because they do use us as a model for change amongst other countries – we are not the only model but we are one, especially for language initiatives," Mr Wright says.
He says it’s also important people can see the way Maori bring on new generations to continue the fight.
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