REFLECTIVE INSIGHT #055 - THE SOVEREIGN FLAME: HONE HEKE AND THE CHALLENGE TO BABYLON

The Fire Inside

We are continuing our walk through the lives of our great ancestors. Today, we look at Hone Heke Pōkai, a man whose name is known all over the world. When people think of Heke, they often think of an angry warrior chopping down a flagpole. But his story is much deeper than that. He carried what I call a sovereign flame, a bright fire in his heart for true freedom, peace, and the right of our people to look after themselves under the guidance of God.

The Broken Promises

Hone Heke was the very first chief to sign Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. He signed it because he believed it was a sacred covenant that would protect the land and the people. But it did not take long for him to see the truth. The new colonial government began to set up a system that took away local control, restricted trade, and taxed our people unfairly. This is what we call the "Babylonian" system, a heavy setup that wants to control everything from the top down and squeeze out local agency. Heke saw through the political BS and decided he could not sit quietly.

The Teaching of Freedom

Heke’s desire for true freedom matches the teachings of the Bible. True freedom is not about doing whatever you want, it is about being free from systems that keep you trapped and dependent. Ihu (Yeshua's name in the Paipera Tapu) spoke clearly about the real freedom that comes from connecting directly with the divine source. When we know who we are under God, no earthly system can truly hold us down or tell us what we are worth.

A Direct Teaching of Ihu

In the scriptures, Ihu tells us about the real freedom that belongs to us when we stay connected to him:

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Ethiopian Orthodox Bible (John 8:36)

Ge'ez text: እመኬሁ፡ ወልድ፡ አግዓዘክሙ፡ አማን፡ እጓዛን፡ አንትሙ።

Te Reo Māori, translated directly from Ge'ez: "Na, ki te mea ka whakaāteatia koutou e te Tama, ka tino whai rangatiratanga koutou."

Chopping the Pole

When Heke chopped down the British flagstaff at Kororāreka, he was not just attacking a piece of wood. He was challenging the whole system of Babylon. He was showing that the flag of a foreign government had no right to stand above the mana of the land and the people. This was a bold act of local action. He knew that if we wait for a broken system to change itself, we will wait forever. It is up to us, our whānau, and our hapū to stand up and protect our own well-being.

Our Choice Today

Today, we face the very same challenge. We are still living under a system that treats our people like numbers and prioritises profit over the health of the land and the community. The wero for us in Taitokerau is to keep that sovereign flame alive. We do not need to chop down flags today, but we do need to walk away from the dependency of the system. We need to build our own local networks, support our own businesses, and look after one another at the grassroots level.

The Northern Light

The North will lead the way to a better society because we have always been the place where people stand up for the truth. Heke showed us that we are not helpless. We are a people with a proud history and an inherent abundance. My prayer is that Wairua Tapu guides us to keep our flame burning bright, working always for peace, love, and the good of everyone. Let the North be a shining light to the rest of the world.