TE ŌHANGA MAURI #151 - THE HERITAGE OF THE LAND: TREASURING OUR TAMARIKI AS TAONGA

A Divine Heritage

When we speak of the future of Taitokerau, we are speaking of our tamariki. They are not merely "ours" in a possessive sense, nor are they a burden to be managed by state systems. They are a divine heritage, a gift from the Pure Source that carries the full weight of our ancestors' dreams and the potential of the stars. To treasure them is to recognise their inherent tapu, or sacredness, which is the foundational principle of a healthy society.

Spiritual Foundation

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward." – Psalm 127:3 (NKJV)

Te Reo Māori (from the Hebrew): "Nana, he taonga tupu nō Io ngā tamariki: ko te hua o te kōpū tāna utu."

Addressing Historical Failure

In Taitokerau, we must be candid about the "Babylonian" systems that have failed this divine heritage. Between 1950 and 2019, hundreds of thousands of children in Aotearoa were placed in institutional care where the risk of victimisation was heightened by a systemic lack of oversight. The state and faith-based agencies often prioritised their own reputations over the safety of the child, allowing predatory individuals to be shielded. This institutional failure created a "whakapapa of violence," where 29% of survivors of abuse in care later found themselves in the criminal justice system.