Hori (mistake). Rugged. Dumb. Lazy. Poor. Thug. Violent. Aggressive. Useless. Black. Dirty. Maori.
I am none of these. I am not your lazy introduction.
I am the land and the sea.
Where Rūhī and Pāpā breathe. I quake against the tides where she has traded for burnt coin. Measured and detached by foreign hands - disturbing my land.
Āku Tūpuna (my ancestors) - my Tūpuna knew what it was to be great, but also knew what it was to break.
Their wounds… my scars, cut and carved soul, yet I stand renewed, where roots run deep.
Heir to their legacy stretched wide, I am the product of theirs, and the beginning of mine.
I am a reward of their sacrifice. My inheritance is Minaki (a need). A cup of tea, a belly full when you leave, cause Tikanga (custom) taught me to gift.
Aroha (love), Aroha, Aroha Nui… without expectation.
There is conviction in our voices, hear us sing, and we won’t ask for your chump change after.
There is no obligation here, call it a Koha (gift) from the heart. Taunga (to become familiar with), you cannot buy.
So - let’s try this again.
Kia ora. Ko Stan toku ingoa (My name is Stan)
Brown. Proud. Happy. Fierce. Fighter. Survivor. Intelligent. Resilient. Motivated. Soft. Staunch. Loving. Caring. Honest. Ataahua. Maori.
Why does this all matter?
Because this is who I am, and what I represent. I’m free now to speak. To speak in my native tongue. I have a voice. A voice that matters. I have a choice because of the sacrifices made before me.
They are my past, I am their present, but you… you are the future.
The choices we make today, determines not only our future, but the future of the next generation.
Because this is a choice we have to make.
Stan Walker - For Futures Sake, 2018
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