Māori politicianMihingarangi Forbes, Māori writer and broadcaster
Nanaia Mahuta wears the marks of her ancestors on her face.
For those of us who have followed her career and any of the other 25 Māori politicians who hold seats in parliament, the reaction to the announcement (of her appointment) was more surprising than the announcement itself. This article isn’t intended to be a puff piece on a Māori politician by a Māori journalist – instead I hope to simply fill in some gaps.
Anyone who knows me or our current affairs show The Hui will know our programme is the first to examine, review and challenge the decisions and track record of all politicians, both Māori and Tauiwi (non Māori).
As a mother of four, I tip my hat to any woman working the long hours parliament requires but I suspect that is not the reason Nanaia Mahuta has been selected for this role. It’s probably fair to say she avoids the limelight but when put on the spot she is intelligent, clear and astute. She is conciliatory and forms good relationships with industry leaders. I suspect her 24 years in politics representing the people of Hauraki Waikato has also played a role.
Those surprised by her elevation to foreign affairs and concerned about whether she can play the role of diplomat should consider her genealogy. She has literally been groomed for this position even before she was born. She is the niece of the first Māori Queen Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu who co-signed the first Treaty Settlement with Queen Elizabeth at her marae (tribal meeting house) in 1995 and she is a great-granddaughter of the revered Princess Te Puea Hērangi, a central force among the Tainui people.
Golriz Ghahraman, Green party global affairs spokesman
With decades of invaluable experience as a parliamentarian and community leader, Nanaia Mahuta has huge mana (power) that will easily fill the role.
It’s important to also celebrate this appointment as a leap in representation. It is, unbelievably, the first time a woman is entrusted to formulate and front our nation’s foreign policy.
That this historic achievement was made by a strong wāhine Māori with deep connection with her whakapapa (genealogy), also shines as an example of how we continue to decolonise our institutions in every policy area.
I’m excited about working with her on longstanding Green issues, like supporting the decolonisation in our Pacific and elsewhere, including West Papua.
Carrie Stoddart-Smith, RNZ Indigenous trade and economies consultant
Carrying the legacies of her tīpuna (ancestors), through focused, intentional and observant leadership, Mahuta completely disrupted the comfortable foreign policy fortress of her detractors. Their choice to ignore her positioning rests on their lazy assumptions about race, gender and performance. Just as the antique wood and vintage carpets of the old men’s clubs across Wellington still carry the stench of colonisation, so too does their crumbling fortress.”
Mahuta’s appointment restores a familiar face to the land. One that the land remembers. A face reminiscent of the tīpuna (ancestors) who discovered Aotearoa. A face that elevates the place of its first peoples as the first face the world sees. But her appointment is more than the face she presents. It is the values and legacies she will carry forth onto the international stage. It is the remembering of our tīpuna. It is the ‘everyday acts of cultural resurgence’ in the forums we’ve been denied a voice for far too long.
Simon Bridges, former National party leader
Simon Bridges
(@simonjbridges)
My congratulations to @NanaiaMahuta, our country’s first woman Foreign Minister. It’s an important time internationally and you’ll be great.
November 2, 2020
Helen Clark, former New Zealand prime minister
Helen Clark
(@HelenClarkNZ)
.@NanaiaMahuta’s appointment as #NZ Foreign Minister is cause for celebration; she is 1st #woman to be appointed to it. Nanaia is a highly experienced politician w/ ministerial experience going back to my time as PM. She will represent NZ with distinction. https://t.co/ZeA0lye5vW
November 3, 2020
Dr Patrick Thomsen, lecturer in Pacific Studies at Auckland University
Patrick Thomsen
(@_PatrickThomsen)
Just wanted to say how fricken ecstatic I am that Nanaia Mahuta is our new Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hugely important step for this country imo. We love instrumentalising Māori culture for marketing NZ overseas, it’s ab time we have a Māori woman be “our” face internationally.
November 3, 2020
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