Kia Kai-Kōrero Tātou | Challenges for indigenous leadership

This kōrero explores Indigenous leadership as a collective, values-led practice grounded in service, kinship and responsibility to future generations. Drawing on Māori worldviews, it reflects on leadership that is not defined by title or hierarchy, but by courage, care and commitment to whānau, hapū and iwi.

It acknowledges the generations of Indigenous leaders who safeguarded reo, mātauranga and tikanga through times of suppression, and examines the ongoing barriers faced today, particularly by wāhine Māori, within systems shaped by colonialism, racism and gender bias.

With a focus on hauora, the session highlights the critical role of Indigenous leadership in healing systems, addressing inequities and embedding holistic approaches to wellbeing that honour mind, body, spirit, whānau and te taiao. Central to this kaupapa is the belief that leadership is never a solo journey; it is about creating pathways for others, strengthening collective mana, and ensuring mokopuna inherit a future that is fairer, stronger and full of hope.

This kōrero is both a challenge and a promise: that when Indigenous leaders walk together, with rangatiratanga and heart, transformative change is possible.