Mihi

Tēnēi te mihi ki te kaihanga i te timatanga, nāna te rangi e tū nei, nāna te papa e takato nei.
Nāna ngā maunga pokapoka kapua, nāna ngā puna waiora, ngā awa, ngā manga me te moana nui.
Nāna ngā ngāhere whāngai tangata, nāna te ao me te pō. Nāna ngā mea katoa.
Ki a Ranginui e tū nei, te reo rauriki, tēnā koe.
Ki a Papatuānuku, te reo reiuru, tēnā koe.
Ki a koutou katoa i huihui mai nei i tēnēi rā, tēnā koutou katoa.

Prayer

E nga Atua o te Moana-nui-a-kiwa, (God of the Pacific Ocean)
Me enei motu o Aotearoa, (And these islands of Aotearoa,)
Nga Atua o te iwi Maori, te iwi Pakeha, (The God of Maori and Pakeha,)
Me ratou katoa e noho nei i tenei whenua; (And all who dwell in this land;)

We delight in the potential of this still, quiet dawn and the precious uniqueness of these green islands of Aotearoa New Zealand.

We give thanks for what is ours and ours alone: For our weta and katipo, our kakapo and kokako; for our Maui dolphins and pipi, our cabbage trees and harakeke.

May we have the courage and the grace to live in harmony with creation – to nurture and protect those wild places that we love and sustain us.

We are thankful for the inspiration of the great women in our own country – Princess Te Puea, Dame Mira Szaszy, Sister Mary Aubert, and Millicent Baxter – women who have shown us how the power of love, peace, compassion, courage, and wisdom can transform poverty and hardship into strength and well being.

How can we, as this country’s leaders, address the inequity that has grown up amongst us?

How can we build a nation where we trust and look after one another – where we are our brother’s and sisters keeper – not their bitter rival?

We look to the children of our country for this inspiration, their unconditional love, their need for care and comfort.

Whakanuia to matou aroha tetahi ki tetahi, (Increase our love and trust in one another)
Whakakahangia to matou whai (And strengthen our quest)
Ki te tika, te hohourongo hoki. (For justice and reconciliation.)

On this Waitangi Day, may Te Tiriti o Waitangi be a reminder of the covenant that two sovereign nations have made with each other.

May Te Tiriti continue to challenge us to honour one another and return love and compassion to the heart of our politics and our lives spent together.

Amine

Delivered February 6, 2013, Treaty House, Waitangi