Amid heartbreak and grief, the people of Kaikohe have shown us all what true leadership and aroha look like. More than 400 locals marched in a powerful and positive hīkoi to honour the short, beautiful life of Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene—a vibrant three-year-old whose smile lit up her neighbourhood and whose tragic death has shaken the Northland town to its core.
But out of this sorrow has come something extraordinary.
Community leaders, from kaumatua to pastors, stood up not to cast blame or seek government handouts, but to say clearly: “This is our problem, and we will fix it ourselves.” That message—loud and unwavering—is what makes Kaikohe’s response so powerful. As former Māori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels said, “The cure… lies with ourselves, our whānau.”
Contrast that with the silence from those who claim to speak for Māori—Ngarewa-Packer, Waititi, Ferris, Kapa Kingi and the the rest of TPM… nothing! They pledged themselves to protecting our tamariki, yet where are they when it really counts? What have they ever done for Maori kids? Or anyone else? A big fat selfish nothing.
In Kaikohe, we’re seeing what real mana looks like. Locals supporting locals. No excuses. No political theatre. Just action. Just love.
This isn’t a story of despair. It’s a story of a town that refuses to be defined by tragedy—and chooses instead to unite, to heal, and to protect its children with fierce determination and whānau strength.
Ka pai, Kaikohe. You are showing the way. And Te Pati Maori, where are you?
eN-Zed 