'It's all about being one': Preparing for the arrival of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti

First Person - It's early afternoon at Te Kamaka Marae on Auckland's North Shore, and preparations for the approaching hīkoi are in full swing.

Harm Taua and his whānau have the job of travelling ahead of the hīkoi to ensure everything is smooth for their arrival.

"I get the address, turn up here and then basically announce to them I'm here part of the hīkoi that's coming to make sure everything's sort of running smooth.

"We've come from Whangārei to here to set up. So when our people come, they don't have to worry about anything."

Te Kamaka Marae is part of Hato Petera School, which has been closed for a few years. They're using the school gymnasium to accommodate the hundreds of hīkoi members who are about to arrive.

Inside the gymnasium, the hosts have set up tables for kai, with mattresses stacked around the edges for sleeping.

"So the hīkoi will come through. This is where they can sit and relax and eat. So we've got half-half, sleeping and eating. So then we have people that if they wanna sleep on the stage and then it's just so we're we're all together.

"We're trying to keep that family bond, and it doesn't matter if you're Pākehā or Tongan or Samoan or you know, all the nations, you know when you're on this hīkoi, it's all about being one."

We wander through to the kitchen, full of crates of bread, bottled water, and all sorts of food to be served after the pōwhiri.

Back across the road by the marae itself, Tina Manuela is in charge of organising the volunteers, and says there's no shortage.

"We have 120 and they're going to be coming in bus loads. All they needed to do was just offer two hours of their time, but most of them are wanting to do the whole day and then come back again tomorrow."

Tina introduces me to Áine Kelly-Costello, a blind volunteer who is keen to show her support for the hīkoi as Pākehā - or - tangata tiriti.

"Being part of the Toitū Te Tiriti kaupapa, for me as someone who is tangata tiriti, is really important to me. We are able to belong in Aotearoa because of Te Tiriti, and that means following the tikanga that is set out there and being in relationship with tangata whenua, and when being in attack, helping resist that.

"It's just so beautiful to see the vibe of the hīkoi and the mauri of that."

Kelly-Costello and her friends have created a Google doc page for other people with disabilities who want to be involved with the hīkoi, providing important information.

"Just trying to get sign language and trilingual interpreters at some of the locations, a little bit of info about marae accessibility, but just really trying to help encourage - that tāngata whaikaha disabled are feeling welcome and feel like we have a part of the movement."

Over behind Kelly-Costello, food trucks are arriving... getting set to feed the masses. One of them is Grayze, run by Lena & Kevin Gray.

"Everything's on fry bread!"

Despite the mouth watering menu, Lena says its not about the food.

"It's about the whakakotahitanga, it's about being together and we're really looking forward to this massive opportunity."

Inside the marae, Te Kamaka chairperson Dr Pouroto Ngaropō is getting ready to welcome the hīkoi.

He says they only had six mattresses, but put out the call, and estimates there's now 200 on the site.

The next challenge is communication and logistics.

"Making sure when they arrive is the kai is ready to go, not when they arrive and the kai is all cold!

"It's a challenge every day to feed ourselves at home, let alone hosting a whole lot of other special families and friends and those people that are marching for the recognition of Te Tiriti."

Te Kemaka marae hosted Dame Whina Cooper during her historic hīkoi protest back in 1975.

Ngaropo says it's an honour.

"Here we are from 1975 to now. The spirit of that same intention of Whina is still as relevant as it was then as it is for us today."