Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, has been invited by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and Kamehameha Schools to deliver a keynote address in Honolulu as part of the prestigious Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.
The invitation was extended by Associate Professor Robert Perkinson and Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Kaōpua, two leading Kanaka Maoli and global Indigenous scholars. The series brings together internationally recognised leaders, Pacific activists, and Indigenous academics to explore the intersections of climate justice, Indigenous rights, and ocean protection in the face of colonial and corporate exploitation.
“This invitation is both an honour and a responsibility,” said Ngarewa-Packer. “It is about standing alongside our Pacific whanaunga as we face the shared legacies of colonisation and climate injustice and affirming that Māori, like all Indigenous peoples, hold the solutions through our whakapapa, tikanga, and rangatiratanga.”
During her haerenga, Ngarewa-Packer will meet with Kanaka Maoli leaders, Maui County officials, and Indigenous educators to strengthen partnerships around sovereignty, health, and environmental stewardship. She will also engage with the Department of Ōiwi Resources, Lahaina Community Land Trust, and Papahānaumokuākea Coalitions, deepening connections between Māori and Native Hawaiian movements for decolonial governance and ocean protection.
Ngarewa-Packer’s visit aligns with Te Pāti Māori’s kaupapa of mana motuhake, climate justice, and Indigenous-led solutions across Aotearoa and Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. “We share a struggle, and we share a vision of a future where our lands, waters, and governance are guided by Indigenous values, not colonial systems.”
The invitation comes at a significant moment for Ngarewa-Packer, who submits her PhD thesis next month. Her academic work with Massey University examines the cost of colonisation and the reclaiming of tino rangatiratanga as the foundation for Māori health equity; themes that also underpin her political and global advocacy.