Celebrating Indigenous Connections: Philippine Women Indigenous Leaders Visit Aotearoa

During May, we were privileged to host here in Aotearoa New Zealand, a delegation of Indigenous women leaders from the Philippines —an inspiring exchange grounded in sharing stories, cultural pride, and developing a vision for indigenous empowerment in Mindanao.

In consultation with the United Nations Development Program, Dr Vivienne Hunt from Nuku Toi led the visit alongside Wayne Mulligan and Paul Morgan. The programme builds on a collaboration between Māori and Philippine Indigenous Peoples and a relationship that traces back to the early 1990s, when Māori travelled to the Philippines to contribute to commercial forestry initiatives, ancestral development planning, and the establishment of indigenous rights structures within the Philippines.

At the heart of this latest visit is a powerful ethos, which is beautifully captured in a quote shared during the opening remarks: “Knowledge is power, but understanding is collaboration.”  These words underscore the spirit of this encounter: not to lead or save, but to share, listen, and grow together.

The delegation led by Bo-i Jennifer Pia Las, Chair of the National Commission on Indigenous People, in the traditional waka Te Raukura at Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt, at the Te Maori Cultural Centre.

Speakers reminded the Indigenous participants who came from regions 11 and 12 in Mindanao that the Māori journey of self-determination offers lessons and experience to draw on, not templates. Drawing from the wisdom of Aotearoa’s Māori leaders, the need to empower local leadership was emphasised in a series of meetings with key stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand. These included leaders at MFAT, Māori business-women leaders, as well as a visit to businesses managed by Te Ati Awa iwi who hosted a powhiri to welcome the women onto the Waiwhetu Marae.

This collaboration is guided by a philosophy of learning exchange, and we look forward to deepening the ties between Māori and Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, reminding us that our shared future is rooted in reciprocity, cultural sovereignty, and genuine connection.

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