Ka whakawhētai atu ki tō tātou Matua Nui te Rangi, kia atawhai kahangia tātou katoa e whai nei i ngā tapuwae o rātou mā. He kura tangihia, he maimai aroha ki a koutou te iwi wairua moe mai, moe mai oti atu.
Give thanks to God Almighty to protect us all, the descendants who are following in the footsteps of the ancestors; to those who have passed, rest peacefully.

E ngā iwi, e ngā reo, e rau rangatira mā, ngā tini karangatanga maha, nau mai, haramai, piki mai rā, kake mai rā ki Aotearoa, ki roto hoki i ahau nei Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa; e kiia nei tōna korero "e kore au e ngaro he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea".
Indigenous peoples, indigenous voices, friends and relatives, come let us unite here in Aotearoa at Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, our place of higher learning, where the aspiration is expressed; "I will never be lost for I am the seed sown from Rangiātea".

It is my great pleasure to invite indigenous peoples working in libraries and information management to come together again in Aotearoa, for the Sixth International Indigenous Librarians' Forum at Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, to continue the vision initiated ten years ago at Waipapa Marae, Auckland.

Our theme, Māku anō e hanga tōku nei whare - Determining our Future, is taken from a tongi or prophetic saying proclaimed by King Tāwhiao (the second Māori King), at a time (1864-1881) when he was dispossessed of his ancestral lands. This, and other of his prophetic sayings, provided a philosophical and ideological vision for his people: to build a self-sufficient economic base and determine their own future. In addition it refers to strong leadership, to a united people and to the survival not only of a people but also of cultural practices and values.

Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa epitomises this prophetic saying in that it too began with a vision that set this organisation on a path that was to change the educational landscape of the country.

Indigenous peoples in libraries and information management across the globe, our time has come to determine our future, provide strong leadership and claim our cultural values and practices to change the library and information management landscape in our countries. This forum is about coming together, sharing and celebrating our achievements, reaffirming our directions, visualising new insights, and ultimately setting our organisation off on a new voyage.

We have an exciting programme, combining speakers and workshops, and opportunities for participants to give input to the discussions and determine our future.

Te Rōpū Whakahau (Māori in Libraries and Information Management) and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa are honoured to be hosting this, the Sixth Forum, and on behalf of the organising committee I warmly invite and encourage all indigenous library and information workers to join us to celebrate, continue the vision, and determine our future.

Pai mārire

Hinureina Mangan
Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Te Kiriwai, Ngāti Pourāhui
Kaiarataki / Convenor