Hello Tāmaki Makaurau!
Hello Tāmaki Makaurau! I feel so honored to be in Auckland today for a hui with the Auckland City Council on Māori relations and the Māori economy. I remain open to listening and learning about the issues that are important to Māori and the ways we can connect the indigenous peoples of our two nations.
It was also great to meet Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and some of his Auckland Council team. Looking forward to working with this great friend of the USA.
We enjoyed our visit to the Auckland Museum where we met with the senior leadership team and the Māori and Pacific curators. They gave me a brief tour of the Māori, Pacific & Stories of Auckland galleries. The Museum hosts a range of events in coordination with the U.S. Consulate in Auckland, including U.S. Memorial Day every year in May. We are grateful for our partnership.
Ka kite ano Tāmaki Makaurau! Thank you for your hospitality, Auckland. We ended our first Auckland visit at the Auckland Art Gallery viewing the Māori Portraits on display as part of the Romancing the Collection exhibition. Reuben Paterson’s dazzling ‘Guide Kaiārahi’ crystal canoe also caught my attention. While this was a short trip, I am grateful to have met with contacts in Auckland and look forward to spending more time exploring the city in the future.- U.S. Ambassador Udall 🇺🇸🇳🇿