In February, Cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand, bringing devastating floods and powerful winds, destroying homes, displacing thousands, and killing at least eleven people. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called it "the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen in this century." Around 70 percent of destroyed homes were occupied by Indigenous Māori, but Māori leaders say that they have been left out of recovery services and funding.
"Because climate events have gotten more and more intense, it's at a point of our communities will either get wiped out through more storms or have to choose to leave their homelands," Renee Raroa, a Ngati Porou Māori representative from Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti in eastern New Zealand, said. "We're running out of options."
