At the historic signing of the He Whakaputanga Moana Declaration, Māori King Te Arikinui Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII delivered a powerful address, standing alongside Indigenous Ariki from across the Pacific. This statement from united Indigenous leadership championed the inherent rights of the ocean and its kin, making a profound case for granting legal personhood to whales and other marine life. It grounded future marine stewardship in ancestral wisdom and collective guardianship, honouring the mana of the Moana and all its inhabitants.