An Interview With a Māori Protestor Who Jumped in Front of a Mining Ship and Said ‘F*ck You’

At 5am on March 26, the Arctic Sunrise – a Greenpeace icebreaker built in 1975 and weighing just under 950 tonnes –  set off on the coast of Costa Rica to intercept the Deep Sea Mining research vessel, RRS James Cook (Yes, that’s actually the name). 

Over the next two hours, Quack Pirihi, a 20-year-old Indigenous activist and community worker from Tāmaki Makaurau, jumped out of the Greenpeace vessel and swam in front of the James Cook with a simple message: “Don’t Mine the Moana.” With nothing but a life jacket and the Tino rangatiratanga flag in the face of a ship, it’s a visual that immediately makes you think one thing: holy shit.

But why is deep-sea mining happening in the Northern Pacific Ocean, anyway? Deep sea mining was brought up to governments by companies in the 1970s, and since then has been floating around, lobbied, researched and spun to nations as a beneficial industry. 

“It's very evident that they're just mining for profit,” Pirihi said. “And they couldn't give a shit about the livelihoods of people that live in the Pacific, or people all over the world.”

“Bringing any large vessel named after a notorious coloniser into the waters that he caused so much destruction and chaos… it's fucking disgusting,” Pirihi said.

Getting involved in what you care about comes at a cost — generally time or money — things many people who actually care about shit don’t have. The planet may be on fire but rent is still due.

And despite this discouraging truth, Quack Pirihi is working to change that.

“Having the chance to hang a flag in the face of the coloniser who attempted to fuck up our culture was one thing, saying like a big ‘fuck you’,” Pirihi told VICE. 

“But also, we're still here, we're gonna keep fighting for the protection of our lands in our waters. And I think that was pretty freakin’ cool.”

Pirihi believes deeply that having Indigenous and Pacific communities involved in activism – and conservation – around deep sea mining is important, as the moana is deeply tied to their history, culture and identity. It’s an industry that is creating environmental and cultural havoc for the people of the Pacific.

But how did this even happen? How did someone from Tāmaki Makaurau end up floating around Costa Rica, inspired and motivated to make a change?

Pirihi has a burgeoning audience on TikTok, where they engage in community causes and local activism, particularly in queer, trans and takatāpui spaces. This caught the eye of Greenpeace Aotearoa Lead Campaigner for Deep Sea Mining, Hēmi Hita, who asked Pirihi to come aboard the voyage. It was a trip that took Pirihi from Aotearoa, to so-called Australia, America, the Caribbean and the Panama canal.

And despite eagerly wanting to participate, Pirihi still said they had their fair share of imposter syndrome. 

“I was bringing a holistic approach to a sometimes complicated kaupapa,” they said.

“Being the youngest and cheekiest (subjectively) in the Pacific delegation, I wanted to represent a generation of whānau that may or may not be connected to their Taha Māori.” 

Using their TikTok to create a platform for Indigenous, Queer and Takatāpui voices, and also on their own journey of reconnecting with te ao Māori, Pirihi said they feel an obligation to show others, back home, the notion of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the moana and connecting the idea of liberation to Tino rangatiratanga. 

“I wasn’t just bringing one kaupapa to the table. I carried the weight of liberation for Māori, and waved it in the face of the coloniser,” Pirihi said.

Increasingly, protests and rallies have become part of culture across the world. People — particularly young people — feel more inclined to speak up. In the past, many would have been reluctant, believing they don’t have enough understanding or academic background to understand. Most recently, rallies were held across the country against TERF Posie Parker. Not everyone who turned up would have known the history of Parker, or TERFs, but they were there regardless, in solidarity. 

Quack puts it clearly and simple for anyone wanting to get involved in activism themselves. 

“There’s no prerequisite to have a deep understanding about the colonial history of the land and why it's important that it must be returned, or the history of all the different acts that were imposed on our ancestors many years ago.” 

“And so I feel like the Tino Rangatiratanga flag represents this holistic interpretation of activism. We don't need to have all these academic experiences or understanding of how these complicated systems work. You were just able to turn up… and stand in solidarity.”

“If you want to get involved in this kaupapa there are resources to take action and stay informed. Stand in solidarity with Pacific voices sharing concerns about Deep Sea mining. Amplify those who are doing the mahi”.