Groundwork: Facilitating Change

Local communities around the country continue to show their support of Māori wards. Most recently, Whanganui and Marlborough have joined the growing list of councils sending a clear message to central government – enthusiastically voting to retain Māori wards in their region. Speaking to the Marlborough District Council ahead of the vote, and the many members of the public present, Māori ward councillor Allanah Burgess shared this message (beginning with a quote from Kiingi Tuheitia, the late Māori king): “‘There’s no need to worry. In this storm we are strong. Together. The wind in our sails is kotahitanga, and with that we will reach our destination’ ... But here we are here today, making a decision that I never thought I would be sitting here making... The decision that we make today is about more than just retaining this seat at the table. It’s about the strength and the future of our partnership with Māori communities but also our community as one. This ward is not merely just a seat; it’s a critical connection between this council and tangata mana whenua, whose knowledge, experience and leadership are essential to [our] wellbeing. In the times since this seat was established, we’ve seen the tangible benefits. We’ve forged a partnership that goes beyond mere transactions.”

Te Tiriti o Waitangi affirmed Māori tino rangatiratanga    We support iwi who have recently submitted an open letter to the Prime Minister, requesting that he formally acknowledge that Māori did not cede sovereignty.    The letter makes reference to an important finding of The Waitangi Tribunal Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry, which we reference often in our workshops and resources:  “We have concluded that in February 1840 the rangatira who signed te Tiriti did not cede their sovereignty. That is, they did not cede their authority to make and enforce law over their people or their territories.  Rather, they agreed to share power and authority with the Governor. They agreed to a relationship: one in which they and Hobson were to be equal – equal while having different roles and different spheres of influence. In essence, rangatira retained their authority over their hapū   and territories, while Hobson was given authority to control Pākehā”.   It is important that we are provided with trustworthy and accurate information on Te Tiriti by our country’s leaders and news sources. We mihi to the contributors of this deeply researched and comprehensive report, for ensuring the public record is corrected.

We’re grateful to have been wonderfully hosted by the Te Whāriki o te Ara Oranga team for a recent He Aka Hui – Whakamana i Te Tiriti. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou. In this insightful fireside conversation Jen Margaret and Kahurangi Fergusson-Tibble discussed current Te Tiriti issues, Treaty Principles, actions to take and examples to sustain all those committed to honouring Te Tiriti. There was an awesome number of people who came on the day and the feedback was that people found it a practical and hopeful learning experience. If you missed it, or want to share with colleagues, the recording is now available:

Jen features in a recent episode of the Weaving our Worlds podcast, hosted by Melanie Nelson. Melanie is a licensed Māori language translator and interpreter, and a consultant, educator and writer on cross-cultural issues.    We encourage you to check out the range of interesting kōrero on diverse topics from a variety of well-known Māori and Tauiwi guests.    In this episode, Melanie sits down with Jen to speak about the importance of collective action, the need for Pākehā to educate their own communities, and the essential work to build Te Tiriti relationships in Aotearoa. 

We join in expressing our deep sadness at the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu. His inspiring and unifying leadership has been a vital force, and his loss is keenly felt. Moe mai rā i te rangimārie, e te Kīngi.

“I strongly believe that if we would only embrace our unique cultural diversity and heritage as a nation ... the benefits to all New Zealanders would be immense. When we honour the Treaty in this way, we reclaim our standing as tangata Tiriti, to share these incredible islands with tangata whenua. At its core, Te Tiriti was a remarkably generous offer which we need to be considerably more gracious about as a nation. Our future under Te Tiriti gives cause for huge opportunity and optimism...” Another great article from e-tangata about tangata Tiriti haumi/allyship in this time.

Recently, we had the privilege of delivering a Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for families who are part of Viet Kids NZ.    It’s awesome to see communities engaging in this important learning together on their weekends.    E mihi ana ki a koutou.

A principled approach to government Treaty commitments Treaty Principles are an important means by which the agreement of Te Tiriti is upheld by government. Despite this, our current government has unilaterally decided to review, replace, and repeal or rewrite Treaty Principles.  It is critical that the government actions reflect these central understandings established in law: - A treaty is an agreement between independent nations     - Any interpretation of meaning, or change of terms, must be agreed to by the parties to that agreement     - Any interpretation must reflect the agreement itself    We can advocate for this principled approach together and protect the progress that has been made towards honouring Te Tiriti. To learn more about Treaty Principles and what we can do about changes to government Te Tiriti commitments, read our succinct new resource: https://lnkd.in/g92RYjTM 

Join Jen Margaret and Kahurangi Fergusson-Tibble today at 11am for Whakamana i Te Tiriti - Whāriki He Aka Hui hosted by Te Whāriki o te Ara Oranga.    To support attendees and their ongoing Te Tiriti learning, we are running a promotion on our Understanding Te Tiriti workshops. For the next four days, these workshops for individuals will be 30% off.    Whakamana i Te Tiriti!    Click here to register for the hui: https://lnkd.in/gP-PaVfY    View and purchase Te Tiriti workshops here: https://lnkd.in/gR-U48vn 

Another important story from E-Tangata last week.    In this article, ActionStation Director Kassie Hartendorp explains the introduction of new Māori wards rules, the impacts on all of us, and the highly problematic position so many local councils have been forced into by government.   Following this, we’ve been encouraged by good news over the weekend that Palmerston North City Council unanimously voted to retain their Māori ward seat, backed by public support (followed by a number of other councils).   https://lnkd.in/gt_-_Evi