Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People

Come and join us in Te Whau for FREE community Tiriti o Waitangi workshops. Open to all.

Register via each host below:

-Saturday, 15 June, 9 am - 4:30 pm
New Lynn Community Centre | Register via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/te-tiriti-workshops-in-te-whau

- Saturday 29 June, 10am - 5pm
Avondale community Centre | Register via Humanitix:
https://events.humanitix.com/te-tiriti-workshops-with-treaty-people-avondale-session

- Friday, July 5th | 9 am - 4:30 pm
Blockhouse Bay Community Centre | Register via email: [email protected] or call 09 377 0209

Workshops are proudly funded by Auckland Council's Māori Outcomes Delivery – Te Waka Kerewai.

⭐️Part of Mānawa Maiea A Matariki ⭐️

Please take a moment to make a submission today. Short or long, they all get counted! Here is a guide below...

Act now! Submissions on Māori Wards Bill due Wednesday, 29 May👇

The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill was introduced to parliament last week with only four working days provided for public submissions on the Bill.

This action alert has three sections: 1) Information about the Bill; 2) Some points you could include in your submission on its discriminatory aspects, what the Waitangi Tribunal has said, some of the human rights implications, and what Local Government NZ has said; and 3) Where to make your submission.

If you simply wish to state your opposition to the Bill, please scroll down to section 3 which has the details of where to make your submission - please take five minutes to do that before midnight tomorrow.

1) Information about the Bill

The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill was introduced to parliament on 20 May, had its first reading and was referred to the Justice Select Committee on 23 May, with the opportunity for submissions notified on Friday, 24 May. The deadline for written submissions is Wednesday, 29 May.

The Bill is due to be reported back to the House on 21 June 2024. “The Select Committee intends to hold public hearings on the it in the week beginning 4 June 2024. The committee has agreed to invite local government, including councils and other groups, to make oral submissions on the bill.”

The purpose of the Bill is to:
• reinstate polls on Māori wards and Māori constituencies,
• require councils to hold a binding poll at the 2025 local elections if they established Māori wards or Māori constituencies since 2020 and did not hold a poll, and
• adjust the statutory time frames for local elections to give more time for the postal delivery of voting papers.

The intention of the Bill is to reverse the legislative changes made by the Local Electoral (Māori wards and Māori constituencies) Amendment Act 2021 which was a positive step forward to remove the discriminatory provisions from earlier legislation that only applied to Māori wards, whereby a petition signed by 5% of enrolled voters in the local authority area could force a binding poll to be held to decide whether a Māori ward could be established, or a local authority could simply initiate a binding poll without any petition.

Prior to the 2021 change, only three local authorities had Māori wards, by the 2022 local government elections 35 out of 78 had Māori wards, and now 49 local authorities either already have Māori wards and constituencies or will have them in place by the 2025 elections.

In local authorities that have Māori wards, Māori who are registered on the Māori electoral roll can vote for the ward/s (in the same way as Māori who are registered on the Māori electoral roll can vote for the Māori seats in a general election) - while this does not reflect the power sharing arrangements laid out in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it is at least a small step in the right direction.

The text of the Bill is available at https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2024/0046/latest/versions.aspx and the Hansard record of the first reading is at https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20240523_20240523_28

2) Points you could include in your submission

Here are some points you could make in your submission, with links to more information if you wish to make a more detailed submission.

The proposed legislation was part of the coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First, and has been introduced by a coalition government that seems intent on removing any trace of progress made in recent years towards honouring Te Tiriti.

The Bill will reinstate racially discriminatory provisions because it only applies to Māori wards and not to other wards, such as rural wards.

There was no consultation with hapū or iwi, and no public consultation before the legislation was introduced - the only prior consultation was on the proposed changes to election timeframes, with Local Government New Zealand, Taituara, election service providers, and NZ Post and their business division Datam consulted on that narrow point.

The Waitangi Tribunal’s Urgent Inquiry on Māori Wards and Constituencies found the proposed changes breach Te Tiriti in a number of respects, and the Tribunal stated: “The Crown has failed to adequately inform itself of its Treaty obligations and has failed to conduct adequate Treaty analysis during the policy development process, in breach of its duties to act reasonably and in good faith. It has inadequately defined the policy problem as restoring the right of the public to make decisions about Māori wards and constituencies, when no other type of ward or constituency requires a poll, in breach of the principle of equity.”

The Tribunal’s “primary recommendation is that the amendment of the 2021 Amendment Act be halted to allow proper consultation between the treaty partners with a view to agreeing how Māori can exercise the guarantee of tino rangatiratanga in Article 2 to determine their own dedicated representation in local government.” - the Tribunal’s media release is available at https://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/news/tribunal-releases-report/ (scroll down the page for the link to ‘The Māori Wards and Constituencies Urgent Inquiry).

On human rights, the Department of Internal Affairs’ departmental disclosure statement pointed out provisions of the Bill can be considered regressive in relation to New Zealand’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and is inconsistent with New Zealand’s stated support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People - see para 3.1 at https://disclosure.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2024/46 We will also include other examples of breaches of New Zealand’s international human rights law in our submission if time permits.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has been firmly supportive of Māori wards and constituencies for more than a decade, and has called for ‘fair play on Māori wards’, for the government to treat all wards the same and to leave decisions up to local councils (
https://www.lgnz.co.nz/news/media-releases/call-for-fair-play-on-maori-wards/ ). LGNZ, 52 Mayors and Chairs, and the Co-Chairs of Te Maruata wrote to the government on 22 May opposing the proposed changes (https://d1pepq1a2249p5.cloudfront.net/media/documents/Letter_from_LGNZ_Mayors_and_Chairs_on_M%C4%81ori_wards_and_constituencies_S4jE57h.pdf ) LGNZ’s 2021 submission on the Bill to remove the discriminatory provisions around Māori wards has a useful summary of their position, https://d1pepq1a2249p5.cloudfront.net/media/documents/LGNZ-Sumbission-on-Maori-wards-constituencies-bill.pdf

Finally, if you made a submission in 2021 supporting the Local Electoral (Māori wards and Māori constituencies) Amendment Act 2021, whatever you said then will no doubt be relevant now.

3) Where to make your submission

Your submission must be made via the parliamentary web site at https://www.parliament.nz/en/ECommitteeSubmission/54SCJUST_SCF_AD58BD2A-C2CA-44CD-361F-08DC7876229A/CreateSubmission by 11.59pm on Wednesday, 29 May 2024.

You can either type or paste some comments into the online submission form, or attach your submission as a document after you complete your contact details. Although the Select Committee has said it will only hold oral hearings for “local government, including councils and other groups”, we recommend that you ask to speak to the Committee to indicate the strength of your opposition to the Bill.

fans Pax Christi Aotearoa Sky Field Te Upoko o te Ika Radio CWS Auckland Peace Action Network Waitangi Otautahi Aotearoa 2040 Vision

2024 Te Tiriti-based Futures + Anti-racism online conference has started! All day today and for the next TEN days there is an amazing line-up of speakers and webinars.

Click through to the conference page on Zoom to register for any of the sessions or check out the programme on the website below:
https://events.zoom.us/ev/AnN72RLLBxnRWdJk8QFkpZR-AhqbzqxEA96yiB7b7-DjJA9Xbi2v~Aj4aJAfih6NxnFG8AIiV4IfcYtG0gPQ1idjpHUt1YVqR14aucxRq80KuEw

Conference programme 2024: https://www.tiritibasedfutures.info/programme

2024 Te Tiriti-based Futures + Anti-racism online conference He kanohi mataara hei ringa whiti. Eyes wide open, ready for action.

In memory of the tragic events of March 15th in Christchurch, let us stand together in solidarity, compassion, and remembrance. May the memories of those lost be a reminder of the importance of unity, love, and understanding in our world.

We honor their lives by working towards a future of peace, tolerance, and acceptance.

Kia kaha, ،لنظل أقوياء

Te Tiriti o Waitangi laid out a vision for religious tolerance and freedom. In that spirit we would like to wish the Muslim community in Aotearoa RAMADAN MUBARAK
رمضان مبارك.
May this blessed month bring you peace, joy, and spiritual growth. Wishing you a month filled with blessings, forgiveness, and compassion.

Yesterday Dr Lux of DMCC On Air interviewed Dr Ingrid Huygens and Mayyssaa Sheik Al Ard about our Te Tiriti in Our Language programme and why we are so passionate about reaching people in their own language. You can listen to the playback here: https://accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=20923652-4e58-4362-bbd5-862826a5f679

This evening, live with DMCC on air - hear our coordinators Ingrid and Mayssaa talk about how we have shared information about Te Tiriti o Waitangi with communities around the motu in their own languages.

📣 Join Us Live on DMCC on Air! 📣
This Tuesday, 20th February at 6 PM, tune into OAR FM Dunedin - Community Access Media 105.4 FM or stream online at OAR.org.nz/live-stream for a conversation hosted by Dr. Lux Selvanesan, President of Dunedin Multicultural Council
🌟 Our esteemed guests, Dr. Ingrid Huygens, National Coordinator, and Mayssaa Sheik Al Ard from Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People, will share insights into the groundbreaking project of translating Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi into over 24 languages.
This is your chance to dive deep into the heart of New Zealand's foundation document and its significance to all who call Aotearoa home, regardless of origin. Your voice matters! Call us live during the show at +6434717171 to ask questions or share your thoughts.
🔗 Mark your calendars and be part of the conversation that bridges cultures and communities.

Dunedin City Council | CAMA - Community Access Media Alliance

If you are at Waitangi, come find us at Te Tii Marae campground - we love to chat!

You'll find us with Network Waitangi Whangarei who have generously made some space for us to share our many language resources on Te Tiriti.

Directions in the comments...

This Waitangi Day, it is more important than ever to know what was agreed by the signatories to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have information about Te Tiriti in 24 languages with the key points from that agreement that we all need to understand.

Go to our website for free PDF downloads and to request printed packs in many of the community languages that are spoken here in Aotearoa.

Te Tiriti in our Language educational resources Learn about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in your language! We are proud to offer information about the Treaty of Waitangi in many community languages. These are translations of educational resources used in our Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People workshops. The posters and handouts give a summary of the k

Our very own Aram Wu will be joining this panel tomorrow at Waitangi. The kaupapa? He aha ngā haepapa ā te tangata tiriti? What are the responsibilities of tangata tiriti?

If you are Waitangi - head on over to the forum tent for this important kōrero.

SIGN UP FOR OUR ONLINE TE TIRITI O WAITANGI WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS over two mornings 23 & 24 Jan and start 2024 with an intensive foundation programme to refresh your knowledge of He Whakaputanga, Te Tiriti and Aotearoa NZ History.
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/online-te-tiriti-o-waitangi-workshop-for-teachers-over-two-mornings-tickets-777500604237?
Book now: only 35 places, and we'll see you at the end of Jan.

Online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for teachers (over two mornings) Our popular online workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi - this time reserved for teachers.

Moe mai rā e te rangatira e Mitzi.
Today we farewelled an elder who paved the way for many Pākehā and Tauiwi in the anti-racism movement and in upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. For many years, Mitzi and Ray supported our organisation as honorary members on our committee. She was a mentor, wise woman, story-teller and supporter of the generations that followed her in this mahi. The ripples of her life carry on...

“One of the first messages, in my experience of Māori colleagues was, ‘Convince, deal with, challenge your own. Challenge other Pākehā, convince them, bring them up to speed, show them, open their eyes, get them out of our hair.’”

We would like to honour beloved mentor and Te Tiriti and anti-racism educator Mitzi Nairn who passed away on Sunday.
E te māreikura, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā.

In memory of Mitzi and the impact her work and dedication had on Te Tiriti and social justice movements in Aotearoa, we are sharing her reflections on Being Allies which features in Working as Allies: Supporters of indigenous justice reflect.

Next month we’ll also share a rerelease of Thoughts on Social Justice a series of reflections from Mitzi recorded in 2010 by our kaihautū Jen.

https://groundwork.org.nz/thoughts-on-social-justice/

A huge thank you from us to everyone who's worked with us in 2023. It's been a huge year with so many exciting things to look back on.
- The publication of information about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in NINE more languages (Hazaragi, Filipino, French, Japanese, Kinyarwanda, Punjabi, Sinhala, Somali, Swahili)
- The successful launch of those resources, blessed by Ngaati Wairere, at Waikato Museum.
- Two community facilitator training programmes leading to the first workshops run by our facilitators entirely in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, Spanish and Urdu!
- Webinars for schools on engaging with mana whenua and giving effect to Te Tiriti uploaded to our YouTube channel and website
- Plus all of the amazing organisations who have invited us to work with their people.

All of us will be needed in 2024 to promote Te Tiriti to our communities. In the meantime ngā mihi o Hine Raumati ki a koutou katoa.

We see Te Tiriti as important for all of us in Aotearoa. Those hapū who did sign Te Tiriti were allowing for newcomers to come and settle here. We have the responsibility to learn what the terms of that agreement were and honour it today.

Here is one for kaiako to 'set and forget' as you start your well-earned break:

SIGN UP FOR OUR ONLINE TE TIRITI O WAITANGI WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS in late January and start 2024 with an intensive foundation programme to refresh your knowledge of Te Tiriti and Aotearoa NZ History.
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/online-te-tiriti-o-waitangi-workshop-for-teachers-over-two-mornings-tickets-777500604237?

Book now: only 35 places, and we'll see you after the holidays.

Online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for teachers (over two mornings) Our popular online workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi - this time reserved for teachers.

The best way to understand TE TIRITI O WAITANGI is not to present it side-by-side with the Crown's English text, but to read it in the context of HE WHAKAPUTANGA - the 1835 Declaration of Independence.

In 1835 the Rangatira of the Confederation declared their independence and emerged onto the world stage as a Māori nation. Five years later, the Rangatira created a role for the British Governor to sit alongside them and govern over his own people. A co-governance arrangement, if you will.

This is what the signatories to Te Tiriti agreed to. Hapū did not cede their sovereignty to the Crown 1840.

We're hearing a lot about the Treaty from our new government coalition. Looking for some help to put it all in context? Join our online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop this week for in-depth look at the topic. On Zoom over two mornings. Register via Eventbrite:

Online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop (over two mornings) Our popular online workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi - delivered on Zoom.

A 3-hour workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Arabic! Refreshments provided.
Click here to register: https://forms.gle/8ratUGA9SFnpSPEV6

Today we are at Welcoming Week in Kirikiriroa Hamiton with Waikato Arab Social Club, Mayor Paula Southgate (who launched our language resources a year ago) and Fungai Mhlanga from Ministry for Ethnic Communities.

What is Te Tiriti-based leadership? And, what would it look like for schools to give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

What better person to ask than Robin Fabish - Tumuaki (Principal) of Tamatea High School, who is doing his PhD in this very topic!

Alex Barnes sat down with Robin to explore how we need to aim for rangatahi to graduate strong in BOTH worlds and how to bring your staff along with the journey. A must-listen for school leaders...

Strong in both worlds - giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi Robin Fabish responds to the question: What is Te Tiriti-based leadership, and how do we do it? In this conversation Robin Fabish speaks with Alex Barnes about what it means to give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in schools. Robin Fabish (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Māhanga)

TWO MORE DAYS to get tickets for our online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for teachers. This is an intensive foundation programme over two afternoons to refresh your knowledge of Te Tiriti and Aotearoa NZ History.

Online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for teachers (over two afternoons) Our popular online workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi - this time reserved for teachers.

ONLINE TE TIRITI O WAITANGI WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS
Join us for this participatory online workshop over two afternoons:
Tuesday 11 AND Wednesday 12 July 2023
1:00 – 5:00 pm via Zoom (with breaks!)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/online-te-tiriti-o-waitangi-workshop-for-teachers-over-two-afternoons-tickets-667905712967?
COST: $50

This is an interactive workshop, not a webinar so registrations are limited to 30 places. We are prioritising teachers for this session.

Not a teacher? Follow our page for the next opportunity or click "sign up" from our page to get a notification to your inbox.

Online Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop for teachers (over two afternoons) Our popular online workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi - this time reserved for teachers.

Join us for an introduction to Te Tiriti o Waitangi this Saturday in Mt Eden. Our hosts have generously opened up a few spaces for people from outside of the Albert-Eden local board area.

Click through to the original post to register for this FREE introductory workshop on:
Saturday 3 June, 9am – 4.30pm at Mt Eden War Memorial Hall – Chamber Room, 489 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

Hope to see you there!

📜 Want to learn more about Tiriti o Waitangi and discover key elements of our history?

Register your attendance for this FREE introductory workshop on:
Saturday 3 June, 9am – 4.30pm at Mt Eden War Memorial Hall – Chamber Room, 489 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Or
Thursday 13 June, 9am - 4.30pm at Fickling Convention Centre, Lynfield Room, 546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings

📋 To secure your seat, register here: https://bit.ly/3LUoB7K

The workshop will cover:
🔎Why the treaty came about
🔎What terms the signatories agreed to
🔎The history of colonisation in this country and it's impacts
🔎The relevance of the treaty in Aotearoa today
🔎How we can connect to the treaty relationship as people of different backgrounds and cultures in Aotearoa.

The workshop is run by Tauiwi facilitators from Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People: www.treatypeople.org

EDIT: NOW FULLY-BOOKED follow our page for future dates.

ONLINE TE TIRITI O WAITANGI WORKSHOP
Join us for this participatory online workshop in two parts:

Tuesday 27 AND Thursday 29 June 2023
1:00 – 5:00 pm via Zoom (with breaks!)

For more information: http://www.treatypeople.org/upcoming-events/ register here: https://forms.gle/VJiMLJJhbtQb23tg7

This is an interactive workshop, not a webinar so those registering will need to clear their schedule for these times.

Dive into this kōrero with Taipuni Ruakere about how to come alongside tangata whenua and meet them where they are at. A must-watch for schools or any organisation wanting to build long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships. Part 2 in a series.

Kia hūmārie tōu haere - come alongside us Taipuni Ruakere responds to the question: If a school came to you and wanted to develop a relationship with tangata whenua, what would you tell them? In this conversation Taipuni Ruakere speaks with Alex Barnes about how schools and other organisations can come alongside tangata whenua in a

As we head into the school holidays, you will want to bookmark this excellent, insightful discussion with Dr Therese Ford. A must-watch for all school leaders, teachers... in fact for ANYONE in an organisation looking for guidance on how best to engage with mana whenua.

He Iti Pioki: Swimming against the currents in education Dr Therese Ford addresses the question: If a school came to you and wanted to develop a relationship with tangata whenua – mana whenua, what would you tell them? In this conversation Dr Therese Ford (Ngāi Takato, Ngāti Kahu, Pākehā) speaks with Alex Barnes (Pākehā) about swimming against the...

There are a few spaces still available for Saturday's Tiriti o Waitangi workshop. Email Paige to sign up and see you there!

now taking registrations for this Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop being held on the 11th of February by The Treaty people! if you wish to register please send an email to the email address below.

EDIT: and just like that we've hit 100 copies! The giveaway is now closed, but you can still buy copies here: https://tinyurl.com/5asweasw
Ngaa mihi nui ki a Marama for kicking it off with her donation, and for allowing us to use her name to reach all of you. 💚😊

WAITANGI GIVAWAY FOR TEACHERS!
Marama Davidson MP has generously sponsored some copies of our Easy Read book about the Treaty of Waitangi. We're happy to throw in a few more copies - and we'd like to make this one for school teachers who are needing good quality resources to tackle our new history curriculum.

So, please fill in our form with your SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS to request your copy (while stocks last!). https://forms.gle/RuVneWx4ZshRnTCa6

For more information about the book, or to purchase class sets, see https://tinyurl.com/5asweasw