Te Tiriti o Waitangi resource

Philanthropic organisations are increasingly looking to how they can honour Te Tiriti through partnership and genuine power-sharing. This resource provides an overview of the issues, and video interviews with four funders sharing their Tiriti journeys with CSI associate Kate Cherrington.

In 1840, Māori made up the vast majority of the New Zealand population and were the undisputed owners of virtually all of the land. However, an increasing number of British citizens were settling in New Zealand, prompting the British Government to draw up a treaty which would help the two races live peacefully together.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed on 6 February 1840 by a Crown representative and over 500 chiefs is, in essence, the founding document of this nation. In summary, te Tiriti:

• gave settlers the right to remain in New Zealand.
• promises Māori that they can continue to own their lands, forests, and fisheries for as long as they wish.
• acknowledges the right of Māori to make their own decisions about their lands and the way they live.
• enabled the establishment of a government to ensure peace and order for all.
• promises to protect all things valuable to Māori.
• gives Māori the same rights as British citizens.

The Treaty was drawn up in two languages – Māori and English. The vast majority of Māori signed the Māori version. There are significant semantic differences between the two versions.

Resources 

• He Tohu A declaration: He Whakaputanga
• He Tohu A treaty: Te Tiriti o Waitangi
•  Te Ara Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi

Tiriti-honouring funders:

• Establish trusted and enduring relationships with mana whenua and Māori communities.
• Engage with Māori with and by the right people.
• Hold partnerships that have a balance of power and are based on mutual interests and purposes.

Watch the video below to hear how Toi Foundation approach this.

Tiriti-honouring funders:

• Nurture an understanding of te ao Māori throughout the organisation.

Watch the video below to hear how Trust Waikato approach this.

Tiriti-honouring funders:

• Embed a strong te ao Māori cultural understanding, competency, and safety throughout the organisation.
• Ensure their Māori staff and governors are culturally safe and well supported.

Watch the video below to hear how Community Trust South approach this.

Tiriti-honouring funders:

• Enable Māori leadership to support the balance of power for shared and mutual purposes, capability and impact.
• Allow whānau to identify, define, and articulate their aspirations and impact (immediate, short-term, long-term, and intergenerational).

Watch the video below to hear how J R McKenzie Trust approach this.

• KI TE HOE: A capability building framework for funders supporting Māori aspirations - Ki te Hoe is a project commissioned by Philanthropy New Zealand (PNZ) in late 2020 to build the capacity and capability of funders to engage and support Māori aspirations in a mana-enhancing way.
• Foundation North share their journey towards becoming a te Tiriti led organisation
• The CSI capability support wheel which points to different free and paid support for organisations development.
• Engaging with Te Tiriti and Matike Mai. Resources for embracing te ao Māori in our organisations and workplaces. Matike Mai is a report on constitutional transformation for Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Te Tiriti resources. A collection of resources that supports organisations and individuals to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles into their daily actions and practices.

Image: © Copyright Maimoa Creative all rights reserved.