Kia ora from Jess,
The other day my youngest said to me “Oh I would like to be Māori. I really love how Māori know who their ancestors are and where they come from and their language and how they have a special connection here”. I paused, because there is a gentle art to supporting kids to think about power structures such as racism. I replied “It’s awesome how you admire Māori culture – it is really cool to live in a country where we are invited to be part of something so special. It can also be hard for Māori people to hear Pākehā say that they would like to be Māori after everything that our ancestors did to make things so difficult for Māori to survive.”
“OUR ancestors?" she asked.
I went on to explain that yes our ancestors, and while that doesn’t make us bad people, it does mean we have an important responsibility to understand our history and what it means for how we live in Aotearoa. We talked about the ways we can help make sure that Māori values, culture, and knowledge are central to our society, and how we can appreciate what is special and unique about being Pākehā and what we have to offer. I would love to say we nailed it all in this conversation, but learning about everything it means to be Pākehā is a lifelong pursuit. I’m glad my daughter and I get to take these steps together towards deeper understanding.
This is to say, the way Pākehā talk to each other about how we operate in New Zealand society in relation to the Treaty matters. We live in a country full of diversity, and when we recognise the strengths that have grown from our different cultures and experiences we put ourselves in the best position to solve the major challenges we face together.
The question many of you have is how exactly can we talk to each other in ways that are productive, against a backdrop of outrageous statements which hijack the language of tolerance and fairness to stoke fear towards “the other”.
We’ve done a deep dive into this in the recent work we undertook on framing the Treaty | te Tiriti. This project was designed to help people have constructive conversations with Pākehā who feel unsure about the Treaty, don’t have much knowledge to draw from, or are open to false information about what te Tiriti means. Here are three tips on helpful narratives that we can start using right away.
#1 Don't just talk about solidarity, show what solidarity is — that is your unique story to tell
Some politicians are engaging in what I call a lot of “tolerance washing” – claiming to be working to free people from some form of systemic oppression, including racism, while doing the opposite. Luckily, the paradox of saying that you are working to make a society less racist, more inclusive, and more tolerant while doing the absolute opposite is easy to spot. One way to spot it is the obvious lack of togetherness or cross-community support for the agenda. However, simply pointing out this lack of togetherness and solidarity doesn’t offer a different story or vision to people, and will likely just draw attention to those narratives.
Instead, show and tell how and where solidarity does actually exist. Highlight how many Pākehā and Tauiwi understand Māori culture, values, and ways of living as a precious taonga that we should protect as a country. Give examples of Pākehā and Tauiwi standing with tāngata Māori and showing partnership and solidarity in action.
#2 Be clear that the original intent of the Treaty was to respect and protect Māori ways of life
People can be confused and misinformed about te Tiriti, with some assuming it was a trick or there was always ill intent behind it. For that reason some people may see changing it or getting rid of it as a sensible thing to do. Yet many Māori leaders, historians, and scholars have noted that at the time of its creation and signing, the spirit of the Treaty was an expression of true partnership and respect, and envisioned ongoing protection for Māoritanga.
This original intent was unique at the time, and remains important and special to New Zealand. The Treaty mapped out how our country would be created in partnership with Māori as systems were built and decisions about our collective future. We have gone off track from the original spirit of te Tiriti and this detour has caused a lot of really clear harm, but we can get back to the original intent and use the Treaty as a guide to build a thriving society that includes everyone. A prime example is the Māori language revitalisation movement over the last fifty years, where whānau Māori demonstrate what it looks like to fight hard and use a variety of mechanisms to hold the government to the original intentions of te Tiriti of protecting Māori culture, values and ways of living, to the benefit of all New Zealanders.
#3 Explain how using the Treaty as a guide offers us a way forward to the country of our dreams
Many of the people we spoke with admired core facets of Māori culture and ways of being – especially the active care and protection for people and the environment. We explained that when iwi, hapū, and hapori are able to hold the government to what was agreed in the Treaty, it not only leads to better outcomes for Māori, but better outcomes for everyone. In our discussions we explained that Māori communities and organisations are working hard every day to improve the things that we all care about, including the health of our waters, land, and forests. This specific example was effective at making the spirit of te Tiriti concrete and relevant for many Pākehā who had previously struggled to understand how it relates to them.
Talking about the Treaty as a guide to our way forward, and as a key for solving the complex challenges we face as a country, is powerful. When we honour the original intent of te Tiriti by supporting Māori self-determination and championing the active protection of Māori culture and ways of life, we will all benefit from the values woven through te ao Māori that prioritise care and protection of people and planet.
Above all, cultural change relies on people-power. While people acting against the Treaty may be blasting a megaphone right now in an attempt to shift public thinking in support of suppressing Māori culture and self-determination in our laws and decision-making practices, what is missing is the strength and power of people behind the idea. It’s our job to continue building support and commitment for the society of our dreams by amplifying the stories we know to be true about the Treaty, and demonstrating what it looks like for tāngata Māori, Pākehā and Tauiwi to live in true partnership in Aotearoa.
I read a whakataukī at the mouth of the Tukituki river last week which said “Heretaunga te Haaro o te Kaahu ki Tuawhakarere - a hundred pathways of life-giving waters, and beauty that can only be seen through the eye of a hawk.” Often we’re so busy keeping afloat in the waters that we need to be reminded that we can climb out, head uphill, and see what the hawk sees. This is a reminder to us all to keep talking about the importance of te Tiriti, and share the beauty of the pathways it provides which make it possible for us to live freely in this place we call home.
Ngā mihi,
Jess