What you need to know today!
A guide to Hīkoi mō te Tiriti for Pākehā/Tangata Tiriti/tauiwi
This morning, hundreds of good people came together for a dawn karakia at Te Rerenga Wairua as they launched the national Hīkoi mō te Tiriti. It was inspiring, powerful and heartfelt. So, what do you need to know about this movement?
Today begins a nine-day hīkoi starting at Te Rerenga Wairua and travelling Te Ika-a-Māui all the way to Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and to Paremata (Parliment Grounds). Thousands are expected to join the hīkoi. Here’s what you need to know:
Important context before you begin: This post is written by, and for, Pākehā/Tangata Tiriti/tauiwi who need to understand what’s going with Hīkoi mō te Tiriti. My hope is it supports the kuapapa and I am not speaking over Tangata whenua. Please feel free to email me emilywritesnz [at] Gmail dot com if you have questions about this.
What is Hīkoi mō te Tiriti?
This hīkoi is part of a unified Aotearoa-wide response to the coalition government’s assault on tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is part of the Toitū Te Tiriti movement which is described as “Generation Tiriti standing up and protecting the rights of all of our mokopuna”.
“We will be affirming the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as enduring and everlasting.”
What is this in response to?
Well, the coalition government has repeatedly attacked the rights of tangata whenua and arguably one of the worst attacks has been David Seymour’s divisive and racist ‘Treaty Principles’ Bill.
But it’s important to remember that this isn’t about David Seymour and his racist ways - Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi said it best when he told Stuff: “This is not a Hīkoi Mō te Pire, this is a Hīkoi Mō te Tiriti”. He said:
“Bills come and go, governments come and go, but we are forever and Te Tiriti is forever - let’s just use this as kaha, as fuel for our haerenga [journey].”
This is about the Tiriti and showing what kind of country we are. It’s a question of justice, it’s a hope for better. It asks the question: What kind of future do we want for all tamariki?
What is the Treaty Principles Bill?
It’s basically an attempt to dismantle and nullify Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Woah, that’s full on. Is that an exaggeration?
Well, look, you don’t have to believe me. Let’s see what other people say about the bill:
The Waitangi Tribunal stated this week: “We found that if this Bill were to be enacted, it would be the worst, most comprehensive breach of the Treaty/te Tiriti in modern times. If the Bill remained on the statute book for a considerable time or was never repealed, it could mean the end of the Treaty/te Tiriti.”
Margaret Mutu, Auckland University’s professor of Māori studies told The Guardian it was the “worst assault on Māori I’ve seen in my 40-year career”.
Co-president of the Māori Law Society Natalie Coates said the government was undertaking a “systematic legislative attack” on Māori that would leave a “deep wound”.
I mean, not even National or NZ First support the bill - though they’re spineless assholes so they’re supporting it through the first reading.
In a joint statement, Labour, The Green and Te Pāti Māori called on Christopher Luxon to block what they called a “divisive” bill that was “pandering to a dangerous, reactionary fringe”.
If the Bill is doomed to fail, why does it matter?
Te Wānanga o Raukawa Māori law professor Carwyn Jones told The Guardian that the bill is “increasing misinformation about the treaty, it is already having an impact on the relationship between Māori and the Crown, and on social cohesion.”
“It is having a real impact on many Māori, in terms of feeling under attack. For lots of younger Māori, this is a really distressing situation.”
Young Māori already report the highest levels of psychological distress compared with any other group.
It’s about standing up against racism and protecting and committing to te Tiriti and thinking about what kind of country we want to be.
What has David Seymour’s response to the hīkoi been?
He had a tantrum and introduced the bill two weeks ahead of schedule. So, yeah, he’s nervous that maybe Aotearoa isn’t as racist as he thought it was.
Back up, why should I support te Tiriti if I’m not Māori?
Basically, if you live in Aotearoa and you’re not Māori, you’re here thanks to te Tiriti. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the first immigration document of Aotearoa. It enables non-Māori to settle in this country.
It was signed on February 6, 1840, as a partnership between rangatira (leaders) from some (but not all) iwi and representatives of the Crown. It sets out an expectation of peacefully and respectfully living together but it’s more than that…
Rangatira Māori signed it as an agreement for self-governance (Tino Rangitiratanga) and self-determination over their people and land. Unsurprisingly, this has not been honoured by the Crown.
I was born in Australia, but I have lived here most of my life and I’m Pākehā. Like some other Pākehā and tauiwi (not indigenous to Aotearoa people/not Māori), I use the term tangata Tiriti which is described well in this Spinoff piece:
“….tangata Tiriti, [is] a term that is aspirational as much as it is political. To be a person of the Treaty is to build a relationship with Māori, to understand the history of how this nation was formed and to commit to the ongoing fight for Māori self-sovereignty. It acknowledges that Aotearoa is a multicultural country, that Pākehā aren’t the only grouping brought together with Māori under the Treaty.
To understand the history of Aotearoa, is to know Māori never ceded sovereignty Māori land was stolen and the agreement that allows us to live in Aotearoa has been repeatedly breached.
As a Pākehā I believe I am a guest in this country I love. As a guest (albeit long-term and with long ties to this country) I believe it is my responsibility to uphold the promises enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi in partnership with Māori.
I am also married to a proud Māori and Moriori man and my tamariki are proud Māori and Moriori.
I share this context because I have spent the last 24 years having the privilege of being immersed in Te Ao Māori. That matters to me. But I am not Māori and I’m not an expert. So I can only speak from that perspective.
With that said, I think a lot about what being a ‘good’ treaty partner means. When I do that I think a lot about what the wonderful
said in her excellent post What’s Required From Tangata Tiriti?I’ve been asked a few times “What do Maori want” – its a rude and reductive question, and not one that I recommend anyone ask… because WE are not the problem and what we WANT is not the point. The real question to be asked is – what does justice demand of us?
So what does justice demand of us?
When I think about that - I think about the promise of te Tiriti. I think about the way it allowed me to meet the love of my life, to have my beautiful whānau. I think about how it allows me to live in this country and how lucky I am to be able to do that. I think about how it seeks to protect the whenua against corporate interests and greed. How te Tiriti acts as a mechanism to force the government to consider climate change and the environment (for example, the protection of the Whanganui River through legal personhood). I think about how it has been used to stop environmental abuses as well as human rights abuses.
I think about how the principles (are meant to) force the government to fulfil its obligations to Māori under the treaty. I think about how much it benefits us all because it is the absolute most hopeful vision for the future of our country.
Without te Tiriti I believe there is no justice. When the coalition government is doing all that it can to remove Aotearoa’s official language Te Reo Māori, scrapping the Māori Health Authority, removing funding for Māori-based approaches to reducing agricultural emissions, and education - including a $30 million cut to Te Māori teacher training - it is beyond terrifying to imagine what they’ll do when they go full mask off racist.
I think about why David Seymour and his racist little fascist friends want to dismantle te Tiriti. I think about what they want to do in its absence and how that will destroy this country and the futures of all who live here. And I think, I absolutely won’t just be passive in the face of that. I’m fuelled by anger and love, because they’re intertwined.
What can I do to show that I support this hīkoi and te Tiriti?
Come along! All of the timings and locations of each part of the hikoi are here. Share them and attend with signs of support.
Follow the Toitū Te Tiriti Instagram and Facebook pages.
Donate to the kaupapa! Lots of people need to be feed and looked after.
Tiriti Action Group are hosting in Te Whanganui a Tara - you can donate to them here: Kiwibank Account Peace Action Wellington: 38-9007-0839416-00. They are looking for lots of hands to manaaki the many thousands of out of town visitors. If you would like to sign up to volunteer on the day, please fill in this form.
You can also get your own Together for Te Tiriti placard here.
In general, the best thing you can do as Tangata Tiriti is to listen and learn. Groundwork have heaps of resources including a Te Tiriti explainer and supporting resources, a Te Tiriti conversation guide, and a list of Te Tiriti honouring actions for tangata Tiriti. Read them and share them. I also highly recommend the Tauiwi Tautoko course.
Together for Te Tiriti has FAQs about the Tiriti and the Treaty Principles bill.
Hold on Emily, you didn’t answer this specific question I have that I want you to spend six hours answering and I’m not going to read it actually because I’m just bad faith arguing and I just want to waste your farkin time / I have 57 specific questions about the Treaty!!!!
Well, you’re in luck - here are the answers to 57 specific questions about Te Tiriti covering everything from ‘what was the British policy before 1840?’ to ‘Who wrote Te Tiriti o Waitangi?’ and much more. And it’s all collated by people who really understand this topic.
Also no. There are so many people so much smarter than me who have provided a wealth of useful resources about Te Tiriti of Waitangi. Groundwork have provided a brief list of the key texts, websites and other media. Check it out.
Cool - I’m gonna show up.
Me too! See you on the streets e hoa.
Kia ora rā
The other issue with the Treaty Principles Bill is that Seymour's endgame might be a government initiated referendum - election 2026. That would be very bad for Aotearoa.
Thank you! This is really awesome context and information. Love your work.