Ka Hao Te Rakatahi

Nā ELIZABETH WELLS
Elizabeth Wells (Ngāti Huikai) was born and bred in Te Waipounamu. She is the first of her whānau members in four generations
to connect with their taha Māori. Last year, Elizabeth completed her studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (The University of Canterbury), majoring in History and te reo Māori. Elizabeth is currently working as a communications advisor for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Why Kōrero Matters

He aha te kai a te rakatira?
He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.

On November 14, the Treaty Principles Bill passed its first reading in Parliament. The Bill, put forward by ACT Party leader David Seymour, seeks to define in law the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi.

As I watched the members of Parliament share their whakaaro on the Treaty Principles Bill, I had a moment to reflect.

Although I disagree entirely with the content of this bill, it is the nature in which the process was undertaken and the method of its attempted implementation into official legislation that is most worrying.

I do agree that we as a country should have a conversation about how Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi are reflected within the law of Aotearoa New Zealand. However, Minister David Seymour has failed to have a conversation.

He has instead chosen to interpret Te Tiriti o Waitangi to suit his political agenda.

Put simply, Te Tiriti is an agreement between two parties. It is impossible to represent Te Tiriti without the most important group – takata whenua. This is not a treaty between the New Zealand Government and all New Zealand citizens; it is an agreement between the Crown and Māori.

With the passing of the first reading in November, the Bill has now been sent to the Justice Committee for a six-month select committee process. Prime Minster, Christopher Luxon, has expressed that the National Party will not vote for the Treaty Principles Bill past the select committee process, however the door is still open, creating a possibility for a referendum on the Bill.

The referendum is the part of the process I fear the most. Raised in a small town in the south of Te Waipounamu, I grew up in a tight-knit and kind, but relatively isolated, community. The community was somewhat unphased by some of the bigger issues facing Aotearoa New Zealand, especially those affecting Māori. Over the past eight years, I have been on my haereka of understanding the history of our country, specifically the impact of colonisation. As I pursued further education, I became more outspoken, initiating conversations with a diverse range of people. Reflecting on these discussions has heightened my concerns regarding the potential of a referendum.

Through these conversations, I encountered the inability for a significant proportion of my community to comprehend Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the historical grievances between the Crown and Māori.

This is worrying in the context of the Treaty Principles Bill. The ACT Party has written a Bill which, at face value, appears positive.

However, in order to understand the concerns and disagreement amongst Māori and takata tiriti regarding this Bill, an understanding of the historical grievances and relationship between the Crown and Māori is necessary.

This lack of understanding is not confined to small towns; it is something I have also encountered in Ōtautahi across various demographics.

The lack of education and understanding of our history, coupled with the careful manipulation of the truth by the ACT Party, makes me uneasy. I worry it could lead to a referendum result that favours the Treaty Principles Bill, which would create a future for our tamariki and mokopuna that may differ from what we, as iwi Māori, envision.

Nō reira, I put forward to our rakatahi, whānau, and tākata tiriti: we must keep having these conversations. We need to continue to reach out to those in our community. One conversation will not resolve 184 years of debate regarding our constitutional document, but one conversation may be the first step in broadening our whakaaro.

The Treaty Principles Bill is more than just a piece of legislation. It would impact the Aotearoa New Zealand that our tamariki and mokopuna will grow up in.

To ensure a future that upholds and honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we need to engage in crucial kōrero and challenge misunderstandings within our communities.

Through conversation, the future we envision for our tamariki and mokopuna will become a reality.

Toitū te Tiriti!