E-Tangata

The other treaties of 1840 | E-Tangata “The treaties of the 1840s shared a common foundation. They were instruments of imperial domination, signed under pressure. The Treaty of Waitangi belongs in that company — yet where others withered, ...

“The treaties of the 1840s shared a common foundation. They were instruments of imperial domination, signed under pressure. The Treaty of Waitangi belongs in that company — yet where others withered, it lived on.” — Shane Te Pou.

Which mandate matters most? | E-Tangata “Māori institutions can’t rely on formal mandates alone. If we want legitimacy that endures, we need to design institutions that reflect our own power dynamics.” — Sacha McMeeking.

“Māori institutions can’t rely on formal mandates alone. If we want legitimacy that endures, we need to design institutions that reflect our own power dynamics.” — Sacha McMeeking.

The slow demolition of our democracy | E-Tangata “We have a government willing to reshape constitutional understandings without genuine consultation, careful process, or respect for long-standing norms.” — Mark Feary.

“We have a government willing to reshape constitutional understandings without genuine consultation, careful process, or respect for long-standing norms.” — Mark Feary.

Corina Grey: Health inequalities aren't inevitable | E-Tangata “You can't separate the conditions in which people live from their health. They're completely interwoven, and I absolutely feel a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to addressing those wider ...

“You can’t separate the conditions in which people live from their health. They’re completely interwoven, and I absolutely feel a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to addressing those wider determinants.” — Dr Corina Grey, Director of Public Health.

From the periphery into the centre | E-Tangata “I had naïvely assumed that as we marched towards social freedom and equity for all, the benefits of these social changes would be self-explanatory, and conservative resistance would dissipate and eve...

“I had naïvely assumed that as we marched towards social freedom and equity for all, the benefits of these social changes would be self-explanatory, and conservative resistance would dissipate and eventually disappear, like a kind of natural evolutionary extinction.” — Anton Blank.

Our legacy of peace | E-Tangata “As November 5, the anniversary of the invasion of Parihaka, reminds us, non-violent peaceful protest is rooted deep within this nation’s whakapapa.” — Alistair Reese.

“As November 5, the anniversary of the invasion of Parihaka, reminds us, non-violent peaceful protest is rooted deep within this nation’s whakapapa.” — Alistair Reese.

Towards He Whakaputanga | E-Tangata “What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.” — Catherine Delahunt...

“What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.” — Catherine Delahunty.

Rahui Papa: What needs to change in schools isn’t the law | E-Tangata “The proposal effectively deprioritises Te Tiriti so that it sits as a supporting objective. We believe, and have advised, that this will not have the desired effect.” — Rahui Papa.

“The proposal effectively deprioritises Te Tiriti so that it sits as a supporting objective. We believe, and have advised, that this will not have the desired effect.” — Rahui Papa.

Giving up isn't an option for the Pacific | E-Tangata “Not caring anymore doesn’t mean the problem is no longer there. Especially in the Pacific, where climate change isn’t a distant threat but a present-day catastrophe already uprooting communities, unr...

“Not caring anymore doesn’t mean the problem is no longer there. Especially in the Pacific, where climate change isn’t a distant threat but a present-day catastrophe already uprooting communities, unravelling the fine tapestry of culture, and upending entire ways of life.” — Jamie Tahana.

On the face of it, discriminating against tā moko is illegal | E-Tangata “As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and othe...

“As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and other tā moko.” — Brisbane-based lawyer Bridget Burton.

My season of renewal | E-Tangata “Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on heal...

“Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on healing.

Why the system will never truly serve us | E-Tangata “The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture....

“The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture.” — Mark Feary.

Emma Dunlop-Bennett: Investing in others | E-Tangata “In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I've grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-ch...

“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I’ve grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-chancellor (Pasifika), Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.

“Rather than stripping each other down, perhaps this is the moment to hold compassion for those we have chosen to lead us, even when we disagree, even when they fall short.” — Shonelle Wana.

“It’s spiritually powerful music, and that’s why I gravitate to it. We hear the music, and we feel it. And then we hear the social commentary, and it just tops it off and validates our feelings.” — Katchafire’s Logan Bell on reggae’s appeal.

“Every movement that changes the world depends on two kinds of energy. One pushes from the outside, demanding transformation. The other works from the inside, turning vision into practical steps.” — Sacha McMeeking.

“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.

“The idea that people educated in this country should devote a small fraction of their undergraduate study to understanding our history and its relevance to all citizens today ought to be unremarkable.” — Emeritus Professor Alison Jones on Auckland Uni's decision to drop proposed compulsory courses.

“For many, he is the face of Tūhoe, of resistance, of the resurgence of te reo, of the return of mataora.” — Eugene Bingham on Tāme Iti’s memoir, ‘Mana’.

“A new modus operandi for Māori and Pākehā relations in the 21st century may draw at least in part on some of the lessons learned from the encounters that took place before 1840.” — Vincent O’Malley, from his new book The Meeting Place.

“Māori are lagging in every social and economic indicator, and the rest of the country seems to think that’s an acceptable status quo. But you won’t read about it when Te Pāti Māori are busy hogging the headlines.” — Aaron Smale.

Holding fast to the memories that remain | E-Tangata “Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — ...

“Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — Aroha Gilling.

The mindful Māori: Finding calm in everyday chaos | E-Tangata “Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the unc...

“Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the uncertainty of our inboxes and calendars.” — Nathan Hira.

Faith, survival, and misplaced allegiance | E-Tangata “We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us....

“We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us.” — Marli Olive Wesley.

Erasing Te Tiriti in education | E-Tangata “We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu...

“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

We all have a stake in the future of this place | E-Tangata “For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzh...

“For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzhu Fu.

Healing before the crisis | E-Tangata “When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a ment...

“When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a mental health support programme in Ohakune.

Fifty years of the Waitangi Tribunal | E-Tangata “In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones...

“In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones.

How local election rules discriminate against Māori | E-Tangata “For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mi...

“For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mike Smith.

Why the justice minister is wrong about tikanga in law | E-Tangata “The recognition of tikanga strengthens the rule of law. By contrast, rhetoric from the executive that disparages judicial engagement with tikanga undermines the separation of powers at the core of ou...

“The recognition of tikanga strengthens the rule of law. By contrast, rhetoric from the executive that disparages judicial engagement with tikanga undermines the separation of powers at the core of our constitutional order.” — Natalie Coates and Tai Ahu, Te Hunga Rōia Māori.