That moment when someone makes a comment about Te Tiriti o Waitangi or Te Ao Māori which is ignorant or offensive, and we want to say something, but we struggle to find the right words, or are too stunned to respond. What to do? The trick is to just say something, no matter how imperfect. …
Continue reading →The NZ local government elections are almost here, and I will be voting to keep Māori wards. So will my 101-year-old Mum. And we hope you will too. Here are some reasons why I am voting to keep Māori wards: Improved decision making: Having Māori voices at the council table means better decisions. As I…
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Recently I was at Auckland airport’s Koru lounge, and I saw that our new Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour, was sitting nearby. On impulse, I went over, shook his hand, and said that I very much hoped he would withdraw the Regulatory Standards Bill. His smile faded and he asked why. I began to answer,…
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Are you a leader in philanthropy or social change in Aotearoa NZ who wants to deepen your understanding, connection and support of Te Ao Māori and Māori aspirations? If so, check out the 2025 Ki te Hoe Wānanga series – we would love to have you come along! Ki te Hoe (literally ‘to the…
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It seems like caring and respect for people and planet have been sidelined, while greed and aggression are taking centre stage. I see little caring and respect for people and planet in the policies and legislation of our current coalition government here in Aotearoa NZ, with their focus on supporting corporations, undermining Te Tiriti o…
Continue reading →I love Aotearoa New Zealand deeply. I feel lucky to live here, and there is no place in the world I would rather be. I belong here. Well, I hope I belong here. Why the hesitation? Firstly, our history. A foreign power, Britain, came into this land, imposed their government, took 95% of the land,…
Continue reading →It’s summer holidays – a time for road trips and light reading. What was your worst ever road trip? Mine was way back when I was a 20-year-old student at Otago University in Dunedin… I want to go home for Christmas in Hawkes Bay, so I answer an ad to share costs in a car…
Continue reading →“Like every thinking Pākehā, he wants to get his head around the Treaty thing. What are the best books for me to buy him as a present?” So I was asked recently, and yep, it is a great time to be building our understanding of te Tiriti o Waitangi. And a great time for gift…
Continue reading →I am out walking with our dog Sasha. “Kia ora!” I say cheerily to a woman approaching me. She notices me with a slight double-take, removes her ear buds. “Sorry – what was that?’ she asks. “Um – just hello – lovely day” I say lamely. “Oh. Hi” she says, reinserting the ear buds. “Sorry…
Continue reading →Many if not most of us tangata Tiriti understand that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our founding document which provides aframework for us all to belong here – see why Te Tiriti is important to me here. And, many if not most of us tangata Tiriti are also unhappy about the many backward steps currently…
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