Tangata Whenua Declaration

The Maori declaration, a summary statement, was developed from all forums and hui held around the country and was the consensus of all Maori present. It sets out the base position unpinning the work of the Taskforce as follows:

We are a first nations people;

The basis of our identity is Whanau, Hapu, Iwi and through whakapapa we link the land, the people and all living things in our world;

We are culturally diverse as Iwi/Maori but through the practice of tino rangatiratanga we can act in the interests of all peoples, the land and our environment;

Our beliefs come from Te Ao Maori. Our practice of tikanga Maori includes the disciplines of mana, rangatiratanga and manaakitanga;

Tikanga sets the framework for our governance and also defines, regulates and protects the rights of whanau and hapu;

Our marae are expressions of our culture, tikanga, values and principles which sustain our uniqueness;

The importance of consensus decision making stems from the need to work collectively to get things right - weaving the people together;

An holistic approach to leadership is needed in order to practise accountability to Whanau, Hapu and Iwi - ko te iwi te rangatira o te rangatira - people are the chiefs of the chiefs;

For a Tiriti/Treaty relationship to bear fruit for all people of Aotearoa/New Zealand the one-world view of the Crown needs to open up to Te Ao Maori;

Through a negotiated view of the kawanatanga function, leading to a more active involvement of Maori in governance activity for all people, the needs of New Zealanders, via the Sector, will be addressed more fully, more effectively and in a more sustainable manner.

The acknowledgment of Te Ao Maori and the respect for tino rangatiratanga will assist the reform of the kawanatanga function in the interest of all peoples, the land and all living things;

We are committed to governing ourselves through the expression of mana motuhake, our enduring power leading to our self-determination.

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