Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi: A Vision for a Sustainable Future for All Peoples in Aotearoa
This month, Aotearoa witnessed a powerful 10-day hīkoi that started in the far north and travelled all the way down the country to Parliament grounds in Wellington.
This hikoi movement is tūpuna-inspired, Tiriti-led, mana motuhake-driven, and mokopuna-focused. The hikoi is about embodying the call for a unified response to legislative decisions threatening the rights of tangata whenua and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This is not just about Māori survival and sovereignty—it is about protecting the wellbeing of all peoples in Aotearoa and safeguarding our shared future.
A Call for Unity
The hīkoi sends a clear message: the fight for Te Tiriti is not a fight against non-Māori. It is an invitation to work together toward a fairer, more sustainable Aotearoa. When Māori rights are upheld, the benefits ripple out—strengthening climate resilience, protecting waterways, and fostering inclusive communities where everyone can thrive.
Why Māori Fight for Sustainability
Māori have long championed sustainability, rooted in their interconnected relationship with the whenua, moana, and taiao as part of an intrinsic value system including;
Kaitiakitanga: Māori uphold the responsibility to protect and care for Papatūānuku for future generations. This principle drives efforts to preserve biodiversity, combat climate change, and foster regenerative practices.
Manaakitanga: By advocating for equity and justice, Māori recognise that a sustainable future can only exist when all peoples, regardless of background, have access to resources and opportunities to thrive.
Whakapapa : Māori perspectives emphasise that humans, by whakapapa, are intrinsically linked to the natural world, reinforcing the need for sustainable collective accountability in managing resources.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Sustainability
Te Tiriti o Waitangi guarantees Māori rangatiratanga (sovereignty) over their taonga, including natural resources.
When legislative decisions erode this rangatiratanga, the implications are profound—not only for Māori but for all communities in Aotearoa who depend on the stability of the natural environment and the social fabric it sustains. Recent government actions have sparked fears of environmental exploitation, social inequity, and the undermining of Māori-led sustainability efforts.
By upholding Te Tiriti, we can ensure governance frameworks that reflect Māori wisdom and practices, benefiting everyone.
This movement is mokopuna-focused, looking ahead to the next generations. It is a call for all people of Aotearoa to honour the commitments of Te Tiriti, not as a relic of the past, but as a living document guiding us toward a future of shared prosperity and sustainability. Over 50,000 people attended the Hikoi this month in Wellington. It was believed to be the biggest protest in Wellington City, and we can tell you it was a charged and wonderful atmosphere felt by all.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT?
How we collectively honour Te Tiriti will define whether we move toward a future of justice and inclusion or drift toward a history marked by division and inequity and profit-driven attack on our natural resources.
Please take a minute to support te Tiriti by putting in a submission to the proposed Treaty Principles Bill. Submissions close 7th January 2025!
#toitūtetiriti #toitūtewhenua
Click here to make your submission today!
TE TIRITI RESOURCES: Use these resources to gain practical skills incorporating Te Titiri into your business, research, and find allies networks with tauiwi, or Tangata Tiriti communities of knowledge around te Tiriti.
Access our podcasts, our Te Tiriti webinars , articles, check out where you can attend te Tiriti training and workshops, and follow thought leaders in the Te Tiriti knowledge space.
Other connections and allies you may want to engage with below:
Inclusive Aotearoa
Indigenous Pacific Uprising
Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae
Protect Ihumātao
Protect Pūtiki
Racial Equity Aotearoa
Tangata Tiriti – Treaty Peoples
Tauiwi Mō Matike Mai
Asians For Tino Rangatiratanga
Thought leaders in Te Tiriti on Social media.