Waitangi 2024: 10 lessons for Tangata Tiriti to start taking action toitūtetiriti
In today's landscape, Tiriti o Waitangi faces unprecedented challenges, demanding Tangata Tiriti to step up in protection and pursuit of liberation. We, as Tangata Tiriti, are beneficiaries of the Tiriti, and with this privilege comes the responsibility to defend it.
This article acknowledges the ongoing and intergenerational movements for Tauiwi to actively engage in this crucial conversation and take meaningful action. Let's acknowledge the wisdom imparted by countless activists, leaders, academics, and healers, particularly those I had the honour to reconnect with at Waitangi. From the ASTR (Asians for Tino Rangatiratanga) community to the voices in the forum tents and stalls, this knowledge is a culmination of diverse perspectives and collective efforts.
I call Tauiwi (especially Tauiwi of colour) who are new or still feel unclear in this kaupapa to join the growing Pakeha and Tauiwi collective as we heed the call to uplift and support our communities in this vital kaupapa. We gotta do our part.
It's time to get to work, wouldn't you agree?
Here is some words of wisdom and reflections from learnings from Waitangi my journey as an imperfect Tangata Tiriti
1. Activism is Imperfect Action: It's about moving forward, not waiting for perfection. We learn, we make mistakes, but we keep showing up.
Accountability is necessary to acknowledge mistakes made, lessons taken, and getting into the swing of things.
We need you to respond to the call and act, do not let fear of failure stop you, but doesn't mean you get to show up unprepared too.
Collective Inclusion and Safety, Transparency, Reflective Practice, humility, Being of Service are some values to ensure you do not ignorantly create harm as we cannot simply use 'intentions' to justify our actions, we must have better relationships, systems and processes than this.
2. Questioning Radicalism: Let's not allow the label of "radical" to cloud our understanding of important issues. Don't let fear or media or other narratives shape your perception.
Don't let any jargon define your perspective but use listening to Māori communities directly.
“Don't use the majority to determine and control the future of the minority. It shouldn't be radical to tell my history" - Eru Kapa-Kingi
Shame and fear are powerful tools of complicity, so be self-aware. History speaks for itself; the rest is ignorance and malice.
It should never be radical to speak to or reaffirm a history that is grounded in whānau, hapū, and iwi experiences, history, and knowledge.
3. Respect Mātauranga, don't copy it: While we may reside in Aotearoa, indigenous knowledge isn't ours to claim. Respect and support, yes, but never co-opt. Understand your role in upholding taonga, tikanga when engaging in Māori spaces and kaupapa appropriately.
Contribute to the cultural exchange by learning, reconnecting, and practicing your whakapapa and cultural ancestral knowledge in your spaces too. There is wisdom in your knowledge that sits alongside Mātauranga Māori, wade in the water of your own wisdom.
This relates to all kaupapa in Aotearoa and focus on presenting Māori than honouring and serving Māori, so check-out the Wai262 claim. [Wai262](https://www.wai262.nz/).
4. Your Healing is a key ingredient in our Liberation: Recognize the healing opens our capacity for liberation and for those experiencing own intergenerational and historical harm and relationships it can be hard to look up to a much bigger picture, it's about you and also it isn't.
Solidarity and being a Tangata Tiriti does recognise there will be sacrifice (that's the path to repair and transformational futures) and this can be deeply triggering and painful if you see this as an attack on you, your potential, your family's narratives if you can't see all our oppressions and freedom is deeply interwoven.
It does mean you need to be more intentional in the space you take and choose and if they are appropriate for you as Tangata Tiriti (Don't take Māori space or leadership)
Investing in this capacity allows you to practice that we are not free until we are all free. Scarcity, competition, meritocracy, lack of aspiration are some ways we show up resisting liberation.
Isn't cool that so many of our own cultural have their own indigenous systems of learnings and healing too? What would it look like to explore this to ground ourselves further in our whakapapa?
This includes boundaries, self-care, and identify things through your own lived experience may be at tension with this kaupapa and why?
5. Action Over Niceness: Niceness will perpetuate the status quo. Challenge it. Act even when it's uncomfortable or unnoticed. Advocate for change, even in "professional" spaces.
Being a Tangata Tiriti and our role is human work it isn't a job, its values and not something you choose conditionally.
Don’t uphold the tyranny of democracy of the majority leading decisions on minorities,
We must clear the space and break the obstacles for Mana Motuhake to be exercised.
6. Build the relationships: Solidarity is about building trusted relationships that are called upon to play a role in a kaupapa. Do not show up to aim to look important or anxious about being good, it's being in capacity of service, sharing the tauiwi load. Tangata Tiriti isn't about being perceived as good, it's doing because it's right and aligns with your values.
Make friends, offer but do not nag or people-please, take initiative in your own spaces. Give credit from your learnings.
That being said, you do not seek connection to take space or reap approval or validation. Do the dishes and over time something can grow.
However, like all anti-racism if friendship or validation is required for you participate then you not seeking solidarity or contributing as a Tangata Tiriti you seeking to be perceived as good by Māori and 'performing'.
People pleasing can easily move to paternalism and then control over really quick, keep yourself and get your community in check like I said well-meaning is useless if isn't requested or consented too, the emotional and physical labour current state for Māori to make others feel comfortable more so than themselves on topics centring their lives is astronomical.
So don't be offended if they decline or ask something you feel mundane, if you show up, show up.
7. Guiding your own communities: We must support and lead our own whānau and communities with their understanding of Te Tiriti even in unexpected spaces, especially ones where you might not have the confidence yet, but leadership needed to support them, be an educator, translator, guide whatever it takes for your communities grows their confidence to practicing what is means to be Tangata Tiriti.
For Diaspora or people who feel disconnected to their culture and community, this is your invitation, they need your authentic version of your leadership, and you are your ancestors' wildest dreams.
8. Community care & Accountability: All mahi you do shouldn't be an island, it's logistically unhelpful but as community exists to connect, nourish, celebrate, and mobilize it should exist as a group to collectively reflect, criticize, strategize on how we can be better safety.
Do not use Māori labour for tick of approval and self-improvement, you are accountable to you, your whānau, your community, your values, past, and future ancestors as well the Māori communities you are serving.
Communities and collectives often founded and operated on the labour of women of colour and many communities can be paralysed by perfectionism to tear structure or self-critical so when things get tough, your groups need learn how to navigate conflict and discuss these topics openly.
As a woman of colour, I've navigated the reality of needing to be extraordinary to be seen, while others are celebrated for mediocrity. But true leadership isn't about visibility; it's about holding ourselves to higher standards, especially in upholding the rights, knowledge, and Taonga of Māori as entrusted by the Te Ao Māori & Tiriti.
9. Find your role and get good: You don't have to do everything, and you don't have one thing either. Activism or even activists are not just one skill set or career, every single skill and person has a role to play.
There has been a long historical favoured for Tauiwi you do the bare minimum and get celebrated (unlike Māori and historically marginalised leadership who must work above and beyond to be heard, recognised, celebrated and followed).
Hold yourself to a higher standard because right now the standard for Tangata Tiriti is low and often centred performing Māori than protecting Māori rights, knowledge and Taonga as per their request, leadership and direction. If you think you are flash, just check your hype crowd it might just be setting the bar too low for you, and you need to raise it and you raise it for people you love and serve too.
Often, we are simply in spaces that reinforces a low expectation, passivity to action and centres tauiwi comfort than accountabilities to the rights and roles we must uphold.
This a helpful document that shows the diversity of roles in collective liberation [Roles for Collective Liberation] (https://slowfactory.earth/open-edu/roles-for-collective-liberation)
Educate yourself use the wisdom that has been so generously gifted for years online in books. To be a Tangata Tiriti to expand your mind and knowledge across from Indigenous knowledge, Black feminism, Anti-racism (to name a few) and all interconnected struggles and wisdoms.
Please figure out what works for you and make it happen. Too many people as BIPOC spoon feed them accessible information as a condition to care or participate in this kaupapa. This is a standard we no longer accept, do some self-leadership.
10. Duality in all things: Have capacity and tension for it all. This process is immensely beautiful, healing, emotional, and painful. To be in resistance. A lot of this journey will mean we are experiencing so many emotions, often in tension or paradox at times.
Emotions provide wisdom so listen. But nothing is simple to ask is asking for convenience over reality this can be your own history, living your life during a genocide, resting, making the values decisions when you don't feel ready, apologizing for harm or a mistake.
You will FEEL. Connect to it, process it and know it's ok to be in paradox or duality of the body, heart, mind, and history.
As a South Asian tauiwi (Fijian Indian know my whakapapa is connected to great injustice to my people but also likely complicit in historical harm too, I am showing up to rest, grieve to continue to advocate and witness our present-day atrocities
In reflecting on the insights gained from Waitangi 2024 and our journey as Tangata Tiriti, it's evident that we stand at a critical juncture. The challenges facing Tiriti o Waitangi demand our collective action and unwavering commitment to protection and liberation. As we move forward, let's internalize the wisdom shared by activists, leaders, academics, and healers. Embracing imperfection, challenging prevailing narratives, and prioritizing healing are essential steps on this journey.
We must also recognize the diversity of roles each of us plays in the pursuit of collective liberation. Now is the time for courage, empathy, and resolute determination. Let's stand together, honoring the gift of Tiriti o Waitangi, and work tirelessly towards a future of justice and equity. The path ahead may be challenging, but it is also profoundly meaningful.
I urge each of us to take concrete steps towards action, whether it's challenging the status quo, fostering solidarity, or guiding our communities towards a deeper understanding of Te Tiriti. Let's commit to community care, accountability, and continuous education. Together, let's rise to the occasion and forge a path towards a more just and equitable Aotearoa for generations to come.
