A treasure-trove of Tiriti organisational journeys

Tiriti organisations journeys range from local relational place-based arrangements through to the complex experiences of national organisations. Te Tiriti was negotiated between the Crown and hapū but there is nothing that prevents proactive engagement with honourable kāwanatanga at any level. As part of a Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden grant our team is currently studying how we can prepare the kāwanatanga sphere for Matike Mai inspired constitutional transformation.  On the 28^th March as part of our Honourable Kāwanatanga Project we hosted a PechaKucha inspired event as part of our contribution to Te Tiriti based futures + Antiracism 2026. It was an inspiring, grit-filled day exploring the transformative potential of a Te Tiriti-led Aotearoa through focussed story-telling and dynamic question and answer exchanges. There was high sustained  energy and warmth in the room as people moving beyond the safe walls of theory and into the messy, transformative space of praxis. 

Central to our discussions was the concept of honourable kāwanatanga, which for those for Tauiwi or those working within government institutions, requires a deep internal reckoning with the nature of authority. It is a direct challenge to the status quo because honourable kāwanatanga requires that those in power step back to create space for tino rangatiratanga. We must look beyond colonial frameworks and dismantle the systemic racism that has historically defined the state to unlock more inclusive and equitable ways of working.

Fifteen brave organisations shared their Tiriti organisational journeys. We heard from a diverse range of sectors proving that this journey is happening everywhere, from the Porirua Assembly on Climate using a unique tricameral deliberative model to uphold iwi authority. Jo Wrigley from Go Eco challenged us to resist individualism and dismantle colonial capitalism, while Maia Grant showed us how Whakatāne District Council is moving beyond statutory compliance to involve mana whenua in long-term planning.

Rose Black highlighted the work of Tiriti Educators in developing a compliant psychology profession, and the team at Emerge Aotearoa spoke powerfully about restoring the mana of tangata whaiora so that Māori can succeed as Māori. We explored how TBI Health enabled the success of Hauora Connect through motivated leadership, and Francesca Storey shared research on how non-Māori can best support Kaupapa Māori research and health equity.

The journey toward entry by Te Tiriti was beautifully illustrated through the development of tailored Korean Tiriti education workshops, and the Tāhono Trust shared their commitment to a non-hierarchical co-leadership model born as a response to the Christchurch mosques attack. Catherine Delahunty told the story of Kōtare’s long-term wrestling as a Pākehā rōpū with how to implement tino rangatiratanga, while Jodi Porter and Anna Hayward from Toi Rāwhiti explored the relational layer of co-leadership across two worldviews.

If there is one thing this day made clear, it is that this roadmap is rarely a linear path; it is an iterative process of unlearning, structural redesign, and relationship building. Whether it is Parents of Vision Impaired NZ deepening their commitment over a forty-year history, the Human Rights Commission adopting a shared leadership model despite statutory constraints, or the Rehabilitation Research Centre grounding their values in a Tiriti Responsiveness Framework through marae-based learning, the work is both strategic and deeply personal. By aligning organisational cultures with Te Tiriti, organisations shared we unlock a more resilient way of working that honours the land and all people who call Aotearoa home.

Thanks again to the organisations that shared their stories. Thanks to Dr Clive Aspin for his opening address, our trusty chairs Mershen Pillay and Kyle Tan and the behind the scenes the organising crew – Kyle Tan and Joy Ratima. Hear directly from the presenters by checking out the videos of this treasure-trove of Tiriti organisational journeys here.

Likewise, our nationwide on-line survey collecting Tiriti organisational journeys is currently open until the end of June. Please complete and encourage others to also share their journey.