Honourable Kāwanatanga and the Work of Decolonisation: A Call to Contribute

Every so often a kaupapa comes along that feels both timely and timeless — that asks us to pause, to reflect, and to imagine better futures. The new edited collection Decolonisation and Kāwanatanga: Indigenous and Crown Relations in the Global South is one such invitation.

As someone who has spent much of my career wrestling with what Te Tiriti o Waitangi means in practice — within government, policy, education, and community work — the concept of kāwanatanga remains a site of tension and possibility. As part of our Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden research grant editors of this volume, Clive Aspin, Mershen Pillay, and Leah Waipuka-Bain, are calling for contributions that explore how honourable kāwanatanga might be enacted — not just theorised — in Aotearoa and across the wider Global South.

This call recognises that decolonisation is not a metaphor, nor a one-off project. It’s a long, messy, collective process of transformation — one that demands imagination, courage, and accountability. Whether you’re working on policy innovations, grassroots organising, comparative treaty studies, or Indigenous governance models, your insights matter. The editors are seeking case studies, critical perspectives, and visionary futures that help us better understand how just and honourable relations between Indigenous peoples and the Crown (or the state) can be realised.

What I love about this kaupapa is that it bridges worlds. It invites academics, practitioners, and activists to think beyond their usual silos — to share stories and strategies from Aotearoa, the Pacific, Australia, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In doing so, it reminds us that while our histories and contexts differ, the struggle for Indigenous self-determination and relational governance is shared across the Global South.

If you have something to say — an analysis, a story, a case study, or a vision — this is your chance to add your voice to a vital international kōrero about justice, sovereignty, and transformation.

Abstracts (300–400 words) and short bios (100–150 words) are due 31 January 2026Editors: Clive Aspin (clivea@me.com), Mershen Pillay (pillaym1@ukzn.ac.za), and Leah Waipuka-Bain (teunuunu@gmail.com)

Let’s contribute to a body of work that re-centres Indigenous authority, reclaims our narratives, and charts pathways toward an honourable kāwanatanga — in Aotearoa and beyond.

Link to full book flier