Over 40,000 people moved through Wellington towards Parliament on Tuesday as part of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti (March for the Treaty). In what The Post called an “overwhelmingly safe and respectful”1 demonstration, the hīkoi landed in Wellington after ten days of marches across New Zealand, starting from Cape Rēinga.
Among those gathering in Wellington were Archbishop Don and Archbishop Justin, who said in a statement along with Archbishop Sione:
Many of us stand firm in the pursuit of partnership, social justice, and equity, which can be achieved by supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. A cause we began as Anglicans in the early 1800s, and one we must see through to the end.
An earlier hīkoi gathered at the Nelson Cathedral steps on Trafalgar Street last week, which some members of our diocese joined in on.
Jason Shaw, our ministry coordinator for social services, attended the Wellington hīkoi, while Mike Jessop, a Bishopdale College student and former NZCMS intern, joined the Nelson hīkoi. Both share their reflections on what motivated them to get involved.
Jason: The journey that landed me on the steps of Parliament, marching against the Treaty Principles Bill, started a few years ago. Before this time, as a Pākehā, I had been so ignorant and uneducated about the Māori worldview. However, when I was presented with the gift of learning the history of our founding document of te Tiriti o Waitangi through my studies at Bishopdale College, my ignorance shifted to a sense of pride, both as a kiwi and as a Christian. Until this point, I was not aware of our country's history that led to the writing of the Treaty, but it really is a beautiful story.
Since the writing of te Tiriti, there have been many abuses and injustices to the covenant that Pākehā agreed to with tangata whenua (people of the land) in 1840. From being pushed off their land, unable to speak their language, or killed, as well as many others, there have been many times Pākehā have ignored the te Tiriti and turned their backs on their partners.
As Christians, we believe in a restorative God who does not stand for injustices such as these. We also live with the grace of his covenant that he has made with us, and can receive his love and mercy because of this covenant.
As his ambassadors and from his love, we must also seek justice for the oppressed and the marginalised.
Mike: Since coming to Nelson three years ago to study, I’ve been on a journey exploring te Tiriti and our place in it. I’ve been on haerenga (journey – in this case an educational trip to significant parts of New Zealand) with Bishopdale College, which was really good, and went to Waitangi with NZCMS for a wānanga (educational event). I’ve learned a lot about the Treaty and its missionary background with people like Henry Williams and Samuel Marsden. When I heard about the hīkoi in Nelson, I wanted to go, especially as I’m also preparing for a trip to Waitangi with Brad Wood and a group of Anglicans for Waitangi Day. It felt like a great opportunity to be involved.
The hīkoi was a response to the Treaty Principles Bill currently under consideration in Parliament. The bill aims to rigidly define the principles of the Treaty in a way that could undermine Māori rights. It would generalise those principles to apply to all New Zealanders, which goes against the progress made over the last 50 years in law and policy. The hīkoi was about standing up for the need to honour te Tiriti – not just the text, but also the spirit behind it, the principles of partnership and relationship.
I was surprised to see how many people were there – hundreds gathered at the top of Trafalgar Street, all for the same cause. There was a real sense of unity.
What stood out to me about the hīkoi was the emphasis on doing it out of love, not anger or retaliation. It was about educating and protesting in a way that was lawful, with aroha and respect. The organisers made it clear they wanted to protest in a way that reflected what they were fighting for. Standing up for what you believe in is important, but doing so together with others amplifies your voice and makes a real impact.
Jason: What has been building over the course of this year, culminating in a massive hīkoi that ended outside Parliament on 19 November, was, again, members of Government turning their backs on te Tiriti o Waitangi and turning it into something that it was never intended to be. The political debate that the Act Party started received its rebuttal by thousands of people, not in Parliament but on the streets all around the country.
This was not just a Māori voice calling out, but people of the Treaty – tangata Tiriti – who were rebutting Act's Treaty Principles Bill. The people I met were gang members, goths, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Brazilians, Tongans and many, many more. All people had one united voice. To be tangata Tiriti.
Lincoln Dam says the status of tangata Tiriti must be earned.
Tangata Tiriti is not a passive identity. Rather, it is a relational orientation that invokes ethical-political responsibilities. These responsibilities include seeking to understand settler identities, building productive relationships with Māori, engaging critical histories of Aotearoa-New Zealand and supporting Māori struggles for justice.2
Living under this covenant is not giving us a label but a gift. Like any relationship, it requires us to do something, to be actively engaged in seeking the wellbeing of others.
Mike: Looking back on my journey, learning about te Tiriti and its role in our nation and our church has been pivotal for me. I think it’s key for the wider church as well. We need to be willing to listen and hear stories from Māori and Pākehā alike about their interactions with te Tiriti. Partnership and relationship are at the heart of it, and that starts with listening, learning, and growing in understanding. Then we can live it out – whether it’s through participating in a hīkoi, writing submissions to the government, or sharing what we know in our churches to help educate others.
As an Anglican and someone connected to NZCMS, it’s part of my whakapapa (history or descent). Henry Williams was pivotal in both drafting the Treaty and encouraging Māori and the Crown to sign it, making it a foundational document for Aotearoa New Zealand. I think we, as Christians, have a responsibility to help uphold that legacy – to stand with Māori and the Crown to make sure the Treaty is honoured and does what it’s meant to do: build relationships and make a shared place for everyone.
We should care about te Tiriti because it gave us a place to stand in New Zealand.
It’s because of te Tiriti that Māori chiefs invited Pākehā into partnership, to come and live on this land. Remembering it as an invitation to covenant stirs humility. It’s not just something from the past – it’s something we need to keep living out today.
Jason: If you don’t know the history of te Tiriti o Waitangi, please embark on this wonderful journey by looking into it. There are many books, like Keith Newman’s Bible & Treaty or Jay Ruka’s Huia Come Home, that will make you proud but also break your heart. It is easy to look the other way because it seems we, as Pākehā, do not have a lot to lose. But our Treaty partners have had to battle every day for a voice and this Treaty Principles Bill will continue a shameful history of injustices if passed.
You may not agree with my views, and that’s okay. I am also only at the beginning of the journey to understand our history, but I ask you to please join me on this journey.
1Luke Malpass, “Hīkoi a protest that cannot be ignored”, The Post, 20 November 2024.
2Lincoln Dam, “Be(com)ing an Asian tangata tiriti”, Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, vol 18 issue 3, 2022.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Over 40,000 people moved through Wellington towards Parliament on Tuesday as part of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti (March for the Treaty). In what The Post called an “overwhelmingly safe and respectful”1 demonstration, the hīkoi landed in Wellington after ten days of marches across New Zealand, starting from Cape Rēinga.
Among those gathering in Wellington were Archbishop Don and Archbishop Justin, who said in a statement along with Archbishop Sione:
Many of us stand firm in the pursuit of partnership, social justice, and equity, which can be achieved by supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. A cause we began as Anglicans in the early 1800s, and one we must see through to the end.
An earlier hīkoi gathered at the Nelson Cathedral steps on Trafalgar Street last week, which some members of our diocese joined in on.
Jason Shaw, our ministry coordinator for social services, attended the Wellington hīkoi, while Mike Jessop, a Bishopdale College student and former NZCMS intern, joined the Nelson hīkoi. Both share their reflections on what motivated them to get involved.
Jason: The journey that landed me on the steps of Parliament, marching against the Treaty Principles Bill, started a few years ago. Before this time, as a Pākehā, I had been so ignorant and uneducated about the Māori worldview. However, when I was presented with the gift of learning the history of our founding document of te Tiriti o Waitangi through my studies at Bishopdale College, my ignorance shifted to a sense of pride, both as a kiwi and as a Christian. Until this point, I was not aware of our country's history that led to the writing of the Treaty, but it really is a beautiful story.
Since the writing of te Tiriti, there have been many abuses and injustices to the covenant that Pākehā agreed to with tangata whenua (people of the land) in 1840. From being pushed off their land, unable to speak their language, or killed, as well as many others, there have been many times Pākehā have ignored the te Tiriti and turned their backs on their partners.
As Christians, we believe in a restorative God who does not stand for injustices such as these. We also live with the grace of his covenant that he has made with us, and can receive his love and mercy because of this covenant.
As his ambassadors and from his love, we must also seek justice for the oppressed and the marginalised.
Mike: Since coming to Nelson three years ago to study, I’ve been on a journey exploring te Tiriti and our place in it. I’ve been on haerenga (journey – in this case an educational trip to significant parts of New Zealand) with Bishopdale College, which was really good, and went to Waitangi with NZCMS for a wānanga (educational event). I’ve learned a lot about the Treaty and its missionary background with people like Henry Williams and Samuel Marsden. When I heard about the hīkoi in Nelson, I wanted to go, especially as I’m also preparing for a trip to Waitangi with Brad Wood and a group of Anglicans for Waitangi Day. It felt like a great opportunity to be involved.
The hīkoi was a response to the Treaty Principles Bill currently under consideration in Parliament. The bill aims to rigidly define the principles of the Treaty in a way that could undermine Māori rights. It would generalise those principles to apply to all New Zealanders, which goes against the progress made over the last 50 years in law and policy. The hīkoi was about standing up for the need to honour te Tiriti – not just the text, but also the spirit behind it, the principles of partnership and relationship.
I was surprised to see how many people were there – hundreds gathered at the top of Trafalgar Street, all for the same cause. There was a real sense of unity.
What stood out to me about the hīkoi was the emphasis on doing it out of love, not anger or retaliation. It was about educating and protesting in a way that was lawful, with aroha and respect. The organisers made it clear they wanted to protest in a way that reflected what they were fighting for. Standing up for what you believe in is important, but doing so together with others amplifies your voice and makes a real impact.
Jason: What has been building over the course of this year, culminating in a massive hīkoi that ended outside Parliament on 19 November, was, again, members of Government turning their backs on te Tiriti o Waitangi and turning it into something that it was never intended to be. The political debate that the Act Party started received its rebuttal by thousands of people, not in Parliament but on the streets all around the country.
This was not just a Māori voice calling out, but people of the Treaty – tangata Tiriti – who were rebutting Act's Treaty Principles Bill. The people I met were gang members, goths, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Brazilians, Tongans and many, many more. All people had one united voice. To be tangata Tiriti.
Lincoln Dam says the status of tangata Tiriti must be earned.
Tangata Tiriti is not a passive identity. Rather, it is a relational orientation that invokes ethical-political responsibilities. These responsibilities include seeking to understand settler identities, building productive relationships with Māori, engaging critical histories of Aotearoa-New Zealand and supporting Māori struggles for justice.2
Living under this covenant is not giving us a label but a gift. Like any relationship, it requires us to do something, to be actively engaged in seeking the wellbeing of others.
Mike: Looking back on my journey, learning about te Tiriti and its role in our nation and our church has been pivotal for me. I think it’s key for the wider church as well. We need to be willing to listen and hear stories from Māori and Pākehā alike about their interactions with te Tiriti. Partnership and relationship are at the heart of it, and that starts with listening, learning, and growing in understanding. Then we can live it out – whether it’s through participating in a hīkoi, writing submissions to the government, or sharing what we know in our churches to help educate others.
As an Anglican and someone connected to NZCMS, it’s part of my whakapapa (history or descent). Henry Williams was pivotal in both drafting the Treaty and encouraging Māori and the Crown to sign it, making it a foundational document for Aotearoa New Zealand. I think we, as Christians, have a responsibility to help uphold that legacy – to stand with Māori and the Crown to make sure the Treaty is honoured and does what it’s meant to do: build relationships and make a shared place for everyone.
We should care about te Tiriti because it gave us a place to stand in New Zealand.
It’s because of te Tiriti that Māori chiefs invited Pākehā into partnership, to come and live on this land. Remembering it as an invitation to covenant stirs humility. It’s not just something from the past – it’s something we need to keep living out today.
Jason: If you don’t know the history of te Tiriti o Waitangi, please embark on this wonderful journey by looking into it. There are many books, like Keith Newman’s Bible & Treaty or Jay Ruka’s Huia Come Home, that will make you proud but also break your heart. It is easy to look the other way because it seems we, as Pākehā, do not have a lot to lose. But our Treaty partners have had to battle every day for a voice and this Treaty Principles Bill will continue a shameful history of injustices if passed.
You may not agree with my views, and that’s okay. I am also only at the beginning of the journey to understand our history, but I ask you to please join me on this journey.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
