ENGAGING WITH TE AO MAORI; THE TREATY AS A CHRISTIAN COVENANT
WAITANGI WORKSHOPS—ENGAGING WITH TE AO MAORI
7 – 9.30pm March 13, 20, 27, April 3
St Barnabas Hall, 8 Tui Street, Fendalton
Fee: $40.00 includes Supper.
Enrolments: office@stbarnabas.org.nz
Enquiries: Don Rowlands 027 688 2061
MARAE VISIT
In September 2022, I attended the Laidlaw College Bicultural Relationships Course. This included the privilege of sleeping at the Onuku Marae near Akaroa. The tikanga [custom] involved was moving from a manuhiri [visitor] to tangata whenua. This involved the sharing of my mihi and talking about my tipuna (ancestors) identity. I was able to wear my Johnston kilt, and thereby bring my Great Grandmother’s past with me, in the whare tipuna tradition. My childhood home was on the Port Hills of Banks Peninsula; so this marae is located on whenua that has a place in my heart.
WORLD VIEWS
The other students shared their identity and ancestors from many places. Their journeys’ involved migrations from many countries. Some manuhiri had Māori whakapapa. We all came to share and celebrate our diverse world views. The tangata te tiriti [non-Māori people of the Treaty] share the rights and responsibilities of our founding document in 1840.
Increasingly Kiwi culture is changing; for example, this year forty thousand people sang waiata in the World Cup final at Eden Park, and Christchurch buildings have been named Turanga and Te Pae. The Māori world view offers us: treasures, opportunities to learn, and has increasingly become valued in our Aotearoa culture.
WORKSHOPS
St Barnabas Church Hall will be hosting 4 workshops about bi-cultural New Zealand. The workshops will be led by Antony Nihoniho (Ngai Tahu, Ngati Porou/Ngati Pakeha). Antony is a lecturer in Māori at the University of Canterbury and Laidlaw College completing a Ph.D. His Masters researched the history of colonisation involving Ngai Tahu land in Canterbury. He has also offered workshops at Hill View Christian School over the past 3 years.
Workshops will give participants a chance to share and understand their identity through the compilation of their mihi. The articles of the Treaty will be outlined and the context of colonial society in 1840 explained. The intentions of the Crown, Hobson, and the Reverend Henry Williams, will be explored.
In 1840, only 2,000 European Settlers were living throughout New Zealand. Māori would not have anticipated that by the turn of the century, they would be outnumbered almost twenty to one. Māori were reassured by missionaries and trusted that the Treaty would protect their interests and fair trade. “This was the first time the British had accorded any indigenous race a document promising their protection and granting them British citizenship.” (p.65 J Ruka “Huia Come Home.”) The hope was that the Treaty would be a genuine partnership.
COLONISATION
The impact of colonisation on Ngai Tahu is not known as well as that of the Waikato, Parihaka or Tuhoe lands, because these were subjects of recent books and films. The Kemp Deed in the South Island led to great suffering. Anthony has a whanau connection to Tuahiwi and a moving story of the impact of loss of the land. As Christians what responsibilities do we have to address the systemic losses and injustices of the past and present day society?
THE COVENANT
I believe Christians, especially Anglicans, have a special role to honour the Treaty. The Clapham Sect (responsible for the abolition of slavery) had a key role in promoting the protection of indigenous people through the Treaty. The Anglican Missionary, Henry Williams, undertook the translation. The Anglican Church was like salt in the food of advocacy. Many Christians now accept that the honouring of the Treaty is a covenant responsibility.
The three tikanga structure of the Anglican church, and the 1989 Prayer Book, He Karakia, Mihinare o Aotearoa, have been past initiatives to strengthen the covenant relationship.
Don Rowlands M.A.[History Hons]
By Jo Cotton
