One of many positive aspects that both lead into
and come out of the ongoing kōrero about constitutional transformation in
Aotearoa, is the commitment of many Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti to base
our written constitution on mutually agreed values that will underpin and
support good relationships between all people who live here.
The report of Matike Mai o Aotearoa has synthesised
their kōrero into seven key values; the value
of tikanga, the value of community,
the value of belonging, the value of place, the value of balance, the value
of conciliation and the value of
structure. The Rangatahi Group that
worked with Matike Mai also added six further values; the value of the wellbeing of Ranginui and Papātūānuku, the value of Mana Motuhake, the value of traditional knowledge, the value of kotahi aroha, the value of education, and the value of health and wellbeing.
Last year I presented extracts
from the Matike Mai report covering the values of tikanga and community. This year I begin with this extract on the value
of belonging. [1]Although
clearly linked to the value of community, the value of belonging is more
focussed on how the inclusivity of the treaty relationship can foster the sense
of belonging in this country for everybody living here.
The kōrero of Tangata Whenua on
this topic was marked by a generous spirit towards others, but it was also an
expression of the fact that most of them, through knowing their whakapapa, were
generally secure in their own identity and sense of belonging and wanted others
to have the same security. They also felt
that Te Tiriti was an important extrinsic affirmation of what that meant and believed
that our constitution could usefully begin by reaffirming the place of Tangata
Whenua –
“A constitution should be about who we are, and
having something about our whakapapa to this place would be a good way to do
that…and something about us, and not Pākehā, deciding who’s a Māori would be
good as well”.
By the same token they believed that, through Te
Tiriti, our constitution could also reaffirm the place of Tangata Tiriti –
“When we were in Washington we went to see their
Constitution and Declaration of Independence and there was this long line of
Americans queueing up to see it…like it was sacred and really important… it
seemed to tell them who they were and where they belonged…the treaty doesn’t do
that for most Kiwis at the moment because it’s been caught up in all sorts of
controversies, but if there was a kōrero in a constitution that talked about it
and said we were Tangata Whenua it would help our people….and if it said
something about Te Tiriti and Pākehā as well…that might help them feel they
belong in the same way”.
[1] [1] Thirty-fourth edited extract from pp. 79 – 80 of He Whakaaro Here Whakaumu Mō
Aotearoa – The Report of Matike Mai o Aotearoa
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