Oxfam Aotearoa is committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti is an agreement to an enduring relationship between tangata whenua (the first peoples of Aotearoa) and tangata Tiriti (all others who have come here) to ensure peace and mutual benefit for all.
Te Tiriti created a power-sharing relationship between existing hapū (Māori nations) authority – the tino rangatiratanga sphere, and the sphere of authority hapū provided for the British Crown – the kāwanatanga sphere.1 As a civil society organisation, we are located within the kāwanatanga sphere as our ability to operate here in Aotearoa derives from the powers granted by hapū to the Crown in Te Tiriti. Therefore, we have a responsibility to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Since the signing of Te Tiriti, the Crown has established and exercised government in breach of this agreement. Through laws, policies, and war, successive governments have undermined the political, cultural, economic, and social power base of tangata whenua, while directly benefiting those in the kāwanatanga sphere. This has led to deep injustice, inequality, and imbalance in Aotearoa.
These acts of colonisation are ongoing and continue to cause direct harm to Māori and te taiao (the environment). The issues which Oxfam Aotearoa works to address – injustice, inequality, and poverty, are shaped by the racism, patriarchy, and extractive capitalism that is entwined with colonisation. We acknowledge that the international aid and development system has, and continues to, perpetuate power imbalances and disempowering neo-colonial relationships.
As Oxfam Aotearoa, our position in the kāwanatanga sphere means we have a responsibility to address the injustices of colonisation here in Aotearoa just as we are committed to elsewhere. Supporting self-determination here in Aotearoa, the Pacific, and beyond is fundamental to fighting injustice and achieving equity. It is foundational to our work.
Our role in this work is as haumi (allies) to tangata whenua. This means we advocate for Te Tiriti honouring change in the kāwanatanga sphere and support the autonomy and authority of the tino rangatiratanga sphere. We commit to upholding the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi:
Kāwanatanga: Governance for mutual benefit
Tino Rangatiratanga: Māori authority and self-determination
Ōritetanga: Equity for Māori
Wairuatanga /Ritenga Māori: Upholding of belief systems and Māori practices
In practice this means we will:
Reflect our Te Tiriti commitment in our governance arrangements.
Seek to develop long-term, high trust, and mana enhancing relationships with tangata whenua in areas of mutual benefit.
Advocate for justice and self-determination for tangata whenua as part of existing policy and advocacy work in Aotearoa and/or as requested by tangata whenua as appropriate.
Advocate for Te Tiriti honouring change to government and in our relationships with the iNGO sector.
Support all of our stakeholders to understand our Te Tiriti commitment and our role in fighting injustice, supporting self-determination, and achieving equity in the places we work.
Promote equity for Māori, including ensuring our organisational processes support Māori to participate fully at all levels of our work.
Work to be an organisation that better reflects Aotearoa through normalising te reo and tikanga Māori, and ensuring our people understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its relevance to our work.
