Some context, complexities and consequences of Te Tiriti

As I warm up to Waitangi Day on 6 Feb, I am reminding myself of some of the context, complexities and consequences of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Here are four short videos that help me start to understand my own role as Tangata Tiriti.

This is a quick overview of the context in which Te Tiriti was signed, the content of Te Tiriti, and the contrast between the different versions of it (thanks, Re:).

Interesting to note that over 500 Māori rangatira (chiefs) signed the Te Reo Māori (Māori language) version while only 39 signed the English language version.

This shows the major Crown land acquisitions since 1840, including confiscations after the New Zealand Wars and peak Native Land Court era (from He Tohu).

Each time I watch this, I realise more how little I can fathom the impact on Māori of losing that amount of land in such a short time –?even from an economic point of view, leave aside the cultural and identity impacts.

The following excerpt from a talk by the late academic Dr Manuka Henare (Ngāti Hauā, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu) makes the link between that land loss, its impacts on Māori health and the decline in the Māori population in late 19th Century.

It's in two parts so start here and then play at least the first three minutes of this second part.

Impactful for me is the Darwinian rationalisation and the idea that the duty of the state was to "smooth the pillow of a dying race".

Staying with Māori Health inequity but coming to present day, here are some stats that illustrate the cost of failure to deliver on health promises to Māori from Peter Crampton, Professor of Public Health in Kōhatu, the Centre for Hauora Māori at the University of Otago.

There is nothing about these numbers that I do not find shocking.