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4. Māori-Crown relations capability

Ngā Āheinga o te Hononga i waenga i ngāi Māori me te Karauna

About this section
This section highlights some of the improved outcomes for our communities and outlines how we are building our capability in Māori-Crown relations, to engage more effectively with our Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi partners through several initiatives. These initiatives support wider public service goals of empowering and equipping our people with knowledge and skills.

Māori-Crown relations capability

Improved outcomes for communities

The Department is party to 12 Accord Agreements (that resulted from the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement process) with hapū, iwi and Māori organisations. One is with Ngāti Tūwharetoa, represented by the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board (the Trust Board). The Department supports two key projects in relation to this Accord. Project 1 is the licensing regime and Project 2 is the Lake Taupō Harbourmaster function. To ensure a healthy and ongoing relationship, the Department is working closely with the Trust Board to complete a register that captures new structures and commercial users undertaking activities on Lake Taupō. The Department continues to collaboratively build capability to devolve Harbourmaster functions and Crown-owned facilities to the Trust Board in due course.

Hāpai Hapori Community Operations kaimahi are in the forefront of supporting communities to improve outcomes. The Funding for Change programme in the Waikato region is making an impact by supporting Waahi Pā (Marae) with mobile digital kiosks and a mātauranga (knowledge) succession repository. This approach preserves and shares the rich cultural heritage of Waahi Pā with younger generations. By providing access to pūrākau (traditional stories), waiata (songs or chants), interviews with kaumātua (elders), and the history of Waahi Pā, the project ensures that these valuable resources are accessible and engaging for current and future beneficiaries of Waahi Pā.

Our community advisors worked hard well after the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle to ensure Marae, hapū and iwi are safe, resilient and thriving. This has been from being actively involved in collective inter-agency approaches, to connecting iwi with relevant agencies for direct support, through to assessing marae and community needs and matching it with the required support. It is testament to the kaimahi who continue to ensure communities are safe and thriving. 

 

Whāinga Amorangi – building capability 

The Whāinga Amorangi Framework was introduced through the Public Service Act 2020 to help chief executives of public service departments meet their new responsibility and to lift and maintain the capability of their people to engage with Māori.

Our plan to lift and maintain capability is called He Waka Eke Noa. This is our implementation plan that also gives effect to Ā Mātou Mahi (our strategic outcomes) and Te Aka Taiwhenua (strategic framework for working effectively with Māori).

He Waka Eke Noa has three pou (workstreams), each representing a foundational part of our journey. Kaimahi are supported to build their cultural capability in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga (Māori language and practices), te ao Māori (Māori worldview), and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This will assist kaimahi to apply their learnings to their daily mahi (work). The work programme will improve our Māori-Crown relationships and work towards our strategic outcomes in Ā Mātou Mahi.

Maihi Karauna

Maihi Karauna is the public services strategy for Māori language revitalisation. The Department continues to revitalise te reo Māori in several ways. Here are some examples over the last year:

• Kaimahi were supported to enrol on free Te Ara Reo Māori (Māori language learning pathways) online classes levels 1-3 with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
• Kaimahi were encouraged to share pepeha through mihimihi and whanaungatanga, giving-it-a-go as a focus and supporting pronunciation of te reo Māori
• Kaimahi were supported to attend the New Zealand history programme and wānanga on the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi of Waitangi – Wall Walks
• Our mobile application Tai Ako is used by kaimahi as a resource to build te ao Māori and te reo Māori capability
• We acknowledge and participate in events such as Te Rā o Waitangi, Matariki, Te Wiki o Te Reo, mahuru Māori and E Oho
• Digital Public Service branch (Te Kōtui Whitiwhiti) introduced a Te Matahiko Reo Plan in July 2023 to help lift competency
• Service Delivery Operations branch (Kawai ki te Iwi) introduced a Te Wharekura capability uplift plan with three focus areas – te reo me ōna tikanga, te ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Service Delivery Operations branch developed the Whāikorero uplift programme to support kaimahi to develop confidence to speak in formal settings (such as marae).

Māori language revitalisation activities remain a focus for us when working alongside our local communities. We supported the Aotearoa Reorua (bi-lingual) programme to enable local councils and their mana whenua partners to create more spaces, places, and opportunities where te reo Māori is seen, heard and celebrated.

The initiative offers a co-design approach to reflect the special character and language dialect of each community. Currently the Department supports eleven bi-lingual centres in Ahuriri-Napier, Heretaunga, Kerikeri, Ōpotiki, Ōtaki, Porirua, Rotorua, Te Wairoa, Tokoroa, Whakatāne and Whangārei. By 2040, the objective is to enrol 40 centres to coincide with the bi-centennial signing of the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Haeata – the Settlement Portal

He Korowai Whakamana,a Cabinet agreed framework requires Crown agencies to record, track, and report annually on the status of Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement commitments. We have participated in the settlement process of historical claims with hapū, iwi, and Māori and are responsible for a diverse range of commitments.

In November 2023, Te Tiriti and Partnerships team was established as part of the Te Urungi Branch. A core aspect of this team’s work has been to ensure the full and timely delivery of settlement commitments. We monitor our Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement commitments through Te Haeata – the Settlement Portal, which is administered by Te Arawhiti, the Office of Māori Crown Relations. Te Haeata provides an online record of all legislated settlements and related arrangements. Each commitment is listed as either: complete, on track, yet to be triggered or delivery issues. From 1 July 2024, post-settlement governance entities will have full access to Te Haeata. The information recorded to date reflects not only the nature of our relationship with hapū, iwi and Māori, but is an integral part of the settlement process to ensure positive Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnerships.

The following infographic provides a progress update on our 66 Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement commitments for 2023/24:

Source: Te Arawhiti – Office of Māori Crown Relations.

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