Wānanga 5

Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the Workplace

When whānau knock on your doors what can they expect?

• Your policies reflect whānau / iwi as central to how you operate?

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi genuinely informs the services you provide?

• Te reo Māori and tikanga is heard and practiced?

• Decision making is shared with whānau / iwi?

• Māori iconography is visible and abundant?

• Organisational values reflect te ao Māori?

• Institutional racism does not exist?

• Does equity exist for whānau & iwi?

• Māori culture counts?

When an organisation is not reflecting te ao Māori it sends one message to whānau and iwi about what they can expect - a one size fits all approach in the provision of services based on what is appropriate for Pākehā. It will be te ao Māori deficient in its implementation and delivery. Genuine, effective engagement is compromised impacting negatively on Māori who will bear the brunt of those actions. 

Te Tiriti o Waitangi ( the Treaty of Waitangi ) is the mandate and pathway that allows organisations to implement te ao Māori ( the Māori world ) into every aspect of their workplace practices. 

Culturally responsive workplace practices are the outcome when the questions above are answered positively - ‘what is good for Māori is good for New Zealand.’