The Green Party will uphold tino rangatiratanga, enhance the mana of the Waitangi Tribunal, return land lost through colonisation, and support the customary roles of tangata whenua. We will address the systemic causes of inequalities for Māori, including in education, health, resource management, and justice.
Vision
Māori live freely and with mana, as do all New Zealanders under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and within te ao Māori.
Values and Principles
Decisions relating to Māori must uphold the following values and principles:
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: The status of Māori as tangata whenua should be respected and tino rangatiratanga upheld.
- Ecological Wisdom: The value of te ao Māori to people and other species in Aotearoa, the kaitiaki responsibilities of hapū and iwi, and the ecological wisdom in mātauranga Māori should be upheld.
- Social Responsibility: An equitable, tikanga Māori-based approach should uphold the mana, rights, mana motuhake and wellbeing of Māori. Māori systems of social support should be nurtured, and Government systems of social support should recognise the needs of Māori communities.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Whānau, hapū, and iwi, and other Māori organisations, should be properly resourced and enabled to support the needs of Māori communities. The tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua should be upheld.
- Non-Violence: The harm of colonisation should be recognised and addressed, with all taonga and mokopuna (future generations) protected.Summary
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“As a Party we want to see Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori flourish in Aotearoa.
“Māori will be empowered and resourced within a kaupapa Māori framework to support restorative and rehabilitative justice and provide for the well-being of whānau, the environment and our natural ecosystems.”
Actions in this policy that will help achieve these goals include:
- Ensure that all people in Aotearoa New Zealand have the opportunity to learn te reo Māori and understand our country’s history, both tangata whenua and tauiwi, with a particular focus on education at all year levels of our schools. (2.3)
- Recognise tikanga-based justice and resource Māori restorative justice models, especially through Rangatahi and Matariki Courts. (2.15)
- Implement a Tiriti-based economic strategy that eliminates the dependence of economic systems on growth and ensures economic activity is resilient and occurs far beneath established ecological limits. (2.1)
- Uphold and resource the kaitiaki role and tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua in urban and rural areas, and work with them to protect taonga species, landscapes, seas and significant places, that enables progress towards a more Te Tiriti based relationship, and formally recognising and enabling customary use and care of natural resources. (1.12)
Connected Policies
All Green Party Policies seek to uphold the rights of Māori as tangata whenua under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Policies that are fundamental to honouring tino rangatiratanga include our Democracy and Constitutional Transformation and Human Rights Policies. Several policies also focus on Māori wellbeing and equity, including Economic, Education, Health, and Justice.
