Luke Kaa-Morgan is Te Pouarataki mo te Whiikoi – Treaty guide for the National Support Centre, Carey Baptist Bible College and Arotahi, and is a member of the Lead Team for those organisations.
I am compelled to give my perspective on the recent opinion piece, Keeping Tiriti Hīkoi on track. I respectfully and vehemently disagree with the views of the writer. In no way do the stories of my Tainui Aawhiro and Ngaati Tahinga whakapapa inform our people that by signing Te Tiriti o Waitangi we were ceding sovereignty. The guarantee was for the protection of that sovereignty, of our ways of being and knowing, of our culture. The historical evidence of that guarantee can be found on any marae across Aotearoa. It can be found in its people and in the knowledges passed down through generations.
However, without commitment to long-term relationship and engagement with Maaori, you are unlikely to have access to these knowledges. Ruth Clarke, our Arotahi Te Rau Urungi says, “Don't comment on what my ancestors said or meant generations ago. People hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see and then add in scripture to justify it. Te reo Maaori me oona tikanga (the language and it’s cultural practices) is untranslatable if you don't have knowledge of our culture and a genuine relationship with us.”
As a Maaori leader in our Baptist whaanau and one whose belief and behaviour is governed by the Bible, “your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105), I suggest that the voice of Maaori Christian leadership is taken seriously. Tangata Tiriti should not allow themselves to speak for Tangata Whenua, not least regarding the te reo Maaori translation of te Tiriti. That is our domain. This document was sacred to our tuupuna (ancestors), our rangatira and they were certain of why they signed it. Those stories sit in our sacred spaces.
In his book Tikanga Māori: Living by Māori Values, Taa Hirini Moko Mead (Ngaati Awa, Ngaati Tūwharetoa, Ngaai Tuuhoe, Tuuhourangi) argues that Maaori did not cede sovereignty through Te Tiriti o Waitangi. He emphasises that the Maaori understanding of the Treaty was fundamentally different from the British interpretation. According to Mead, Maaori leaders believed they were entering into a partnership with the Crown where they would retain their authority and sovereignty over their lands and people.
Mead points out that the Maaori text of te Tiriti, which uses the term kaawanatanga (governance), did not imply the cession of sovereignty but rather the delegation of certain powers to the Crown. This perspective is supported by the fact that many Maaori chiefs continued to exercise their authority and expected to maintain their rangatiratanga (chiefly authority) after signing the Treaty.
Te Arawa lawyer and Maaori advocate Annette Sykes (Ngaati Pikiao, Ngaati Makino), maintains that Te Tiriti o Waitangi guarantees several key rights and protections for Maaori. These include tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), partnership, protection of taonga (treasures), and equity and justice. These guarantees are seen as fundamental to maintaining the rights and well-being of Māori communities and ensuring that their sovereignty and cultural heritage are respected and upheld.
Maaori Marsden (Te Aupouri, Ngāpuhi), tohunga, scholar, Anglican minister, had strong views on the importance of understanding the Maaori worldview and the concept of mana (authority, power) when interpreting te Tiriti. His belief was that te Tiriti was intended to protect Maaori sovereignty and ensure their ability to govern themselves according to their own customs and laws. This perspective aligns with the view that Maaori did not cede sovereignty but rather agreed to a partnership with the Crown.
A few people have reached out this week to enquire why I would be happy for that opinion piece to be published last weekend. Our office has received push back from some of our whaanau requiring it to be taken down and expressing how much hurt it is causing. Yet I have specifically asked for it to remain, at least for a brief season. You may wonder why. Robert Jensen does not hold this view alone. I have met with Robert and he is a kind man seeking to follow Jesus, nevertheless we disagree on this fundamental issue.
Sadly, it is not unfamiliar for tangata whenua in our Baptist whaanau to be confronted with arrogant, uninformed, and sometimes blatant rejection of our language, our treasures, our culture. The disrespect for our rightful place and the knowledges we bring to the family is unjust and painful. Many Maaori, including some of our key leaders, are not convinced that we are welcome and can fully belong in the family as a direct result of this. I have my own stories to tell, way too many to count. However, we are resilient. This is expressed in the long-term journey that we have committed to and fully engaged in since the mid 1980s. I find myself with the roles and responsibilities that I have and the privilege of ministry that I am in because God called me to these, and because I love the church.
The unfolding story requires Tangata Tiriti and tauiwi who care about this issue to not allow these behaviours to continue, but we must do more than feel outraged, disappointed, embarrassed or shocked. So my tono (request) to our Baptist whaanau is, can we work on this together? At Hui 2024 in Rangiora I will share some thoughts about what we could do moving forward. However Iriiri Māori, Te Whaariki and our Baptist Māori leaders need your ideas and participation. Toi tuu te Tiriti.
I love Jesus, I love the Bible, I love the church. I love our Baptist whaanau. I hope that our just acts, the mercy we love and humility we choose will allow gospel renewal to reach tangata whenua across Aotearoa and that we together can honour te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Image: Luke Kaa-Morgan
