Tauiwi and the Treaty

The course will quickly scale your understanding of key events in history in Aotearoa that have arrived Tauiwi (non-Māori, Pākehā) here today as Treaty Partners in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

We all have questions about key events in the history of our country. If you are anything like me, what we learned in school was minimal, and left more questions than answers. As someone who arrived in Aotearoa thanks to the Treaty of Waitangi, I have spent 20 years learning about my role as a Tauiwi Treaty Partner, and along the way I have unlearned as much as I have learned, thanks to the generosity, manaaki and patience of Tāngata Māori in education spaces.

Too often the labour of educating Tauiwi and non-Māori can fall on Māori. Certainly I have been taught so much through the patience and manaaki (kindness) of Tāngata Whenua. But often as we Tauiwi | Pākehā | Māori learn and unlearn, we can inadvertently stumble and trip along the way. This is because we are unlearning things that we have been taught and have learned; both consciously and sub-consciously.   Because you are here reading this, I am sure that you, like me and most of us, are filled with good intentions and we all genuinely want to know better so we can do better. That's why in 2020, I decided to pivot my energy into developing learning pathways and facilitating workshops to help us build our understanding, unlearn, relearn and emerge as informed Treaty Partners committed to making a difference. After running events, bookclubs and racial equity growth groups online and face to face, and then having to cancel three events due to lockdowns, I decided to design a course... and here we are!

Who am I? Ko wai au e tū nei? 

Before investing in a course you will want to know a little more about me - and rightly so! So here goes. I am from Crete on my matriach line, and arrived here to Aotearoa New Zealand as a wide eyed seven year old to Tokoroa. It was here that I was introduced to Te Ao Māori, and from here that my love of - and commitment to - Te Ao Māori bloomed. I learned Te Reo Māori both formally and informally throughout my school years and was fortunate to spend much time on marae, learning from, with, in, and by Te Ao Māori. Venturing into education was a natural decision for me as a young Mother, and my first job was in a bilingual hub in a multicultural school. My teaching career spanned different countries, languages and cultures, and eight years ago I became a Principal. I am now the director of a Social Enterprise called Kind MInd Kai LTD, a company committed to transforming organisations for a kinder, more equal Aotearoa, of which this course is a part. I am furthering my learning with a Masters in Māori Education and a Diploma in Te Reo Māori, as well as working in kura and with organisations around Aotearoa. 

Phew! That's enough about me, I want to get to know you and to hear your story too. In this online course there is a space for you to uncover your own whakapapa, explore your current understanding, and build knowledge along the way. 

You will deep dive into the history of Aotearoa | New Zealand, exploring the history of the Treaty of Waitangi and how it can be applied and understood today in our lives. 

At the end of this course you will understand what Treaty partnership means for non-Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how we can enact this in our daily lives. 

So come join me as we journey together for a kinder, more equal Aotearoa.