Utilising Te Tiriti o Waitangi to decolonise practices at New Zealand Tertiary Institution

Abstract

Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) is recognised as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand. An agreement signed by William Hobson the representative of the Crown (Britain) and Aotearoa indigenous people, represented by many Māori chiefs. Over the past few decades the Treaty and its implications have been a major focus. It provided a framework for relationships between Māori and the British Crown (in 1840). The agreement made between the two nations (Aotearoa New Zealand Māori and non-Māori colonisers), have resulted in western institutions including Aotearoa New Zealands’ Government departments and Crown agencies having obligations to implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi to the satisfaction of all its people.

Under the Ministry of Education Act the University of Auckland has legal obligations to the Treaty Principles. Te Tumu Herenga originally was the Libraries and Learning Services of the University of Auckland. The title was gifted by the late Merimeri Penfold and literally, the proverb means ‘the chief tethering post’.

Through adhering to the concept of “te tumu herenga” proverb, it has over the years enveloped other entities within the larger tertiary institution, moving from Libraries and Learning Services to an entity that is not fully able to be explained through its current English title.

The paper comments the new service delivery model of Te Tumu Herenga, its’ aspirations, values and principles based upon the Māori language version of the Treaty. It is now leading the University of Auckland direction and strategy in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi through transformative practises ensuring indigenous peoples are at the centre of the practice. The paper discusses how contribution of Te Tumu Herenga staff leads the University of Auckland to meet its’ Treaty obligations, and how implementation is decolonising its’ members, reaching the hard to reach, while supporting, connecting, empowering, and once again consolidating indigenous paradigms for all library users.