Dave Mollard’s Change is Constant: I’m a beneficiary of the dishonouring of Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Queen Elizabeth II visits Waitangi in 1990. Photo / Northern Advocate

OPINION:

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as Prime Minister highlighted the deep divisions in our Land of the Long White Cloud. Some think she was one of the best leaders we have ever had, and some feel she was one of the worst.

We have always had tension between those who think we need to work collectively and support each other and those who feel that individual achievement and responsibility are the most important values.

This is not a recent thing, but it is newer than the deeper division that splits our motu. This long divide is between those whose ancestors were here first, and those of us that came later, a divide that is not just about political leanings, but the very essence of our being.

But we do have something that brings us together and bonds us all as Kiwis. Both groups’ ancestors (with a few exceptions) signed a contract of partnership as a pathway to a peaceful existence. Te Tiriti is the foundational stone of our nation, but it is also the stone that is weighing us down - not for what it was, but for what it wasn’t. The text was too vague, the translations were not completely accurate, not every iwi signed and, most importantly, it was not honoured.

I am a beneficiary of that dishonour. My economic security is based on land ownership, and a political, educational, health and judicial system that has favoured me over tangata whenua.

I love being a Kiwi - we live in the best country on Earth, with our abundance of resources, freedom, space, aroha and the two greatest rugby teams in the world. But we are still a long way from reaching a place where all of us have the same opportunities in life.

The next step for me is becoming a good Treaty partner. What that looks like is different for everyone, but for me, it’s acknowledging my privilege and, by extension, others’ lack of privilege. By listening and understanding that what we have been doing for 200 years has not worked, we can break the system and rebuild it so we can all paddle in the same direction.

Instead of us telling iwi what they need, we need to reframe the conversation to ask how we can support them with what they need.

By Māori, for Māori, but also for everyone, because what is good for Māori is good for all of us who live in the bottom right-hand corner of this planet.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.

Dave Mollard is a Palmerston North community worker and social commentator.