Supporting Māori Crown relationships through auahatanga, kōwhiringa and whakapūmautanga

From creating spaces that Iwi see themselves reflected in, to improving justice, health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori, these are some of the Public Service kaupapa that are helping to support Māori Crown relationships.

Te Tohu mō Whai Ratonga | Māori Crown Award at Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards celebrates these outstanding contributions to supporting Māori Crown relationships through auahatanga (innovation), whakapūmautanga (durability) and kōwhiringa (opportunities).​ 

Read on to learn about this year's finalists; ACC’s rongoā Māori service, Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata initiative and the City Rail Link Mana Whenua Forum. 

In supporting the Crown to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ACC is committed to increasing equitable access to services and experiences that lead to better health outcomes for Māori. Part of this includes providing choice to Māori and their whānau when it comes to recovery from injury. So, in 2020, ACC made rongoā Māori accessible as a form of social rehabilitation for kiritaki (clients). 

Rongoā Māori is a traditional healing system used in te ao Māori that provides holistic healing. It includes, but isn’t limited to, the use of plant-based remedies, bodywork (like mirimiri and romiromi), whitiwhiti kōrero and karakia. Rongoā has always existed in Aotearoa New Zealand but was made illegal for much of the 20th century under the Tohunga Suppression Act (repealed in 1962). 

In 2011, the Waitangi Tribunal found that New Zealand’s health system has a responsibility to support the use of rongoā Māori as an important tool for improving Māori wellbeing. And, in 2019, a field survey by ACC found that 80% of Māori respondents considered it important that their health provider offer rongoā Māori services. 

ACC responded to this call from the community, recognising the need to offer more options to whānau who have experienced injury. The work included developing guidance for funding rongoā Māori within legislative criteria, building strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Health and rongoā sector and establishing the ACC Rongoā Māori Advisory panel of mātanga rongoā (experts). 

Over 11,000 kiritaki (clients) and whānau have accessed rongoā Māori through ACC since the service began. The value of the service has also spread beyond Māori, with non-Māori making up 42% of clients accessing rongoā services.

For more information about ACC’s funding for rongoā Māori services, visit acc.co.nz.

Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata is a Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice initiative aimed at improving justice and wellbeing outcomes for Māori in the court system through the collective support of whānau, hapū and iwi. 

The initiative places the needs of whānau at the centre of the court system. It’s locally designed and delivered by iwi Māori or iwi mandated service providers to support whānau through the courts. The service helps to identify and address factors contributing to offending and affecting the overall wellbeing of the whānau. 

The underlying principles on which it is founded are that there are a range of cultural and socio-economic issues that influence criminal offending and people going through the court system need to be supported. 

The overarching aims of the initiative are to:

• Reduce the imprisonment rates for Māori by providing Judges with better information about offenders’ backgrounds, circumstances and facts contributing to reoffending, as well as the support available and plans to address those factors.
• Reduce the reoffending rates for Māori by supporting community involvement, wrap-around services for participants and keeping whānau together.
• Humanise the court experience by seeing people in a context that is wider than their alleged offence.

Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata has been operating successfully in Kaitāia, Kaikohe and Gisborne District Courts since 2022, contributing to safer communities for all New Zealanders, particularly in our most rural communities. Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata contributes to the realisation of the Te Ao Mārama vision for the District Court. Initial analysis of the initiative has indicated its influence in reducing sentences of imprisonment in favour of alternative community-based sentences, and increased access to services by whānau.

For more information about Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata, visit Justice.govt.nz.

In 2012, the City Rail Link (CRL) Mana Whenua Forum (MWF) was established to realise the important partnership between Iwi mana whenua and City Rail Link Ltd. The forum consists of eight Iwi representatives from Tāmaki Makaurau who act as kaitiaki (guardians) for CRL. 

The partnership is driven by five strategic pou (principles) that make Māori perspectives intrinsic to the project and drive strategy to demonstrate positive outcomes for Iwi. These are Rangatiratanga (governance), Whakapapa (culture and identity), Te Taiao (natural environment), Oranga (wellbeing), and Whai Rawa (economic). 

CRL's ongoing commitment to the MWF partnership is motivated by something bigger than themselves through the achievement of culturally significant and important outcomes for the people of New Zealand. This includes creating spaces that Iwi see themselves reflected in, but also for visitors and non-Māori to gain a deeper appreciation of the traditional stories and geographies Tāmaki Makaurau has been built on. Part of the motivation is also a successful and enduring partnership between Crown and Mana Whenua that can be used as an example by future large infrastructure projects.

The City Rail Link Mana Whenua Forum is a genuine partnership between the Crown and mana whenua which has repeatedly demonstrated tangible positive outcomes for the project, and wider Aotearoa. 

For more information about the City Rail Link Mana Whenua Forum, visit CityRailLink.co.nz.

Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards recognise initiatives that deliver great outcomes for people in New Zealand and young leaders who show outstanding innovation and leadership. The winners will be announced on Thursday 26 September.

The awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors ANZSOG – The Australia and New Zealand School of Government, DXC Technology Australia and New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington School of Government, Westpac New Zealand, and Deloitte.