30. Naomi Nicholas - Waitangi, Four Eyes, and Learning Without Consuming

Naomi Nicholas works for Karuwhā Trust.  She is part of helping facilitate learning and understanding about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a.k.a. the Treaty of Waitangi, particularly amongst non-Māori. For those of you overseas and unfamiliar with it, Te Tiriti is the treaty that was signed between the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the British Crown in 1840.  It is also a treaty that was then repeatedly breached by the colonisers, resulting in much pain and loss for Māori.  Yet, understood well it is a great platform from which to work towards reconciliation and even justice. 

Naomi shares about what she does in her role, what she notices about the revelations people have on their journeys, how non-Maori can appropriately learn the true history of this nation without simply consuming and taking all over again, and what hope she sees for the future of this country.

To read more about Parihaka Pā or to watch The Children of Parihaka documentary, head to https://nzhistory.govt.nz/occupation-pacifist-settlement-at-parihaka

There are a few Māori terms in the episode today - I've tried to capture them below with basic translations (with the help of maoridictionary.co.nz).  In order of their mention in the episode the following terms are used...

Awa - river 
Maunga - mountain
Pākehā - non-Māori (usually Caucasian) 
Kaupapa - reason for being 
Kaumātua - adult, elder - a person of status within the whānau (family), family group (hapu) or iwi (tribe).
Kuia - elderly woman
Haerenga - journey
Whānau - extended family 
Whakapapa - genealogy
Tangata Tiriti - person of the treaty.  
Tangata whenua - people of the land (indigenous people)
Tūrangawaewae - a standing, a place of standing
Te Pūtake o te Riri - a day commemorating the beginning of the land wars in Taranaki, New Zealand
Parihaka - a settlement in Taranaki that was the site of violent assault by the Crown, met with non-violent response by the Māori residents. 
Hīkoi - walk
Whenua - land
Karuwhā - literally 'four eyes'. The nickname given to missionary Henry Williams who helped write the Māori version of the treaty. 
Whaea - mother, aunty, sometimes for a woman simply as a term of endearment 
Rōpu - group
Whakaiti - belittle, disparage, diminish, cheapen
Kāinga - home
Hapu - sub-tribe
Iwi - tribe
Hui - meeting, gathering, assembly
Ngā mihi nui ki a koe - thank you

 

Find Karuwhā Trust at karuwha.org.nz or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/Karuwha

Instagram: @karuwha_trust

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