Shaping Our Path
as a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner
When Community Waitākere refreshed its strategic plan in 2024, it created space for an important question: what does it truly mean for us to be an effective Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner? For Kerry, our CE, the conversation quickly turned from aspiration to action. If we are serious about deepening our understanding of and relationships with iwi and Māori communities, we need to be intentional about the direction, time, and leadership required to guide that journey. This led to Aroha stepping into the role of Pou Whakataki Māori, a Māori Lead Developer, with a focus on shaping a Māori outcomes strategy that reflects who we are as an organisation and how we want to show up alongside Māori. From the outset, Aroha is utilising Hautū Waka as the framework of discovery. The intention is to begin by listening, creating space to learn before deciding what action should follow.
The work began with listening. Kerry and Aroha first sat down with Community Waitākere kaumātua, Papa Fred Holloway, to talk through the intent behind the strategy and the outcomes we hoped it might support. The conversation was honest and grounding, with Papa Fred challenging some early thinking in ways that helped sharpen the purpose of the work. From there, Aroha sought insights from six Māori and sector leaders who had experience embedding Māori outcomes within non-Māori organisations. Each shared their perspectives on what to be mindful of, where the pitfalls can lie, and how to move carefully and respectfully. Their advice reinforced the importance of relationships and taking thoughtful, strategic steps rather than trying to do everything at once.
At the same time, Aroha began opening space within Community Waitākere to reflect on what this commitment could look like in practice. Board members reflected on what our commitment to being an effective Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner really means in practice, while the team shared their experiences of the learning and changes already underway, and what might help them feel more confident engaging with Māori kaupapa in their mahi. These conversations have helped shape the direction of the strategy, including how Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments might be reflected more clearly in our policies and everyday ways of working, and what practical tools might support the team along the way. A small group of trusted advisors has also been walking alongside the process, offering whakaaro and challenge as the thinking continues to evolve.
The next stage will involve gathering perspectives from external partners and networks across West Auckland before shaping a draft strategy for review later this year. While the work is still unfolding, the process so far has been grounded in listening, reflection, and relationship-building. At its heart, this kaupapa is about continuing to grow our understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strengthening how we stand alongside Māori communities, learning as we go and continuing to strengthen the relationships that sit at the heart of this work. Community Waitākere aim to be an allied organisation with Māori organisations, communities and kaupapa across West Auckland in particular.