This topic follows Workplace Communication and Interpersonal Relationships because Te Tiriti o Waitangi - The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, defines the relationship between the Government and Māori as tangata whenua, or the first people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Communication is, therefore, essential in order for Te Tiriti to be honoured. The Treaty is widely seen as a constitutional document for Aotearoa New Zealand, and many workplaces have included a commitment to upholding the Treaty as part of organisational culture to ensure that obligations to Māori are met. Let’s take a look at how this looks in general and how it applies to the animal care industry and understanding Te Ao Māori in the workplace.
Three principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi that are relevant to New Zealand workplace settings:
- Protection
- Partnership
- Participation
Originally developed by the Royal Commission in 1988 with a focus on the education system, these three principles have been adopted by many organisations at all levels of the New Zealand work environment.
The 3Ps, as they are sometimes known, are tools that help give us a better understanding of Te Tiriti and how it can be used as a framework to create workplaces that are inclusive and culturally safe.
Partnership
The partnership is about working together with tāngata (people), their whānau, hapū and iwi. It means valuing the person and their support networks, having empathy, and sharing decision-making and resources.
Partnership is about working with tāngata, sharing skills, sharing power and treating tāngata equally in relationships. Working in partnership requires people to:
- respect and value differences.
- show empathy.
- share knowledge and empower others.
- share decision-making processes.
Partnership relates to article 1 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi: kāwanatanga.
Participation
Participation is about allowing time for people, their family and whānau, hapū and iwi to be part of discussions and decision-making. Participation requires everyone to be inclusive of the person and their whānau. Participation occurs when there is:
- open discussion and genuine consultation.
- good faith.
- support for tāngata to share their ideas and have their ideas supported.
Participation relates to article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi: tino rangatiratanga.
Protection
Protection is about making sure tangata are supported and protected from inequality. It involves ensuring they have access to services that meet their needs. It is also about protecting things Māori, including taha Māori (culture) and te reo Māori (language), and protecting tangata from threats to their wellbeing and quality of life. A threat to someone’s cultural practices and values can be a threat to their wellbeingProtection requires:
- advocacy and honesty.
- protecting the things that are important to the person.
- knowledge and awareness.
Protection relates to article 3 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi: oritetanga.
There are many ways the principles of The Treaty of Waitangi can be applied in practice. Organisations and individuals all play their part in ensuring that Te Tiriti is an integral part of workplace culture.
One of the ways to ensure Te Tiriti is part of the workplace is the promotion and use of Te Reo. Te Reo Māori is one of the two languages of Aotearoa New Zealand that have official status under the law. Do you know what the other one is? Before you click on the + sign decide what your answer is.
New Zealand Sign Language
How did you go? Did you already know the answer?
Useful kupu/ words for workplaces
You may already know a lot of useful Te Reo terms that can be used in the workplace. Test your own knowledge with this flashcard activity. You’ll see the Māori kupu (word) first, but before you flip the card to reveal the English meaning, try and guess the answer.
Mahi tahi is the Māori term for collaboration and working together. It roughly translates to English as working together as one, but like a lot of terms in Te Reo has shades of meaning that are not quite the same as the English translation. Mahi tahi is guided by values like whanaungatanga, korero, whakarongo and tikanga (which we will look at next) and by shared goals or outcomes.
Mahi tahi relates both to Workplace Communication and Interpersonal Relationships, which we have already looked at the importance of, and also meeting Te Tiriti obligations as an inclusive and supportive workplace. Upholding the principles of Te Tiriti is a good example of mahi tahi in action.
Mahi tahi in relation to working in the animal care industry involves:
- Communication and building strong relationships between kaimahi (workers).
- Application of Te Tiriti principles to ensure an inclusive workplace for all.
- Inclusion of a Te Ao Māori perspective into caring for animals.
- Inclusion of tikanga practices in caring for animals, including promoting tikanga into legislation that relates to the welfare of animals.
- Opportunities to use Te Reo in the workplace.
- Consultation with relevant groups, including whānau, hapu and iwi when decisions around animal welfare need to be made that should have a Māori voice.
Reading
Interview with Bob Kerridge, ONZM – Animal Welfare and His Life
This is a great example of some mahi tahi that New Zealand Order of Merit officer and animal advocate Bob Kerridge was involved in to include animals as sentient beings in the Animal Welfare Act.
Expected Duration: 10 minutes
Questions
Pre-Read Question: The word ‘sentience’ is a really important part of this interview. Check that you understand this word before reading.
Post-Read Task: What examples of mahi tahi do you remember from Bob’s story? Make a note of them.
URL: Animal Welfare Act: Bob Kerridge Speaks - PD Insurance NZ
Te Ao Māori is the Māori worldview, including language (te reo), customs and protocols.
Māori perspectives and culture are increasingly recognised and valued in Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s also important to remember that Te Tiriti exists to safeguard these for Māori. Aotearoa New Zealand is also becoming a culturally diverse and rich society. Within this context, it is increasingly important for people to be more culturally responsive.
To build strong connections and relationships with Māori clients, customers, iwi or individuals. You must first understand the world in which we live - Te Ao Māori (the Māori world).Māori Culture and Tikanga Practices for the Workplace https://www.tutiramai.co.nz/
To be culturally responsive is to recognise, reflect and validate the history, cultures, and worldviews of people’s cultures in practice. In Aotearoa New Zealand this places particular emphasis on Te Ao Māori. Te Ao Māori considers everything living and non-living to be interconnected.
Garth Harmsworth (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa, Tuhourangi) describes the Māori worldview as “A natural order to the universe, overarching principle of balance”.
The relationship between humans and animals, from a Māori perspective, is not easily compared to the Pakeha/Western approach. Māori have their own knowledge and values (mātauranga Māori) about animals and their relationships to people. This includes laws, values, beliefs and practices known as tikanga Māori. Tikanga Māori defines the right way to live and be, including animals and their state of being (what it means for an animal to live a good life). Guided by Te Tiriti obligations, it’s important for relationships with animals to be understood from a Māori perspective. Core to Te Ao Māori is that humans are a part of the world, not in control of it.
Key Terms
Tikanga
In Māori terms, to act in accordance with tikanga is to behave in a way that is culturally proper or appropriate.
- Tikanga is based on the values of whanaungatangata (belonging) kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitangi (hospitality). It is woven into all aspects of life and can be seen in everyday tasks like cooking to formal activities like the powhiri (welcome).
- Tikanga is a matter of principles, values and spirituality and is as much a comment on process as it is on fixed attitudes or knowledge.
- Tikanga are the traditions and knowledge on a subject, customs and ways that a community operates that identifies them as a group and defines their culture.
- Tikanga are developed over time and protected for future generations. They may be shaped by physical or environmental conditions. For example, tikanga says that people should remove their shoes before entering the wharenui at a marae so that dirt and dust are not brought into a sacred place.
Kaitiakitanga
Kaitiakitanga is a philosophy or way of thinking about the natural world, stressing the importance of caring for the environment and working to keep it healthy and flourishing. Kaitiakitanga recognises that many individual animals have their own mana and mauri.
Mauri
Humans, animals, plants and all living entities have a wairua, a spirit or soul that persists beyond death. Mauri merges the physical and spiritual parts of a living being and involves understanding animals (and other things in nature) and respecting them for what they are.
Whakapapa
Whakapapa extends beyond genealogy to provide an understanding that the interconnectedness of the natural world includes animals as kin to humans: in the emotional bond that can exist between animals and Māori but also that some Māori believe that animals are part of their ancestry or whakapapa.
Watch the video clip below on Te Ao Māori, the Māori World View.
Watch: Seasick: Episode 5 - Te Ao Māori, the Māori World View | Saving the Hauraki Gulf (23:34 minutes)
Seasick episode 5 looks at Te Ao Māori, the Māori world view of the interconnectedness and interrelationship of all living & non-living things.
Questions
Pre-Watch Question: Check that you understand the words ‘mauri’, ‘moana’, ‘whenua’, ‘atua’ before listening.
