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Becoming Tangata Tiriti is tool for reflection for anyone starting out on their journey to being an effective Tiriti partner. This book takes complicated kōrero about decolonisation, Māori-Pākehā relationships, and identity, and grounds them in real stories of non-Māori New Zealanders who are actively working to uplift Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
‘Tangata Tiriti’ are defined as all non-Māori living in Aotearoa New Zealand; though Pākehā are the primary focus, there is also discussion of Asian and Pasifika experiences. In this book, the term ‘Tangata Tiriti’ is taken a step further; to become Tangata Tiriti, we are encouraged to embrace that identity on a personal level, and recognise the privileges that Te Tiriti has afforded us as manuhiri on this land. We’re also encouraged to consider Tangata Tiriti as an active role, one in which we continually engage in learning about te ao Māori, and challenge anti-Māori ideas in our communities.
This book doesn’t delve too deeply into what tangible action might look like in promoting and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It instead provides a guide to the often-ignored side of being an effective Tiriti partner – the difficult emotional work that each individual must go through to understand their own identity and challenge ingrained biases. It’s a territory that is far less often explored in this much depth, making Becoming Tangata Tiriti a unique resource for non-Māori who believe in Te Tiriti and the expansive future it could bring.
Review by Soph Jackson, Health Promotion Communications Manager