106 Maranga Mai! Truth, Reconciliation and Justice Commission Addressing racism needs to start with an acknowledgement of the truth of racism in Aotearoa, reconciliation with Māori, coupled with an independent examination of how the government, the law, its systems, and policies contribute toward racism. As outlined in its recommendations, this report proposes a three-year, time bound, Tiriti-based Truth, Reconciliation and Justice Commission which uses similar principles to the Canadian Commission (see chapter 8). It should be grounded in tikanga and kawa and be separate from the Waitangi Tribunal claims process. elimination of racism in central and local government and civil society; and supporting the Truth, Reconciliation and Justice Commission. The National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) should include actions to restore te reo me ona tikanga in Aotearoa and support whānau to uphold and practice their culture and te reo, realise tino rangatiratanga and thrive in te ao Māori and other environments. Realise tino rangatiratanga Maranga Mai! recommends that the government, with tino rangatiratanga partners, set up or appoint Tiriti-based independent body/s and a process, to uphold Te Tiriti and Māori human and Indigenous rights and eliminate racism in Aotearoa. This would include leading the Truth, Reconciliation and Justice process and the NAPAR. As constitutional transformation will take time, and so within existing constitutional arrangements, the following steps could be explored, including options to advance Te Tiriti and eliminate racism against Māori. Finally, it will require equally bold actions to address and eliminate racism in Aotearoa, and in doing so, vastly improve outcomes and reduce inequities for tangata whenua. This is necessary and long overdue. The government should recognise tino rangatiratanga as a pre-existing and ongoing form of authority and as an Indigenous peoples’ right under Te Tiriti and the UNDRIP (2007). Both Tiriti partners will need to embrace this change. Identified issues and next steps Within the Matike Mai framework, this is work that can be carried out within the tino rangatiratanga sphere and kāwanatanga sphere, so that justice and fairness prevail in the shared relational sphere in which society as a whole is constituted (STIR & NZPHA, 2021. p. 14). With urgency, the government appoints a full time, permanent Indigenous Rights Commissioner to uphold Māori and Indigenous human rights. This would fill the vacant Commissioner role within Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | the Human Rights Commission (the Commission). The Chief Commissioner has advocated for this role to be appointed since 2019. The Commission is currently undergoing a journey to become Tiriti-based. The establishment of an Indigenous Rights Commission is also recommended for exploration by the government, with a key function of advancing the NAPAR; developing and delivering a decolonisation and anti-racism strategy to assist the further Maranga Mai! identified many other pressing issues, and possible solutions, in documenting how Māori have experienced colonisation, racism and white supremacy in Aotearoa. These are summarised as secondary recommendations at the end of the relevant chapters and in Appendix One, as further steps that could be taken to address racism and the inequities and inequalities that Māori face. These include comprehensive actions to eliminate institutional racism in education, health and the criminal justice sectors; strengthening the Human Rights Act and human and Indigenous rights of Māori; developing a new Decolonisation and Anti-Racist Strategy and reviewing and reforming Māori land and rates for the benefit of Māori owners. Each of these steps are integral and necessary to eliminate racism in Aotearoa and all must be developed with tino rangatiratanga partners.