7 Human Rights Commission Part One: Te Ūpoko Tuatahi He Kōrero | Message From The Chief Human Rights Commissioner A few months ago, I was talking with a senior elected official, and they said, “Paul, try not to use the word ‘racism’, it really doesn’t help”. I don’t speak for the government, but I know it doesn’t share that view. The government is committed to agreeing a National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) and has asked Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | the Human Rights Commission (the Commission) to contribute to this government-led initiative by gathering views from communities. These community perspectives are set out in the community engagement report for developing the NAPAR, Ki te whaiao, ki te ao Mārama. Maranga Mai! on the other hand is written by tangata whenua, within the framework of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and should be read alongside Ki te whaiao, ki te ao Mārama. Maranga Mai! is one of the most unsettling reports I have read for a very long time. The Commission invited a group of eminent tangata whenua scholars and leaders to discuss and write about the racism experienced by tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand over many years. Inevitably, consideration of racism led to the issues of colonisation and white supremacy. Maranga Mai! is a ‘phenomenological’ report meaning it focuses on the experience of racism, colonisation and white supremacy by tangata whenua. Through this research and narrative, tangata whenua speak. The Commission is honoured to publish their research, analysis, stories and views. Maranga Mai! provides a crucially important perspective on extremely challenging issues which will define Aotearoa for years to come. The report compels us to acknowledge the racism and white supremacy that was woven into the fabric of the British colony as immigrants settled in these islands. There is only one authentic way of confronting this element in our collective history: tell the truth, listen with an open heart, look for fair and peaceful reconciliation, imagine a future of partnership and promise, and commit to action and justice. This report contributes to the first step: truth-telling. Many countries have troubled pasts and some, like Canada and South Africa, have established a process to help them heal and chart a way forward. Maranga Mai! takes a leaf out of their book and recommends that, for a three-year period, a Truth, Reconciliation