He kupu whakataki
Introduction
The Commission seeks and is committed to
become a tauira (example) of a Tiriti-based
organisation and Indigenous and human rights
exemplar as a national human rights institution
(NHRI) and an independent Crown entity.
Working alongside and acknowledging the
mana and tino rangatiratanga of tangata
whenua will help to instil hope for iwi, hapū,
Māori communities, leaders, and other
public and private sector organisations and
communities. It will also further enable us as
we encourage government to fully implement
te Tiriti and take accountability for its Tiriti and
international indigenous rights obligations, as
part of our core role as an NHRI.
8 | Strategic Plan 2021-2025
This will in turn lead to the development and
greater advancement of tino rangatiratanga
alongside kāwanatanga in Aotearoa.
To be successful in this kaupapa requires
us to make a watershed shift away from our
colonial origins, to embrace a decolonised
and critically conscious orientation. The
process will require deliberate engagement
in manaaki and aroha as we undertake this
journey for which there is no fully charted
map. In essence, we are learning as we go.
Our Ahi Kaa team is supporting the
organisation with wayfinding wisdom and
tikanga tangata whenua as we deal with
the uncertainty. This is the legacy of our
great tipuna leaders, whose teachings have
demonstrated that it is through our actions
today that we create our tomorrow.