Community Engagement Report for developing a National Action Plan Against Racism Constitutional transformation Ethnic Tangata Tiriti participants spoke about “how we have come to live in a white society” and saw living in a colonised country founded on white supremacy “in turn meant Asians get hated.” Others shared their own experiences of colonisation in their home countries, with one commenting that this common experience meant “they were deeply moved by the ongoing impact of colonisation on Māori rights, customs and aspirations.” Another observed that current inequities were not accidental, urging us to “recognise that the system we are working in is operating the way it was intended.” Participants, including Pākehā, saw that the foundational injustice of colonisation benefited Pākehā as a group. It ensured Pākehā norms and values defined ‘the mainstream’ and structured government institutions. One participant commented: I have travelled extensively and have often lamented to myself when returning to Aotearoa our lack of diversity and cultures over the years … it just seems so white everywhere I look … with all the attitudes, bias, privilege and entitled Pākehā. Participants identified the need for that to change and identified multiple ways for that to happen, including via education and strengthening relationships. Supporting the pillar of education below, Tangata Tiriti emphasised that greater education about te Tiriti was important, particularly for migrant communities. This was seen as important for understanding their place and role within Aotearoa. One participant commented: lots of this rests on education that centres on understanding te Tiriti for ourselves within ethnic communities and understanding our place and what it means for us. Part of this is that we need to understand our own migration stories and the history of Aotearoa. New Zealand Human Rights Commission An important way to build knowledge and understanding was to foster connections and relationships between Māori communities and migrant communities. Participants noted the commonalities they shared with Māori, with one saying: research shows that Māori and New Zealanders of Asian heritage share many similar values and outlooks and there is great potential to empower these communities to collaborate and share skills and knowledge. Another thought that this could be formalised as a feature of the Plan itself, which should include mechanisms for dialogue between communities. They saw great value in sharing their “experiences as minorities from an Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspective”. Participants felt there were mutual benefits for greater understanding of the effects of colonisation of Māori and on ethnic Tangata Tiriti, with one saying “if it’s good for Māori, it would be good for us.” They also recognised the position of Tangata Whenua was distinct from that of ethnic Tangata Tiriti and meant there were different obligations on government. One participant called for “holding all government agencies to account for equitable outcomes for Māori as a treaty partner, not as an ethnic community”. Participants identified that existing institutional and constitutional arrangements enable an unjust, white supremacist society to continue. This meant that decolonisation was needed, with one participant commenting that we need to “respectfully acknowledge mana whenua on our land, [and] give equal value to mātauranga Māori in our laws, systems of government [and] media”. This work must be done in partnership: “together we decolonise”. 57