9 Human Rights Commission Kupu Whakataki | Foreword Ahi Kaa, the Indigenous Rights Group, within Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | the Human Rights Commission (the Commission) and the Tangata Whenua Caucus of the National Anti-Racism Taskforce (2021-2022), have worked together to develop Maranga Mai! This report is an historical and phenomenological1 analysis which shines a light on the impact of colonisation, racism and white supremacy on tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand. Pono invokes truth The report is intended to inform the Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the New Zealand government on these matters from a tangata whenua and Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti) perspective and to ensure that the work to address and eliminate racism in this country continues to be prioritised. Many governments have made efforts to reduce racism in Aotearoa, however, Maranga Mai! reveals that much more needs to be done. The first step in the process is for tangata whenua to tell the truth about the impact of racism on their whānau, hapū, iwi, ancestors, communities and lives. New Zealanders need to understand that colonisation, racism and white supremacy are intertwined phenomena that remain central to the ongoing displacement and erosion of tino rangatiratanga. The cumulative effects of this are evident in the intergenerational inequalities and inequities tangata whenua suffer across all aspects of their lives. These serious matters are the focus of this report. Both Maranga Mai! and the community engagement report, Ki te whaiao, ki te ao Mārama, will contribute towards the development of the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) for Aotearoa. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for developing the plan and has partnered with the National Iwi Chairs Forum - a collective of iwi leaders from Aotearoa – on its creation. This is a positive step by the government in recognising that racism exists and that tino rangatiratanga input is crucial in developing such a plan. We offer Maranga Mai! as a gift to ensure that the work to address racism in this country is undertaken in a spirit of pono, tika and aroha. 1. Phenomenology helps us understand the meaning of people's lived experience. A phenomenological study focuses on what people experienced during an event or occurrence. The elimination of racism is a strategic priority for the Commission, and it is the Commission’s responsibility to inform the government on actions it should take to achieve this. To eliminate racism throughout Aotearoa will require nothing less than constitutional transformation and we urge the government to commit to this much needed change. Maranga Mai! honours the tradition of previous seminal anti-racism reports such as Puao-TeAta-Tu (Department of Social Welfare, 1988) and He Whaipaanga Hou (Jackson, 1988) which have long identified the presence of institutional racism in society, 93 percent of Māori experience racism “on a daily basis” (Smith, Tinirau, RattrayTe Mana, Tawaroa, Moewaka Barnes, Cormack & Fitzgerald, 2021, p. 9). Despite efforts to address the problem, there is substantial and overwhelming evidence of continued systemic, structural and personal racism toward tangata whenua.