The Green Party welcomes the next steps towards implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (UNDRIP) in Aotearoa, and calls on the Government to get on with the mahi of upholding Tangata Whenua rights.
“Implementing UNDRIP has been a long time coming, especially as Aotearoa was one of the last countries to support it,
even though Māori helped write it, so let’s just get on with the mahi and do what Māori have consistently said for
decades,” says Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, spokesperson for Māori Development.
“Thousands were involved in the consultations for Matike Mai; these voices form the foundations of the whare that we
need to build together here in Aotearoa.
“These practical steps to uphold Tangata Whenua rights through the implementation of UNDRIP are important, and the
feedback clearly shows this requires a restoration of tino rangatiratanga. This should form the basis of our journey
towards constitutional transformation.
“Iwi and hapū have been shut out of decision making for too long, and this has prevented us all from realising the
benefits that come from honouring mātauranga Māori,” says Dr Elizabeth Kerekere.
Jan Logie, spokesperson for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says: “Embracing tino rangatiratanga and indigenous rights brings
positive benefits to all who live in Aotearoa. The Crown has a legal and moral obligation to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi
and that also provides a model of Government that moves away from the failed one-size-fits-all way of doing things.
“We have the opportunity to build solidarity through the health of our communities and ecosystems, and to meet the needs
of everyone in Aotearoa through co-governance with tangata whenua and honouring Te Tiriti.”