During the 2023 working retreat of the SASS group, it was raised that the rōpū should upskill its collective understanding of Te Tiriti, significantly how it impacts ethnic minority communities. Finding a place for minority groups in Te Tiriti is essential to carrying forward the SASS mahi.

In January, we discussed Māori life before the arrival of European settlers, and this week, we met to take the next step in our Te Tiriti journey. During this session, we discussed the period from 1769 to 1840, when Te Tiriti was signed. We also covered the Doctrine of Discovery laid out in a Papal Bull.

We are grateful for the facilitation and patience of Bianca Johanson and Matariki Carr, who ran the session for the group.

The best part of the discussion was putting all these events into a broader historical context, including women’s histories (particularly the witch hunts in Europe), the Industrial Revolution, the removal of commons and the rise of capitalism, other colonisation efforts, and even the Crusades. We discussed how these events fed into what happened here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and how events here impacted colonial efforts in other countries.

The topics covered in this hui were challenging, nourishing, and vital to our group’s growth.

The next step for the group is to initiate their 5-part ‘lunchtime learning’ webinar series. This series will cover the five pathways from their 2023 paper ‘Voices from the Frontlines’, bringing guests to kōrero about the importance of these pathways and how they can be integrated into systems change culture.

Thanks to Weave, Clare Foundation, Len Reynolds Trust, J R McKenzie and Todd Foundation for their support in the upwards and outward development of the SASS group.