Tūrangawaewae is a National Iwi Chairs process for having conversations about belonging. IACT has been using it to sit alongside other conversations we have run on belonging and inclusion. The tūrangawaewae conversations include online and face-to- face hui with Pākehā and Tauiwi of Colour.

Within the IACT team, we used the tūrangawaewae sessions to shape our team building activities, and to help us get to know those who joined our new and growing collaborations.The Tūrangawaewae conversations showed us that those who took part can grow a deeper sense of belonging and connection in Aotearoa New Zealand. They are also a way of improving people’s understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the responsibilities we hold as a society to honour Te Tiriti.

A snippet from the document, taken from a participant’s account of what Tūrangawaewae means to them.

The kōrero we gathered from the conversations highlights the way that cultural background and experiences shape the way Pākehā and other Tauiwi define belonging and their place in Aotearoa New Zealand. This then affects how they relate to Tangata Whenua. This document is a summary of what we learnt, and includes some case studies from the conversations.

You can view the document in full by clicking on this link.