Report on Solidarity with Te Pūkotahitanga and Upholding Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

On 2 July 2025, Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki, Te Whakaruruhau Waikato Women’s Refuge, and The Basket Hauraki (Tangata Tiriti Rōpū) issued a joint press release expressing solidarity with Te Pūkotahitanga following the Crown’s unilateral decision to disband this important tangata whenua collective. This report highlights the implications of this event with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to peace, justice, strong institutions, and reduced inequalities.

Background and Context

What Happened

1. On 26 June 2025, Te Pūkotahitanga formally notified Minister Chhour of their decision to reclaim the gifted names Te Pūkotahitanga and Te Puna Aonui from all Crown use. These names are considered taonga (treasures) imbued with cultural purpose, tikanga (customs), and expectations.
2. The Crown’s failure to uphold its responsibilities led Te Pūkotahitanga to exercise their customary right to reclaim these names.
3. The following day, Minister Chhour announced the disbandment of Te Pūkotahitanga and the removal of these names from government use, without recognizing the tangata whenua’s reclamation or the tikanga-based rationale.

Significance to Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The collective’s work addresses family and sexual violence, directly contributing to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Upholding tangata whenua leadership ensures that indigenous voices are central to solutions, reducing inequalities faced by Māori communities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The breach of Te Tiriti obligations undermines trust and partnership, impacting justice and institutional integrity.

Upholding Te Tiriti Obligations and Cultural Integrity

Te Pūkotahitanga was established under Te Aorerekura as a critical mechanism to ensure Māori-led solutions, shared leadership, and cultural integrity in New Zealand’s national strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence. The Crown’s unilateral disbanding of this collective represents a serious breach of Te Tiriti-based partnership and Te Aorerekura commitments.

Key Points

• The reclaiming of gifted names by tangata whenua leaders is a tikanga-based response, not a political gesture.
• Decisions of this magnitude require partnership and cannot be imposed unilaterally.
• Maintaining Māori leadership mechanisms is essential to uphold cultural integrity and effective governance.

Supporting Māori-Led Solutions to Violence

Effective responses to family and sexual violence must incorporate cultural frameworks that acknowledge whakapapa (genealogy), whanaungatanga (relationships), and tikanga (customs). The collective rejects any notion that Māori names or tikanga-based leadership exclude others; rather, these frameworks ensure solutions reflect the lived realities of whānau most affected.

Community Experience and Expertise

• Many hapori (communities) carry intergenerational experiences of violence and healing.
• The lived experience of tangata whenua is essential expertise for addressing intergenerational trauma and violence.
• Removing Māori voices from national decision-making jeopardizes whānau safety and the achievement of Te Aorerekura’s vision.

Commitment and Call to Action

Our Resolve

The collectives across Hauraki and Waikato remain steadfast in supporting Māori-led approaches and advocate for the reinstatement of meaningful Māori leadership mechanisms in national governance. They commit to continuing culturally grounded practices to protect and heal whānau and call on the Crown to honour its Te Tiriti obligations.

Call for Accountability

1. Minister Chhour and the Government must acknowledge the essential role of Te Tiriti-based partnership in addressing family and sexual violence.
2. Reinstate meaningful mechanisms for tangata whenua leadership at the national level.
3. Recognize that effective solutions require the expertise and leadership of those most affected.

Conclusion

The solidarity expressed by Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki, Te Whakaruruhau Waikato Women’s Refuge, and The Basket Hauraki underscores the critical importance of upholding the Sustainable Development Goals through partnership, cultural integrity, and indigenous leadership. The collective commitment to protect the mana of mokopuna (future generations) aligns with the global agenda for peaceful, inclusive societies and reduced inequalities.

Signatories

• Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki
• Te Whakaruruhau Waikato Women’s Refuge
• The Basket Hauraki (Tangata Tiriti Rōpū)

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article focuses on eliminating family and sexual violence, which is a core aspect of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The emphasis on upholding Te Tiriti obligations, partnership, and meaningful Māori leadership relates to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice, and accountable institutions.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article highlights the importance of Māori-led solutions and cultural integrity, addressing inequalities faced by indigenous peoples.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
   • Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of ethnicity or indigenous status.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. For SDG 5.2
   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
   • Indicator 5.2.2: Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
2. For SDG 16.7
   • Indicator 16.7.2: Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive.
   • Implied measurement of inclusion of Māori leadership mechanisms in national governance as a measure of participatory decision-making.
3. For SDG 10.2
   • Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50% of median income, by ethnicity and indigenous status.
   • Implied indicators related to social inclusion and empowerment of indigenous peoples through culturally grounded practices and leadership roles.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: scoop.co.nz