Being a Treaty ally in 2025

What role do allies play supporting te Tiriti o Waitangi? The November hīkoi brought allyship to the fore, with thousands of people marching in support of te Tiriti. In this blog, we look at how we got here and what the future might mean for allies of te Tiriti.

Tiriti allyship in 2025

In 2025, Tiriti allyship is going to be a hot topic, and the signs are promising. The events of 2024 indicate that support for te Tiriti o Waitangi has gone mainstream. In part, this is the fruition of the work of Tiriti educators who have delivered thousands of workshops on te Tiriti over the last 30–40 years. Many people, from all walks of life, are now aware of and on board with the kaupapa and are keen to assist.

Non-Māori joined the November hīkoi in huge numbers. Māori and tangata tiriti marched together up and down the motu, making history and breaking records. It felt unprecedented. On social media, people expressed delight and joy in joining such a positive, yet serious, kaupapa – kia toitū te tiriti. It felt like a threshold was being passed, and te Tiriti is at the centre of many people’s vision for Aotearoa. This means a commitment to te reo Māori, to Tiriti justice, and to Tiriti-centred solutions to how we organise our institutions.

Another encouraging sign is the level of support being shown at local council level. Māori wards are still a novelty for many councils, as they have been in place for just one term. Councillors in towns and cities with Māori wards are seeing the benefit of having tangata whenua and Māori reps at the table. Having Māori ward councillors is a win win – it increases diversity at the council table and brings kōrero straight from Māori communities to council in a way that hasn’t been previously possible.

In this respect, Aotearoa is leading the world, by formally including indigenous Tiriti partners in our councils. While not necessarily planned, the wards have raised awareness about te Tiriti and the value of having Māori perspectives brought to council conversations.

If we cast our minds back to 1981, the Springbok Tour was an epic event that triggered a conversation about racism in Aotearoa. This was prompted by our focus on racism in South Africa. Forty-odd years later, te Tiriti and allyship are now embedded in our culture as an important part of our lives as citizens of Aotearoa. Wherever you are and whatever your mahi, let’s keep building the momentum.

Why not enrol in our online module – Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Being an Ally! See details coming this week on our Facebook page.

Listen to Fiona Summerfield and Suzi Gould discuss allyship in this podcast: Being an ally.