Our Tangata Tiriti - Treaty People workshops

Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People has grown into a popular programme for

  • newcomers to the country seeking orientation and jobs
  • non-government agencies needing training for their multicultural staff
  • government agencies wanting refresher training for experienced staff.

Choose a workshop to suit your group:

Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People workshops for groups and organisations are typically held over a full day (often 9.00 am – 4.30 pm) and cover the history leading to the signing of the Treaty, what the Treaty says, colonisation and its implications today.

The training uses a visual and interactive adult education approach in plain English. You can also preview our activities here.

The content for each workshop is tailored to meet the needs of participants and of the host organisation. Workshops tend to fall into one of the four categories below.

1. Our standard Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People workshop

Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People workshops are for people living in New Zealand

Why do participants choose to attend the Tangata Tiriti workshops?

  • To understand the history of how New Zealand society developed
  • To understand the position of Māori people in New Zealand society today
  • To understand your own position in New Zealand society today
  • To understand the Treaty of Waitangi as a founding document for New Zealand society today
  • To understand the relationship between Māori and other groups living in New Zealand today

Standard Tangata Tiriti workshops cover:

  • The Māori-European relationships leading to the signing of the Treaty
  • Māori aspirations for the relationship with new settlers as shown in the Declaration of Independence
  • What Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi says
  • A comparison with the English version
  • A history of colonisation in this country and its impacts
  • The relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi to all peoples in Aotearoa today, and
  • (For job-seekers) how to respond to questions about the Treaty of Waitangi in job interviews

See upcoming workshops.

2. Workshops for organisations

Tangata Tiriti workshops for organisations are for staff of service providers, councils and other agencies or community groups.

Why do organisations choose to host a Tangata Tiriti workshop for their staff or membership?

  • To fulfil aims in an organisation’s charter, for instance ‘to follow the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi’ or ‘to provide services to Māori people in keeping with the Treaty of Waitangi’.
  • To develop the cultural competence of staff in working with all groups in New Zealand society
  • To prepare staff for engaging with whanau, hapu and iwi
  • To update staff on issues in New Zealand today, and their historical background
  • To build relationships among Māori and non-Māori staff
  • To update staff on new interpretations and aspirations for the Māori-settler relationship in New Zealand in the past, present and future

In addition to standard content, workshops for specific groups or organisations may cover

  • How the Treaty of Waitangi is applied in a particular sector or workplace
  • Understanding the Treaty of Waitangi as a basis for engaging with whānau, hapū and iwi

Enquire about a workshop for your organisation.

3. Demonstration workshops

A demonstration Tangata Tiriti workshop is for educators, trainers and facilitators.

Why do educators, trainers and facilitators attend demonstration Tangata Tiriti workshops?

  • As professional development for their teaching of the Treaty in schools, tertiary institutions, PTEs, museums etc.
  • To refresh their teaching methods with innovative, interactive activities that explicitly include all peoples and cultures of New Zealand
  • To update on teaching the Māori text of the treaty in the context of the Declaration of Independence
  • To practice teaching the history of colonisation in a non-confrontational way that acknowledges the emotional impact of learning about this period in history

Demonstration workshops allow people to experience the activities as participants and to reflect on how to implement the training within their own roles as educators.

Book a demonstration workshop for your organisation

4. Our facilitator training programme

The Tangata Tiriti facilitator training programme is for schools and other organisations who want to deliver Tangata Tiriti activities and workshops in their own settings.

Why do organisations book a facilitator training programme?

  • To learn how to use the Tangata Tiriti workbook activities with their students, staff or members
  • To learn skills for facilitating groups to learn about the Treaty in a clear, respectful and interactive way

Our facilitator training programme is delivered over two or three sessions and covers:

  • Familiarisation with the Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People workshop activities through participation in our full-day Tirit workshop programme.
  • Skills for facilitating groups, using an interactive adult education approach
  • An understanding of the history of the Treaty and of colonisation

We are also run facilitator training programmes for speakers of languages other than English. Read more about the Te Tiriti in Our Language programme here. To enquire about becoming a facilitator for this programme, email us on treatypeople@gmail.com

For individuals interested in facilitator training, you will need to attend our full-day workshop in the first instance. Workshops are publicised on our website and Facebook page, or click here to sign up to receive a notification via email.