The Church and Te Tiriti/The Treaty
Why the Church has a responsibility to speak up
An addition: Having listened to comments on this article I want to acknowledge that I walk a fine line here as a minister. I do not feel that silence on this is appropriate for me, but because this is a political issue, finding an appropriate way to talk is complicated. I do not wish to unduly influence anyone in a manner that causes them to violate their conscience when it comes to how we engage on specific political matters. Indeed, in our democracy you have the right and ability to form your own opinion on any matter where we are called on to exercise our political freedom, and to act accordingly, on any particular political issue. I have an opinion on the current sparks causing debate in our nation, but you do not have to share those opinions. My bigger hope in this article is that we Christians would recognise the intertwining of our faith with the formation of Te Tiriti/The Treaty, and the duty of care that creates, particularly for the Christian denominations that were integral to the signing of the agreement. It is not a matter of salvation, but I do see a responsibility here. That should lead us to get to know the history and the issues to the best of our ability and then to act, or not, in whatever manner our conscience calls us to. What follows is my personal opinion. You are welcome to see this differently.
Dear reader,
If anyone’s first reaction to my heading and subheading on this article is to start shouting about the separation of Church and state and that I, as a minister, should therefore be quiet, I’m afraid I have to state that such an idea (which I largely endorse) has absolutely no relevance when it comes to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and The Treaty of Waitangi.
To understand why does not need much explanation. Without the Church, there would have been no Treaty.
It was Christians who insisted on it being formed. They were fueled by seeing what the likes of The New Zealand Company were up to and the problems those activities were causing for Māori.
It was a missionary (Henry Williams) that translated it. It was missionaries and Māori Christians who took it around the country to be signed by chiefs, and it was shared Christian belief that caused many Māori to trust it enough to sign it. And, like it or not, there’s much Christian belief underpinning it.
There were three main parties involved in the signing of Te Tiriti; the two ‘signatories’ (the Crown and Māori) and the Church. To use a metaphor that has been used before, the Church was the midwife to the birth of Te Tiriti. One could also describe the Church as the bridge between the two parties.
Thus, like it or not, the Treaty is a legal, political, cultural, AND theological document. To understand its intent one must consider the faith of many who signed it - that faith was clear in the many speeches that accompanied its signing.
In the formation of the Treaty there was no separation of Church and state, thus the Church in Aotearoa New Zealand has a responsibility to Te Tiriti and the upholding of it.
It was a vacation of that responsibility that helped contribute to things going wrong in this nation.
To cut a long story short, many early missionaries and ministers lamented and challenged the government when the Treaty began to be broken, but as time progressed and more settlers entered the country along with ministers who came with them, the chief concern of churches shifted to the service of the settler populations. That dereliction of duty towards Māori and Te Tiriti allowed deep wounds to be formed that we still feel across our land today, including in the relationship between many Māori and the Church.
Because of the part the Church played, its responsibility is to call on the parties of the Treaty to honour it, and when it is being broken or abused, to challenge whoever is putting it at risk. Sadly therefore, it’s the government the Church continually must challenge on this whether particular politicians agree or not.
Those politicians would do well to remember that it was missionaries and ministers that helped bring the Treaty about, and that it was the Christian faith that enabled the trust that brought many Māori to the table to sign it.
In this moment we find ourselves in, the intent, meaning, and purpose of Te Tiriti should not be up for decision making by the general population. The treaty has signatories - partners in the covenant. It is up to them together to determine that intent, meaning, and purpose. The current principles of the treaty that guide our laws have been defined within that relationship.
To argue that the general population should be able to determine these things because a group in one side of the partnership thinks we should do so without consulting the other partner is like trying to argue that every man and his dog should be able to determine for my wife and I, what the vows on our marriage day meant.
Over the coming months we risk the heat around this increasing, and the division in our nation driving deeper. The Church must speak with wisdom and with a view towards the good of the partners to Te Tiriti. The Treaty must be honoured.
See below for further reading on this issue. If you’ve got other books/articles/resources you would recommend, please mention them in a comment.
Please pray for our nation.
Aroha nui,
Frank
Recommended Books
Bible and Treaty by Keith Newman
Huia Come Home by Jay Ruka
He Tatau Pounamu by Alistair Reese
The Treaty of Waitangi by Claudia Orange
The Great War for New Zealand by Vincent O’Malley
For churches and Christian small groups to do together