Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

BooksFebruary 4, 2025

A Te Tiriti reading (and watching and listening) guide

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Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

It’s the most important document in our country. It frames all of our pasts, presents and futures. But how many of us can say we understand the why, when, where and what of Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

Our Waitangi 2025 coverage is possible because of the over 13,000 Spinoff members who regularly pay to support our work. If you aren’t supporting our work as a member yet, now is the time.

In 2024 we published a version of this list just as Roimata Smail’s Understanding Te Tiriti handbook was published. Since then Smail’s book has been posted off to every secondary school in the country (thanks to an act of generosity from an anonymous benefactor), and more books, videos and art works have sprung up.

The following updated Te Tiriti info guide is designed to support well-informed conversation with a list of articles and books to sort the basics first, then provide deeper reading (and watching, listening and doing) after that. The (Level) notes show degree of information: Level 1 being most simple, Level 5 being more complex.

Online guides for the basics

Te Tiriti in one minute, Wai Ako (Roimata Smail)

Literally one minute. Extremely efficient place to begin. (Level 1)

Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Re: News

This short video is a super clear summary of Te Tiriti o Waitangi narrated by journalist Liam Rātana, with excellent infographics, and is the perfect place to start to get the historic foundations sorted. (Level 1)

What’s required from Tangata Tiriti by Tina Ngata

Tangata Tiriti means to be a person of the treaty. But how do we do that? Tina Ngata’s 10-point list is essential reading. Read it, share it, keep it in your bookmarks. (Level 1)

See also: this article (and podcast) in which two non-Māori share what being Tangata Tiriti means for them.

Te Tiriti of Waitangi, a summary by Claudia Orange

Dame Claudia Josepha Orange DNZM OBE CRSNZ is one of the foremost Pākehā historians on Te Tiriti. Her 1987 book The Treaty of Waitangi (adapted from her PhD thesis) is one of the seminal histories of Te Tiriti and has been published in multiple, revised editions (see below). This online resource, published on Aotearoa history website Te Ara, is a concise summary of key historical aspects of Te Tiriti and includes a reference list and footnotes. (Level 1)

See also: this video (approx. 40mins) of Claudio Orange and Dr Carwyn Jones talking about Orange’s work on Te Tiriti (produced by BWB).

The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – what are they?

The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi have been developed since 1987 as a way to interpret and apply Te Tiriti. Tommy de Silva wrote this explainer on the Principles for The Spinoff. This Wikipedia article is a good, quick overview. Then this Te Ara summary in six-parts takes you through how the principles have been developed by the courts, by laws, by the Waitangi Tribunal and by the Crown. (Level 1)

Interview with Dr Moana Jackson, National Library of New Zealand (video and transcript)

Dr Moana Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) was a trailblazing activist and renowned lawyer whose thinking has shaped and propelled progressive conversation in Aotearoa. In this interview he really gets to the heart of Te Tiriti. His answers are wise and insightful, for example: “… long before 1840 our people were treatying with each other, because that’s what independent bodies do. And in Ngāti Kahungunu, the phrase we use is mahi tūhono, and so treaties are seen as work that brings people together, and I think that’s a lovely description of what a treaty should be.” (Level 2)

Two older people, a man and a woman, hugging in a bookstore — Moana Jackson at Unity Wellington. (Photo: Unity Wellington via Facebook)

Treaty Resource Centre – He Puna Mātauranga o Te Tiriti

There’s a lot in here and to be honest this website can feel dense to navigate. A useful section though is this one on working as allies, which points to samples of a publication of interviews with people who are working for indigenous justice, and why and how they do it. (Levels 1 – 5)

About Te Tiriti o Waitangi, video guides in NZSL

This seven-part video series created by Treaty People (a Te Tiriti education service) is a guide to Te Tiriti, Māori Rights and Disability Rights, how to celebrate Te Tiriti, all in New Zealand Sign Language. (Level 1)

Short books for the basics

Understanding Te Tiriti – a handbook about Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Roimata Smail

Human rights lawyer and Te Tiriti educator Roimata Smail (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, England, Scotland, Ireland). At just 32 pages this nifty guide is designed to backfill common knowledge gaps. (Level 2)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi, by Ross Calman, Mark Derby and Toby Morris (with Peter Adds, Hōne Apanui, Ian Cormack, Hinerangi Himiona, Jen Margaret, Dame Claudia Orange, Jock Phillips, Kate Potter, and Piripi Walker)

This graphic novel style bilingual book is a genius way to immerse in Te Tiriti. Perfect to have at home and in the classroom, there is also a downloadable teaching resource to go with it, and a brilliant 20-minute audio overview of Te Tiriti: “it’s about all of us and this means we need to understand it.” (Level 2)

Introducing Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Jared Davidson and Claudia Orange

This slim book (from the BWB Texts series) is a condensed version of the much larger illustrated Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Treaty of Waitangi by Claudia Orange. In it you’ll find the facts of what happened at Waitangi, what was at stake and the circumstances surrounding the agreement. (Level 2)

Imagining Decolonisation, Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson, Rebecca Kiddle, Ocean Ripeka Mercier, Mike Ross, Jennie Smeaton, Amanda Thomas (a BWB Text)

This small but mighty book, published in 2022, has stayed on the bestsellers lists for literally years. It’s a genius collection of essays by generous thinkers who tackle what decolonisation actually is by first showing the effects of colonisation, and then by showing how that damage can be healed, why it should be, and how everyone’s lives could improve. (Level 3)

Seven people photographed together in a bookstore, happy — The authors of Imagining Decolonisation at the launch of the book at Unity Books Wellington. (Photo: Supplied)

Deeper dives

Becoming Tangata Tiriti: Working with Māori, Honouring the Treaty by Avril Bell

In this book 12 non-Māori voices who have engaged with te ao Māori and have attempted to bring te Tiriti to life in their work, talk about the process, the impacts. “In stories of missteps, hard-earned victories and journeys through the complexities of cross-cultural relationships, Becoming Tangata Tiriti is a book of lessons learned.” (Levels 3 – 4)

Colonising Myths, Māori Realities by Ani Mikaere

Published by HUIA, this ground-breaking collection of essays by leading legal scholar Ani Mikaere (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou) is, importantly, very readable. The book covers over two decades of Mikaere’s experiences of teaching Māori and Western Law and the struggle to create a genuinely bi-cultural law school (at University of Waikato). The book shows the effects of colonisation on Māori lives by looking at the justice system and how it was built to benefit Pākehā, and marginalise Māori. It’s an invigorating, inspiring, and generous book. (Level 4)

Ka Whawhai Tonu Mātou | Struggle Without End by Dr Ranginui Walker

This hugely influential book (first published in 1990 and revised in 2004) is a history of New Zealand from a Māori perspective. The Spinoff published this excerpt from the chapter called Tauiwi, which discusses the differences between the Māori and English versions of The Treaty / Te Tiriti. (Level 3)

Land of the Long White Cloud, video documentary series on RNZ
This watchable seven-part series is about Pākehā confronting inherited privilege. The final episode is particularly interesting: it covers theatre makers Jo Randerson and Tom Clarke, who created a show imagining if Cook came back and saw, and reflected on, the impact of the colonisation that he spearheaded. (Level 4)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Relationships: People, politics and law, edited by Metiria Stanton Turei, Nicola R. Wheen and Janine Hayward

“This is the third volume in a series discussing the complexities of te Tiriti o Waitangi issues. Together, this group of essays takes a dynamic approach to understanding Tiriti relationships, acknowledging the ever-evolving interplay between the Crown and Māori through time. This is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of te Tiriti’s role in shaping Aotearoa New Zealand’s social, political and cultural landscape.” (Levels 4 – 5)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Ross Calman

An expansive and illustrated history of Te Tiriti and its impact from early contact between Europeans and Māori, through to the signing of the treaty, and the revitalisation in the 20th Century, the founding of the Waitangi Tribunal, and present day debates. Comes complete with handy teacher resources, too. (Levels 2 – 5)

The Treaty of Waitangi: What Really Happened (pretty much), made-for-TV film

This 2011 documentary uses comedy and a bit of creative licence to dramatise the days leading up to the signing of Te Tiriti in 1840. It’s very watchable and fun for family viewing. Starring Jarod Rawiri as Hōne Heke, and co-written by Witi Ihimaera and Gavin Strawhan. (Level 3)

The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi by Ned Fletcher

OK, look, this book is bigger than the Beehive and could endanger anyone who fell asleep while reading it in bed, such is its physical weight. Fletcher’s research into the British motivations for writing Te Tiriti has added another dimension to scholarship and thankfully there are some excellent reviews out there that illuminate its core contributions: Morgan Godfery did a heroic job of analysing the book for The Spinoff, here, and Michael J. Stevens did a brilliant job on the Ngāi Tahi website, here. (Level 5)

See also: Ned Fletcher gives fascinating talk about the book in this National Library of New Zealand recorded Zoom video on YouTube, here (about an hour long).

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Te Tiriti, creatively

All that we know by Shilo Kino, a novel

An Ockham-longlisted novel that, in part, explores the ongoing impacts of Colonisation. The main character, Māreikura, feels disconnected to her whakapapa and grapples with her own accidental activism as she’s navigating the reclamation of her language. A brilliant, nuanced story that offers a perspective on what it Aotearoa feels like from the perspective of a young Māori woman today. Read Tash Lampard’s close reading of Kino’s novel on The Spinoff, here.

A poem for Waitangi Day by Te Kahu Rolleston

Performance artist Te Kahu Rolleston’s 2015 poem speaks to ongoing inequalities that show that Te Tiriti is not being upheld. “Can we at least be courteous and decent as Treaty partners?”

Cook Thinks Again by Barbarian Productions, an audio experience

You can download this walking-tour show that beautifully works with comedy to make us life while also making us think about what colonisation means, and is today. Here’s the show blurb: “Based on Barbarian’s award-winning live walking tour experience, this site-specific, historically accurate and contemporarily contextualised tour has Cook ‘thinking again’ about his contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. A fun and accessible opportunity for tourists and locals alike to reflect on the effect and legacy of colonisation.”

Poorhara by Michelle Rahurahu, a novel

Rahurahu’s debut novel (also longlisted for the Ockhams) explores intergenerational trauma, in both land and people, through the lives of cousins Erin and Star who road trip across the North Island searching for connection. Read a review of Poorhara on The Spinoff, here.

Toi te Mana: A Indigenous History of Māori Art, edited by Deidre Brown & Ngarino Ellis & Jonathan Mane-wheoki

A mammoth celebration and scholarly examination of Māori art from the time of the tūpuna to the present day. It is a stunning achievement and while not explicitly about Te Tiriti it is a book that leads the reader into te ao Māori over 500 pages and 600 images of art. Read an article on the making of the book by Brown and Ellis, right here on The Spinoff.

Turncoat by Tīhema Baker, a novel

This satirical sci-fi novel published by Lawrence & Gibson in 2023 was, and is, a huge hit: it’s funny, it’s inventive, and it’s based on Baker’s (Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) own experiences of working in the Public Service. This article on e-Tangata tells you why he wrote it, and this review on The Spinoff gives you a glimpse into what it’s about. If you’re in Wellington on 25 February you can go to this event and listen to Tīhema talk about this book, and the experiences behind it, at the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts.

Our Watch Now by Witi Ihimaera, a poem

This poem is one of a few offered to teachers as part of learning materials made by National Library of New Zealand for He Tohu. Witi Ihimaera shows, through a series of imaginings, what Aotearoa might be like if Te Tiriti was honoured. Beautiful, stirring, and includes this banger: “Māori Earth … not / Middle Earth”.

See also: more excellent resources online here.

Te Tiriti training

This is a (non-exhaustive) list of organisations that provide Te Tiriti training in-person and online:

Aotearoa-wide, (educators can travel) / online options:

Introduction to te Tiriti o Waitangi the Treaty of Waitangi workshops, Treaty Training

Self-paced Te Tiriti workshops, as well as in-person for individuals or groups, and tailored solutions, Groundwork

Our Tangata Tiriti, Treaty People workshops, Treaty People

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – a Visual History (for non-Māori), Ako Aotearoa

Ōtepoti / Dunedin

Introduction to Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop, Otago Polytechnic

Ōtautahi / Christchurch, Timaru, Hakatere/ Ashburton (or online)

Introduction to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Ara Institute

The books mentioned in this list can be ordered directly from the links provided, or ordered from Unity Books Wellington and Auckland.

Keep going!

BooksFebruary 1, 2025

A Portrait of My Mother: an excerpt from Bad Archive by Flora Feltham

The Spinoff Review of Books

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An essay from Flora Feltham’s debut collection – The Spinoff readers’ favourite nonfiction book of 2024, now longlisted in the General Nonfiction category at this year’s Ockham NZ Book Awards.

Ah, I think, so this is autumn: the season when spiders come inside. Outside, a cold weeknight drapes itself over the suburbs, and in other people’s houses I assume time is passing as it should, with gym clothes and leftovers and scrolling. But the spider and I stand still, together outside time. She’d emerged into my peripheral vision as I stepped from the shower, and scurried into the space where my husband removed the bathtub. I peer into the corner from a safe distance and wrap the towel tighter around me. Water begins to pool on the floor at my feet. I eyeball the spider. The spider doesn’t move. Evening continues.

When my mother still rescued me from spiders, she could scoop them up with her bare hands. I remember those bitten nails and her freckled forearms. Don’t worry, she’d say to me, laying her hand on the floor or in the empty tub, they’re more scared of you than you are of them, and then, to the spider, who by now would be stepping gingerly onto her palm, Come on, that’s it. She’d smile back at me. Can you open the window for me please, doll? And I would fling the window open and retreat. My mother would lean out and place the spider onto a plant. There you are.

Tonight her voice still wafts through my brain, like a draught that whispers It’s more scared of you, and for a little moment I can see myself as the spider might. I am large, I am clumsy. I have so few legs. My mother’s voice will always arrive in my mind, usually a quick second after my own, because she was the kind of mother who talked to her children constantly, quietly narrating the world to me, and shaping it like someone kneading dough. She seldom talked down to us.

Bad Archive is the debut essay collection by Flora Feltham, published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

Like, her rule was: if you want to play sport, honey, you’ll need to ask your father to drive you. Saturday mornings were for dozing in bed or drinking bottomless cups of milky tea and reading. She read dense, philosophical novels by Iris Murdoch and Elias Canetti. There, her thoughts could splash in a pool that lay out of reach on regular days, while she taught small children how to wash their hands and played nursery rhymes on the piano.

You see, when she met my father, my mother was tiny and boyish and cute, an Ethics 101 tutor in Dunedin, all high-waisted corduroys and a shaggy haircut. She wielded her mind like a paring knife. Principled and exact. She used phrases like ‘subordinate clause’ and ‘sufficient conditions’ with ease. Eventually, she was dragged kicking and screaming (her words) to Wellington. After she got pregnant with my older brother, her PhD withered and fell away.

Not a rule but a request, spoken gently, crouched down at child height, as she buttoned up my padded jacket against the wind: “Could you call me Vicky, please?” She explained, standing right there on the path, that ‘mum’ was a word people whined, a word screeched through the house into the kitchen. It was a word that engulfed women. I nodded solemnly. Also, I liked using her name and said it before all my questions, certain my mother had all the answers. Vicky, could I please have a biscuit? Vicky, what’s that tree?

Once, on the way to swimming, I asked her, “Vicky, what were you like when you were young?”

She didn’t take her eyes off the road. “I don’t think I was half as sweet as you, my beloved. I had to leave David Washburn’s 21st because I threw all the empty champagne glasses into the fireplace.”

Quiet beside her in the car and now lost for words, I couldn’t imagine this version of her. I still can’t. My five-foot-nothing mother, who’s always trying to convince people to come aqua-jogging and who sends me photos of her cherry blossom tree. She rings her best friend’s mum twice a week, to pass on news and hear what happened on Shortland Street. My mother’s friend has been sick for months and can’t face explaining – yet again – to his mum that he needs radiotherapy. But someone needs to remind Elaine when she forgets, to gently clarify what’s going on.

Every day after her four kids went to school my mother disappeared into her writing room and wrote short stories. She emerged each afternoon, back into the clamour of family life, to tie herself to the kitchen and cook. Someone always whined Viiiicky I’m hungry, when’s dinner? And, somehow, still, every single evening after the dishes and baths and bedtime negotiations were done, she found time to read me books. One year we read all the Narnia stories in a row — except The Last Battle. She had her reasons. Sitting on my bed she said, “Love, pay no mind to that story. Can you see how it’s not ethical? C. S. Lewis kills off Susan for liking boys and wearing lipstick.”

Once, driving me to a high-school dance, she said, “Flordor, I don’t care who you like or how much, but make sure you wait until university to have sex. Your clitoris will have a much better time.” I blushed from the passenger seat. I also remember her using a different word, one that also begins with a c. She isn’t even sure this conversation ever happened. She might be right, but I still like to think of my mother as the kind of woman who can say ‘cunt’ with tenderness and care.

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One winter morning, I rang my mother from my university hostel in Dunedin, homesick after only a few months living in her hometown, dumbfounded by first-year epistemology.

“I can’t do it,” I sobbed. “I just can’t. I don’t understand anything. Vicky, what does ‘synthetic a priori’ even mean?” I was crouched on the floor of the phone cubby, and the other kids in the common room could probably hear me wailing. “I hate Kant, and I’m so uncool here, I don’t have any friends.”

“Slow down,” my mother said. “Start at the beginning. What’s this about Kant?” She sipped her milky tea. “He’s talking about different kinds of truth, my angel, and the way you acquire them. He’s asking, is it reason or experience?”

I slumped back against the wall and relaxed, saved once again. Maybe I didn’t hate Kant. These philosophers, they’re lucky we have mothers.

It somehow came up years later, too, when I was an adult with a bathroom and weeknights and dishes of my own, that my mother had always been scared of spiders. It took all her willpower to touch them and drop them outside.

I gawked at her. “But you never said anything.”

She shrugged. “You were scared, and someone had to do it.”

The water keeps pooling and my big autumn spider heads for the door, running in the way that only something with eight legs can. I lunge into her path and trap her under the empty toothbrush glass.

“Oof, sorry,” I say, “I’ll get you out of here in a minute.”

I’m less gracious than my mother, as I address this creature I’m about to bundle outside. I leave the spider there for a minute and ferret out a piece of paper. I also need to put some clothes on because the April evening is getting cold and I haven’t lit the fire yet. I decide to place the spider by the vine near the front door, something sturdy enough to hold her weight.

As I usher her out into the night, I think, Ah, so this is what it means to mother myself.

Bad Archive by Flora Feltham (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35) is available from Unity Books.