Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi engari he toa takimano

My strength is not that of an individual but that of the collective

Today, representatives of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (the Māori Law Soicety) and Kiwibank signed an agreement that will support both organisations to deliver better outcomes for Māori and in turn all communities across Aotearoa.

Both organisations are committed to encouraging whānau, hapū, and iwi initiatives, responding to and engaging with Te Ao Māori. The agreement signed between Te Hunga and Kiwibank will strenghten this work across the legal and finance industries.

The agreement envisages that the two organisations will share skills, expertise and ideas in order to deliver on our respective strategies and joint aspirations. This will include regular meetings between the Head of Māori Advisory from Kiwibank and the Tumuaki of Te Hunga Rōia. The agreement also includes sponsorship from Kiwibank which will assist Te Hunga Rōia to deliver its annual conference and achieve the society’s other objectives, including responding to the legal needs of Te Ao Māori.

Kiwibank Head of Māori Advisory, Teaho Pihama sees real value for Kiwibank in the agreement: “The Māori Law Society is a thought leader in the relationship between Te Ao Māori, the law, and corporate Aotearoa. This relationship will help to ensure that Kiwibank is taking a proactive approach to keeping up to date on what’s important in the legal system and to Māori.”

Jamie-Lee Tuuta, Tumuaki Wahine of Te Hunga Rōia, sees the partnership as an important way to work with an organisation with shared values. “We can see that Kiwibank are taking steps to demonstrate a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori. We are very pleased to partner with Kiwibank to support the vision of Te Hunga Rōia: Mā te ture, mō te iwi – By the law, for the people.”

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