WelCom, September 2024
Carolyn Tait and Estelle Henrys
When in 2023 Ōtari Parish was surveyed by their Parish Justice, Peace and Development group, the community made it known it wanted to gain a deeper understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This led to a recent offering to take part in a two-part video and discussion programme called ‘Belonging in this Land: Treaty Basics from a Christian Perspective’.
The programme is produced and presented by Common Grace Aotearoa, a Christian movement seeking justice for the common good.
Over 30 people gathered on two wintery Sunday afternoons to take part. They included members of the parish community, the Christian Life Community and Te Ngākau Tapu. People introduced themselves and their family origins at the first session, and both sessions were ‘bookended’ with group prayer and waiata.
Some participants had had Treaty education opportunities through their work and other organisations, but the point of difference these sessions offered was the influence and relationships with Māori of the early Christian Missionaries, as well as a bicultural perspective on historical broken promises and social injustices.
The material presented varying degrees of challenges, but the video presenters framed the discussions in an open, interesting and respectful way.
This shared experience contributes to how we as Christians can go forward as Tangata Tiriti in hope. As Rev Jay Ruka (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Mutunga), Anglican Dean of Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary, said in the video, ‘The Church can do this by speaking the truth of history and by speaking it in love.’
The ‘Belonging in this Land’ programme is available from Common Grace Aotearoa for groups to use. There is a booklet to guide facilitation with questions for discussion. Visit treatyandbelonging.nz for more information.
Carolyn Tait and Estelle Henrys are members of Wellington’s Ōtari Parish JPD group.
