In April this year Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa and Kiwibank signed an agreement to support both organisations to deliver better outcomes for Māori and in turn all communities across Aotearoa. The two organisations will share skills, expertise and ideas in order to deliver on their respective strategies.
Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi engari he toa takimano
My strength is not that of an individual but that of the collective
In April this year Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa and Kiwibank signed an agreement to 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; as well as responding to, and engaging with Te Ao Māori. The agreement signed between Te Hunga and Kiwibank will strenghten work across the legal and finance industries.
The agreement envisages that the two organisations share skills, expertise and ideas in order to deliver on their respective strategies and joint aspirations. It has also seen Kiwibank provide sponsorship to assist Te Hunga Rōia to deliver its annual conference Te Hui-a-tau where.
At the recent conference Kiwibank Head of Māori Advisory, Teahooterangi Pihama, and Chief Legal Officer, Mike Hendriksen, shared examples of how decisions in the banking industry have impacted Māori access to capital and how this has compounded over time much like the concept of “interest”.
The wero layed down was to continue addressing the large kaupapa but remembering the small kaupapa also has an impact.
The banking industry led by Te Pūtea Matua – The Researve Bank of New Zealand and Treasury are undertaking a review into Māori access to capital with a focus on bank lending to Māori small and medium-sized enterprises. Te Hunga Rōia Māori is going to play a critical role in supporting Kiwibank as the bank works to understand the wider picture including policy and legislative impacts.
The tautoko being provided by Kiwibank is also supporting 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 is 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.”