E-Tangata
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An online magazine committed to independent Māori and Pacific journalism that challenges and cultivates understanding. Subscribe and donate here: https://e-tangata.co.nz/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=subscribe
“I had naïvely assumed that as we marched towards social freedom and equity for all, the benefits of these social changes would be self-explanatory, and conservative resistance would dissipate and eventually disappear, like a kind of natural evolutionary extinction.” — Anton Blank.
From the periphery into the centre | E-Tangata
“I had naïvely assumed that as we marched towards social freedom and equity for all, the benefits of these social changes would be self-explanatory, and conservative resistance would dissipate and eve...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 8, 2025 at 8:41 PM
“I had naïvely assumed that as we marched towards social freedom and equity for all, the benefits of these social changes would be self-explanatory, and conservative resistance would dissipate and eventually disappear, like a kind of natural evolutionary extinction.” — Anton Blank.
“As November 5, the anniversary of the invasion of Parihaka, reminds us, non-violent peaceful protest is rooted deep within this nation’s whakapapa.” — Alistair Reese.
Our legacy of peace | E-Tangata
“As November 5, the anniversary of the invasion of Parihaka, reminds us, non-violent peaceful protest is rooted deep within this nation’s whakapapa.” — Alistair Reese.
e-tangata.co.nz
November 8, 2025 at 8:41 PM
“As November 5, the anniversary of the invasion of Parihaka, reminds us, non-violent peaceful protest is rooted deep within this nation’s whakapapa.” — Alistair Reese.
“What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.” — Catherine Delahunty.
Towards He Whakaputanga | E-Tangata
“What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.” — Catherine Delahunt...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 8, 2025 at 8:40 PM
“What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.” — Catherine Delahunty.
“The proposal effectively deprioritises Te Tiriti so that it sits as a supporting objective. We believe, and have advised, that this will not have the desired effect.” — Rahui Papa.
Rahui Papa: What needs to change in schools isn’t the law | E-Tangata
“The proposal effectively deprioritises Te Tiriti so that it sits as a supporting objective. We believe, and have advised, that this will not have the desired effect.” — Rahui Papa.
e-tangata.co.nz
November 8, 2025 at 8:40 PM
“The proposal effectively deprioritises Te Tiriti so that it sits as a supporting objective. We believe, and have advised, that this will not have the desired effect.” — Rahui Papa.
“Not caring anymore doesn’t mean the problem is no longer there. Especially in the Pacific, where climate change isn’t a distant threat but a present-day catastrophe already uprooting communities, unravelling the fine tapestry of culture, and upending entire ways of life.” — Jamie Tahana.
Giving up isn't an option for the Pacific | E-Tangata
“Not caring anymore doesn’t mean the problem is no longer there. Especially in the Pacific, where climate change isn’t a distant threat but a present-day catastrophe already uprooting communities, unr...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 8, 2025 at 8:39 PM
“Not caring anymore doesn’t mean the problem is no longer there. Especially in the Pacific, where climate change isn’t a distant threat but a present-day catastrophe already uprooting communities, unravelling the fine tapestry of culture, and upending entire ways of life.” — Jamie Tahana.
“As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and other tā moko.” — Brisbane-based lawyer Bridget Burton.
On the face of it, discriminating against tā moko is illegal | E-Tangata
“As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and othe...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 1, 2025 at 10:32 PM
“As Māori cultural practices continue to thrive here in Australia, it’s important to know that even here, dress codes regulating tattoos should yield to the right of Māori to wear moko kanohi and other tā moko.” — Brisbane-based lawyer Bridget Burton.
“Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on healing.
My season of renewal | E-Tangata
“Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on heal...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 1, 2025 at 10:31 PM
“Like many of us, I learned to numb my sensitivity through alcohol and distraction. For years, I spoke about mauri as a concept, yet I had never truly felt its flow within me.” — Kingi Snelgar on healing.
“The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture.” — Mark Feary.
Why the system will never truly serve us | E-Tangata
“The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture....
e-tangata.co.nz
November 1, 2025 at 10:31 PM
“The system was designed by individuals who believed in a specific version of New Zealand — where everyone was theoretically equal, yet the structures of equality were calibrated for only one culture.” — Mark Feary.
“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I’ve grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-chancellor (Pasifika), Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.
Emma Dunlop-Bennett: Investing in others | E-Tangata
“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I've grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-ch...
e-tangata.co.nz
November 1, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I’ve grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-chancellor (Pasifika), Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.
“Rather than stripping each other down, perhaps this is the moment to hold compassion for those we have chosen to lead us, even when we disagree, even when they fall short.” — Shonelle Wana.
Our leaders are human too | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
“Rather than stripping each other down, perhaps this is the moment to hold compassion for those we have chosen to lead us, even when we disagree, even when they fall short.” — Shonelle Wana.
“It’s spiritually powerful music, and that’s why I gravitate to it. We hear the music, and we feel it. And then we hear the social commentary, and it just tops it off and validates our feelings.” — Katchafire’s Logan Bell on reggae’s appeal.
Logan Bell: When music took over | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
“It’s spiritually powerful music, and that’s why I gravitate to it. We hear the music, and we feel it. And then we hear the social commentary, and it just tops it off and validates our feelings.” — Katchafire’s Logan Bell on reggae’s appeal.
“Every movement that changes the world depends on two kinds of energy. One pushes from the outside, demanding transformation. The other works from the inside, turning vision into practical steps.” — Sacha McMeeking.
Sacha McMeeking: Between cohesion and collapse | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
“Every movement that changes the world depends on two kinds of energy. One pushes from the outside, demanding transformation. The other works from the inside, turning vision into practical steps.” — Sacha McMeeking.
“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.
The imported ideology behind education reform | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM
“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.
“The idea that people educated in this country should devote a small fraction of their undergraduate study to understanding our history and its relevance to all citizens today ought to be unremarkable.” — Emeritus Professor Alison Jones on Auckland Uni's decision to drop proposed compulsory courses.
A betrayal of academic freedom | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 18, 2025 at 7:55 PM
“The idea that people educated in this country should devote a small fraction of their undergraduate study to understanding our history and its relevance to all citizens today ought to be unremarkable.” — Emeritus Professor Alison Jones on Auckland Uni's decision to drop proposed compulsory courses.
“For many, he is the face of Tūhoe, of resistance, of the resurgence of te reo, of the return of mataora.” — Eugene Bingham on Tāme Iti’s memoir, ‘Mana’.
Tāme Iti: The face of resistance and resurgence | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
“For many, he is the face of Tūhoe, of resistance, of the resurgence of te reo, of the return of mataora.” — Eugene Bingham on Tāme Iti’s memoir, ‘Mana’.
“A new modus operandi for Māori and Pākehā relations in the 21st century may draw at least in part on some of the lessons learned from the encounters that took place before 1840.” — Vincent O’Malley, from his new book The Meeting Place.
The end of the middle ground | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 18, 2025 at 7:32 PM
“A new modus operandi for Māori and Pākehā relations in the 21st century may draw at least in part on some of the lessons learned from the encounters that took place before 1840.” — Vincent O’Malley, from his new book The Meeting Place.
“Māori are lagging in every social and economic indicator, and the rest of the country seems to think that’s an acceptable status quo. But you won’t read about it when Te Pāti Māori are busy hogging the headlines.” — Aaron Smale.
Giving yourself an uppercut | E-Tangata
e-tangata.co.nz
October 18, 2025 at 7:31 PM
“Māori are lagging in every social and economic indicator, and the rest of the country seems to think that’s an acceptable status quo. But you won’t read about it when Te Pāti Māori are busy hogging the headlines.” — Aaron Smale.
“Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — Aroha Gilling.
Holding fast to the memories that remain | E-Tangata
“Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — ...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 11, 2025 at 7:22 PM
“Brain injuries are invisible, so it was very difficult to explain the mumbled words, or the incorrect word for simple items and activities. Today people still laugh at me when I get a word wrong.” — Aroha Gilling.
“Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the uncertainty of our inboxes and calendars.” — Nathan Hira.
The mindful Māori: Finding calm in everyday chaos | E-Tangata
“Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the unc...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 11, 2025 at 7:22 PM
“Our tūpuna navigated vast oceans with no modern instruments, guided by the stars, the winds, the currents. If they could find calm in the uncertainty of the Pacific, surely, we can find it in the uncertainty of our inboxes and calendars.” — Nathan Hira.
“We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us.” — Marli Olive Wesley.
Faith, survival, and misplaced allegiance | E-Tangata
“We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us....
e-tangata.co.nz
October 11, 2025 at 7:21 PM
“We are a people who have endured land theft, blackbirding, nuclear testing, deportation, and exile . . . Yet again and again, we align ourselves with those who uphold the very systems that shrink us.” — Marli Olive Wesley.
“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.
Erasing Te Tiriti in education | E-Tangata
“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 11, 2025 at 7:21 PM
“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.
“For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzhu Fu.
We all have a stake in the future of this place | E-Tangata
“For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzh...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 4, 2025 at 6:47 PM
“For those of us who’ve been pressured to assimilate into Pākehā culture, it’s tempting to think that assimilating into Māori culture is respectful. But this is not what’s being asked of us.” — Mengzhu Fu.
“When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a mental health support programme in Ohakune.
Healing before the crisis | E-Tangata
“When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a ment...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM
“When people are empowered to self-heal, they reclaim their mana. They are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active creators of their own wellbeing.” — Rebecca Collett on creating a mental health support programme in Ohakune.
“In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones.
Fifty years of the Waitangi Tribunal | E-Tangata
“In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 4, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“In this 50th anniversary year, the Tribunal and Te Tiriti are under a sustained attack from perhaps the most anti-Tiriti government that we’ve seen since the Tribunal was established.” — Carwyn Jones.
“For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mike Smith.
How local election rules discriminate against Māori | E-Tangata
“For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mi...
e-tangata.co.nz
October 4, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“For Māori, the strongest interest isn’t usually in the suburb where we rent or own a house — it’s in the rohe of our awa, marae, whenua, and the decisions made there that most deeply affect us.” — Mike Smith.