About Tiaki Taonga and Wai 262
Tiaki Taonga gathers te iwi Māori under the constitutional protection of taonga and mātauranga Māori via Wai 262.
We are working towards constitutional change to fully recognise kaitiakitanga of taonga and mātauranga by Māori, for Māori. Through Tiaki Taonga, tikanga will be recognised by ture. So, in the future, when the use of taonga and mātauranga Māori are being considered, te iwi Māori will have exclusive authority over their use as guaranteed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and New Zealand law.
Tiaki Taonga - The Movement
For te iwi Māori, Tiaki Taonga speaks to the duty of those who have taonga to protect, and it welcomes in Tangata Tiriti who see value in protecting taonga.
We know that kaitaiki across the motu already work tirelessly to protect taonga. We also know that there is strength in numbers and longevity in legislation. With your support, this tikanga led protection framework will tautoko you and your mahi in protecting your taonga, the Māori way.
We are on a mission to strengthen te here kaitiaki taonga across Aotearoa. Our vision is for whānau, hapū and iwi as kaitiaki to have full and exclusive decision-making authority to taonga Māori, as guaranteed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Our future is taonga and mātauranga protection, governed by tikanga and kawa – determined by those who whakapapa to the taonga and have the obligation to protect it.
We want you to join the movement too
Register here to join our mailing list and see how you can be part of the Tiaki Taonga kaupapa.
Tiaki Taonga Framework
Built on the shoulders of Wai 262, Tiaki Taonga will be a world-first indigenous IP protection framework. The framework will be activated in every instance where Taonga Māori and mātauranga Māori is in use or in the pocesses of being used.
Before the Tiaki Taonga framework comes into effect, we call all Māori, everywhere, to contribute to wānanga via our Kanohi Ora engagement.
The intention is that the framework will be implemented by way of legislation and supported by a network of solutions including:
- Codes of Conduct
- Research Guidelines
- Contractual Provisions
- Educational Material
The Framework will identify principles and values to be applied to the relevant activity. The mahi will mean the protection and use of taonga and mātauranga will be governed by the appropriate tikanga and kawa that underpins the taonga.
Wai 262 are seeking a remedy that houses a suite of solutions, woven together to create a fabric of te tino rangatiratanga o ngā taonga katoa.
Te Here Whakapapa
Tiaki Taonga Tohu Explained
The weaving of the six strands produces a special type of taura – cylinder-like, it is a strong foundation for progress.
The six strands in our tohu signify the six claimant whanau who have spearheaded a process to weave together:
- connection to land
- relationships
- responsibility / obligation
- Māori worldview / Indigenous paradigm
- whakapapa
- wairua
The taura (bound rope) is a treasure, handed down through generations. As more strands are woven in, the rope strengthens. That is the essence of the Māori treasure; it carries the thoughts and knowledge of our ancestors. It is a tangible and intangible heirloom we are obliged to care for.
We must continue to weave this rope so that our mokopuna have something to hold onto.
The taura is a symbol of unity when weaving a common purpose, and it can carry the seeds of generations descended from the Wai 262 claimants.
Through Tiaki Taonga we urge our communities to come together and strengthen the binding of our foundational and guiding principles.
Join The Movement
If you have a taonga from your kāinga, or something you share collectively as your whānau, hapū or iwi, or distinct to your rohe, Tiaki Taonga is for you. Join our kaupapa to protect your taonga by registering or sharing your kōrero across your social media with our Tiaki Taonga templates (coming soon).
