Today marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This important document helped to establish a formal relationship between the crown (Britain) and Māori. While there are still differences as to how the treaty can be interpreted and questions surrounding the legitimacy of those who signed it, the people of New Zealand/Aotearoa continue to work together to build a nation we can be proud of today.

MHJC is embarking on a journey this year to improve our collective understanding of the Māori world view which we feel aligns closely with the spirit of the treaty – “we are one people”. 

A quick example of how we can learn is the urgent need for the world to respect, honour and be guardians of the land.  The Māori phrase kaitiakitanga captures this perfectly and illustrates that we ignore lessons of the past at our peril. MHJC is fortunate to have a valuable resource, Tāne forest on our doorstep which we use to promote kaitiakitanga to each new generation of students which will extend to other areas of their lives. Making the world a better place.

Growing greatness – Kia mana ake!