Tui Cadigan shares the elements needed for whakawhiti whakaaro, a good consultation process.

Iwi Māori must surely be the most consulted people in all of Aotearoa. Generation upon generation of Māori women and men have been born into the struggle for full recognition of their rights under te Tiriti o Waitangi, following in the footsteps of tipuna who never gave up the fight for justice. When change has come it has been in tiny increments — and with a battle for each.

In an effort to address outstanding violations of te Tiriti, the Crown consulted with Māori at a series of hui. One outcome of these hui was that Crown entities became legally required to "consult" Iwi around health, education, environment and other key issues that affect Māori. Unfortunately, this consultation is not always done, and rarely done well.

I worked for three years as Kaiwhakahaere of Kati Mahaki Ki Makaawhio my Hapū Rūnanga; and my experience was mainly of disappointment and frustration. There has rarely been satisfaction from sharing of our expertise and historic cultural knowledge. I think most organisations operate a policy of "consult and ignore" — enough to check the box marked "consult with local Iwi" but not to measure outcomes for Māori.

It isn't only civil organisations or agencies that need to up their game in this area of consultation in the relationship with Tangata Whenua. I am Katorika from birth and a member of Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy for 30 years — and their relationships with Māori would struggle under the spotlight of a Treaty audit. It is often assumed that the adoption of key ancient cultural rituals, such as powhiri and mihi whakatau, is a sign of progress, but violations are only compounded when they are insensitively and improperly used — wherever and whenever. And silence as a response from Māori should not be read as a sign all is well.

What Then Is Consultation?

What does good consultation look like? We know the results of bad consultation: Consider the recent publicity for Oranga Tamariki around the removal of Māori babies from their whānau. We need to acknowledge that there is a deep- seated reluctance to accept that Māori resources are geared to deal with these issues. This has resulted in poor performance from agencies, and it is Māori tamariki and whānau who suffer the consequences.

I have been involved with Te Rūnanga o Te Hāhi Katorika o Aotearoa for the 30 years in one capacity or another. I am now Te Kaiwhakahaere/facilitator of our hui as a consultative group appointed by Te Huinga o nga Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC). In our hui we discuss the needs, hopes and aspirations of Katorika Māori within the Hāhi/Church.

We are a mixture of kaumātua, wahine, and tane from across the six diocese with an appointed Pihopa in attendance. We have been focused on an ongoing dialogue, "Being Māori — Being Katorika" for several years — both strands are critical to our identity.

There is a mutual respect that exists when we meet and our whole relationship is about consultation and advice. At times NZCBC ask for our advice on a specific matter and at other times we raise a concern regarding an aspect of pastoral care for our people. We don’t always agree but in an atmosphere of mutual respect and prayer we continue to dialogue with hope.

We draw strength from the knowledge that the Catholic Church came to Aotearoa originally for Māori. And we are aware that we have whakapapa within the Hāhi and we are committed to the process as an advisory body. We do not have the power to determine direction but we do have the best grasp of Māori pastoral needs and we can shine a light on that for the NZCBC to act upon.

We are the group that reflects the Māori perspective as we have both wahine and tane in our group and a diverse tribal membership.This balance of views and experience enhances our discussions.

Get People Engaged at the Start

The time to engage with the stakeholders/Iwi/parish/Crown is at the very start of the process. I emphasise this as a kaumatua of Poutini Kai Tahu descent with considerable experience in consultative processes with multiple organisations over many years.

If engagement starts down the track after a plan has been agreed, when the finance people have determined what resources will be allocated and what the final outcome needs to be, it is an exercise in futility.

Those involved need to know that their opinions are valued — and that even if their ideas aren't adopted in the end, they weren't ruled out before they were heard.

In my opinion, fear and power are two key factors that hinder good consultation.

The Right Intention

The right wording is crucial. When a document uses expressions like "this is a proposal for the future direction of this organisation", I know immediately that considerable work has already happened to set the direction before any engagement with the broader group of stakeholders, including Iwi, takes place.

The vital missing ingredients are words such as "draft" or "discussion paper" — words like these indicate that there is openness to other points of view and proposals or amendments.

The paper that sets out to confirm what a small group has put together and wants rubber stamped by the masses is flawed and lacking in integrity of intention.

The desire of the consultation must be to engage as many as possible of those who will be affected by any change.

A good Māori process encourages everyone to give their thoughts, however bizarre they may seem. Shutting people down only builds frustration, — and frustrated people eventually boil over into anger, or — worse — disengage altogether.

A Good Facilitator

Also vital is a good facilitator. A good facilitator is not indoctrinated to any particular point of view. In my experience very few facilitators have the skill to carry that off without showing a glaring bias.

In the professional era the facilitator and those who called the group together for consultation need to ask themselves one question: What do I have to fear from an open process? Those who opt for an open, inclusive process have the greatest chance for success.

It is impossible to please everyone, but compromise is a sign of courage and willingness to risk. Whoever finds themselves in a position of power in a consultation process needs to tread softly to avoid being seen as abusing this power.

Careful Preparation

Preparing is also important — the gathering of balanced opinions and knowing the pros and cons. Do not fear difference or the unknown. And remember, it takes courage to hear the breadth of opinion within the gathered community. But knowing as much as possible about what the group thinks is an advantage.

Ingredients of Good Consulting

After many years participating in consultative processes, I have learned the essential elements for success.

There must be a proposed plan to begin discussions. Prayer as part of any discernment is vital. Those instigating the consultation need to share their information with stakeholders — last minute suprises must be avoided.

The facilitator must be professional and independent from the proposing group.

Documentation needs to be written in plain and unambiguous language.

There must be sufficient time in the process — all who want to contribute orally or in writing need to have the opportunity. Allowing time for all to be heard will bear fruit when it is time to make a decision. We invite all to come to the table with openness, courage, hope — and the knowledge that a compromise may be the best outcome.

And stay positive: despite the best intentions it may not go the way we hoped.

And remember that the last word is never really the last word! Māori know this better than anyone — we've been dealing with the aftermath of the "last word" of Te Tiriti o Waitangi since 7 February 1840 — the day after Trititi was signed.

GLOSSARY
Kaumātua — Persons of status within whānau
Wāhine — Women
Tāne — Men
Pīhopa — Bishop
Katorika — Catholic
Hāhi Katorika — Catholic Church
Rūnanga — Assembly
Oranga Tamariki — NZ Government Ministry for Children
Tamariki — Children

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 240 August 2019: 6-7