He Tatau Pounamu

by Alistair Reese

Language: English + Te Reo Māori

124 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished reading Peter Lineham's Sunday Best: How the Church Shaped New Zealand and New Zealand Shaped the Church. He didn't go into much detail about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in that book, but in actual fact the Treaty was one of the key and most seminal moments when the Church had a formative role in shaping New Zealand. Enter Alistair Reese.

His primary interest is in that area - the intersection of Christianity and the Treaty - and he brings that interaction to the fore, highlighting the presence of Christianity in that context, and drawing out theological and ethical significances, both historical and contemporary.

His placing of Christianity in the historical moment and surrounding months of the signing is mainly focused on the presence of Pākehā missionaries. But according to Claudia Orange (The Story of the Treaty, 1989) "by 1840, nearly half the Māori population was following Christian beliefs and ways." Which tells us, in broad strokes, that there was a significant amount of Christianity in the marquee that day - and it was by no means only Pākehā. Amongst other things, it almost certainly formed a crucial part of the trust that was needed in order to enter into the agreement.

I love Dr Alistair Reese's kaupapa and work. He's a Bay of Plenty farmer and theologian who is passionate about his calling in the realm of public theology. If you'd like to see a couple of impressive instances of his work, I warmly recommend that you take a look at:

(1) His 10-minute oral submission to Treaty Principles select committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B3qe...

(2) His 16-minute kauhau (sermon) at the Waitangi Day dawn service 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4eRe...

And/or you could read this little book - He Tatau Pounamu. The main theme that he consistently advances is the idea of Te Tiriti as a kawenata (a covenant) between two peoples, and challenging Christians to participate with the Treaty accordingly.

Alistair Reese's challenge I would like to extend you - especially if you're a Christian. There's much humble work to do here - much truth-telling, lament and hopeful potentiality in the exercising of healing and the prophetic imagination.

And I say this in the context of the staggering actions of the privileges committee in recent days of handing out a recommendation of the most severe punishment in the history of the New Zealand parliament to those Māori members who performed a haka in the House in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill. The committee's recommendation reeks. Showing once again that (in case we hadn't already noticed) there's much work to do.

Alistair's text ends with these words: "Toitū te kupu, toitū te kawenata, toitū te tiriti! Hold fast to the word, hold fast to the covenant, hold fast to the treaty!"

[Jonathon Hagger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly what starts out as an exploration of history quickly descends into becoming a nothing ness that takes no sides and merely tries to create an argument to insert the church into conversations about Te Tiriti. That the author goes on to use language that has been invented to justify the racism of certain parties in Aotearoa, illustrates that much of the intent of this book is built on sand and not on rock as it attempts to be a friend to everyone.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this short work very helpful in understanding the covenant nature of The Treaty of Waitangi and the role for the Church in ensuring this covenant is understood and honoured.

[Dan Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to introduce the complexity of reconciling Te Tiriti. Especially for folks of faith.

[Angie Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot to learn