Overview

Wai 2700 – the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry – will hear outstanding claims which allege prejudice to wāhine Māori as a result of Treaty breaches by the Crown. These claims extend across many fields of Crown policy, practice, acts, and omissions, both historical and contemporary, and of related legislation, service provision, and State assistance.

In a memorandum dated 20 December 2018 (Wai 2700, #2.5.8(external link)), the chairperson of the Tribunal formally initiated the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry and appointed Judge Sarah Reeves as the presiding officer. On 7 August 2019, the chairperson appointed Dr Robyn Anderson, Dr Ruakere Hond, and Kim Ngarimu as panel members to the inquiry. Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith was subsequently appointed as a panel member on 23 November 2020.

Inquiry scope

The presiding officer confirmed the scope for the inquiry in a memorandum dated 22 July 2020, with the central question being the alleged denial of the inherent mana and iho of wāhine Māori and the systemic discrimination, deprivation, and inequities experienced as a result. Four pou frame the inquiry: rangatiratanga, whenua, whakapapa/whānau, and whai rawa.

Tūāpapa hearings

The Tribunal conducted initial hearings to provide a tūāpapa (foundation) for the wider inquiry. These hearings focused on the tikanga of mana wāhine and the pre-colonial understanding of wāhine in te ao Māori. Claimant lawyers produced a guide for witnesses in these hearings, which the Tribunal supported. Called 'Te Arataki', it posed questions as prompts for witnesses under the following four themes:

Atua whāea and tipuna whāea and the blueprint for mana wāhine.
Te ira wāhine and te ira tangata – the relationality and balance of wāhine and tāne.
Te mana o te wāhine in Te Ao Māori, Māori society, and rangatira wāhine.
Wāhine rangatiratanga over whenua, whakapapa/whānau, whai rawa, and mātauranga.

To ensure wide regional coverage, the tūāpapa hearings were held in Kerikeri (February 2021), Ngāruawāhia (February 2021), Whangārei (July 2021), Whakatāne (July 2022), Lower Hutt (August 2022), and Christchurch (September 2022).

In December 2023, the Tribunal announced the pre-release of Te Kete Pūputu: The Online Guide to the Mana Wāhine Tūāpapa Evidence.

The online guide is not a Tribunal report, and therefore does not present the views of the Waitangi Tribunal or make any findings or recommendations on the evidence collated. Rather, the guide gathers and collates the mātauranga that witnesses shared with the Tribunal, enabling users to explore the evidence and kōrero – including key themes, key quotes, whakataukī, and images – themselves.

Research programme

The Tribunal released an exploratory scoping report in July 2020. Exploratory scoping reports are prepared by Waitangi Tribunal Unit research staff to assist the Tribunal and parties to consider and address the evidential needs of an inquiry.

In April 2021, following submissions from parties, the presiding officer confirmed the following six research projects would be commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal. In June 2023 the presiding officer confirmed an additional project entitled 'Takapou Whāriki' would also be commissioned. Takapou Whāriki is an audio-visual research project gathering oral accounts by wāhine Māori, including those involved in the Mana Wāhine Inquiry.

The Tribunal-commissioned research programme is advancing and (as of September 2023) all reports are due for completion by July 2024.

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW, 1840-1950

EQUITY AND DISPARITIES IN WELLBEING, 1950-2000

ACCESS TO LEADERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION, 1990-2020

CONTEMPORARY JUSTICE ISSUES, 1990-2020

CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES, 1990-2020

CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC ISSUES, 1990-2020

TAKAPOU WHĀRIKI

Several research projects for the Mana Wāhine inquiry are also being undertaken independently from the Waitangi Tribunal. These additional research projects are being facilitated through the Mana Wāhine Joint Research Committee.

The terms of reference for the joint research committee was filed in August 2020 and list the following objectives:

To ensure high-quality, comprehensive research is filed on the record of inquiry to support the claims.
To advocate for such research as is required to support the claims.
To ensure that Crown funding is used in the best way possible to advance the interests of the claimants within the inquiry.
To oversee the production of claimant research for the inquiry.

In October 2022, the Joint Research Committee filed four finalised project briefs on Rangatiratanga, Whenua and Te Ao Tūroa, Whakapapa and Whānau, and Whai Rawa.

In January 2023 the Joint Research Committee commissioned Dr Naomi Simmonds to prepare the Te Ao Tūroa/Whenua report and Dr Kirsten Aroha Gabel to prepare the Whakapapa/Whānau report. Both reports are due to be completed by 24 December 2024.