At Auckland Council, we recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi as New Zealand’s founding document.
Our relationship with and responsibilities to Māori are based on this and guided by relevant law.
Pēhea ai mātou e whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi How we honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Our partnership with mana whenua
We provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to our decision-making processes.
We place particular importance on our partnership with the 19 mana whenua authorities of Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland. Mana whenua are Māori with ancestral connections and customary rights over areas within Tāmaki Makaurau.
We recognise the ongoing presence, goals and cultural responsibilities of mana whenua as kaitiaki (guardians) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
We will always consider this when making decisions about:
- ancestral land, water, sites and wāhi tapu (sacred places)
- valued flora and fauna (plant and animal life)
- other taonga (treasures).
How we work with Māori in our decision-making
We are committed to helping Māori engage with us and take part in our decision-making:
- Houkura (formerly the Independent Māori Statutory Board) helps us make decisions about significant issues for mana whenua and mataawaka (Māori with ancestral ties outside the area).
- Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum provides advice on national and regional issues.
We also have co-governance and co-management groups that jointly manage and make decisions about important sites, such as some maunga (mountains) and reserves.
Spiritual sites of significance
Read the OurAuckland article ‘Protecting our maunga’ and watch the video from the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to learn why maunga are so important to Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the Māori tribes of Auckland).
Protecting our maunga
In this short video, Nick Turoa from the Tūpuna Maunga Authority explains the spiritual significance of Auckland's maunga.
Read a full transcript of this video
Our maunga on the map
A total of 14 of Tāmaki Makaurau's maunga are co-governed by Auckland Council and the Tūpuna Maunga Authority. Māngere Mountain and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill are still owned by the NZ Government but are managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
Tūpuna Maunga map of Auckland showing the locations of key ancestral mountains in the area.
For more information on maunga governance, visit Māori representation in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.
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