Kotahitanga and biculturalism, and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa

Abstract

For many people there is considerable difficulty in comprehending the possibility of kotahitanga (coming together as “one people”, or “unity”), at the same time as being actively engaged in a bi-cultural journey. Kotahitanga by the way can be applied in many different contexts – cultural, spiritual or even political. But regardless of context (acknowledging I am presently concerned primarily with the spiritual context), to really grasp this concept properly much is demanded of the listener since it presumes a clear understanding of the notion of tino rangatiratanga.