WHAT IS TAUIWI TAUTOKO?
Our name means non-Māori in support
Movements are emerging more powerful than ever to further tino rangatiratanga, constitutional transformation, and Te Tiriti education. Aotearoa is on the brink of new levels of diversity, with tauiwi of colour and tauiwi moana set to outnumber tauiwi pākehā by 2040.
At the same time, white backlash is ramping up, and our online discourse presents ever more disinformation, abuse, and overwhelm. News sites are switching off their comment sections, and social media is under profound criticism. We believe that Tangata Tiriti (people of the treaty—all tauiwi) have a role to play in anti-racism as haumi (allies) to Māori.
Research shows that fact-checking and myth-busting does not work for shifting hearts and minds. While 'calling out' racism has its place, we also need to be equipped to have more effective interactions ‘calling in’ racism by other tauiwi. When we want to open, soften, and change racist views, the Tauiwi Tautoko approach is an effective set of strategies in the anti-racist toolkit.
Tauiwi Tautoko is an educational intervention, community, and set of techniques based on listening and values-based messaging, which is proven to be effective. We train tauiwi (non-Māori) to tautoko (support) by challenging anti-Māori racism, lifting some of the burden of dismantling racism in Aotearoa.
The techniques we use are informed by years of working with cross-sectoral experts in listening when it's challenging to hear—conflict mediation, therapy, Te Tiriti education, and performance—as well as values-based messaging that can activate progressive values and move people to act to make change. We are also informed by Māori values of aroha, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and whakarongo.
Tauiwi Tautoko started off as a community project to help address anti-Māori racism on the internet, providing a complement to other forms of anti-racist activism by diving into the comments section to change hearts and minds one conversation at a time. Then-Director of ActionStation Laura O'Connell Rapira (Te Ātiawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāruahine) joined with Dr. Emily Beausoleil (tauiwi Pākehā), in collaboration with diverse content contributors and advisors, to develop a course that equips volunteers with evidence-based tools for transformative conversations. Tauiwi Tautoko keeps the 'tauiwi' principle at its heart—it's meant to be used when you are not the target of the racism you are addressing.
Our community is carrying this kaupapa forward, toward a decolonised and equitable future for Aotearoa. We'd love for you to join us.
PEOPLE
The advisors, tuakana, creators, contributors, organisers, and kaitiaki of the Tauiwi Tautoko kaupapa.
VERONICA TAWHAI
TANGATA WHENUA ADVISOR
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Uepohatu. Associate Professor and Pūkenga Tiriti at Massey University. Co-founder of Te Ata Kura educators. Member of Matike Mai Aotearoa working group.
EMILY BEAUSOLEIL
ORGANISER/FACILITATOR
Tauiwi Tautoko co-founder. Senior Lecturer of Politics at Te Herenga-Waka-Victoria University of Wellington. Social science researcher grounding the Tauiwi Tautoko approach.
ANN CLOET
ORGANISER/FACILITATOR
Tauiwi Tautoko project manager. Volunteer Coordinator at ActionStation. Passionate about helping ordinary citizens to be involved in positive societal change.
JEN MARGARET
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Renowned Te Tiriti educator and author of Working as Allies: Supporters of Indigenous Justice Reflect.
TIM McCREANOR
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Senior researcher at SHORE and Whariki Research Centre. Advisor to the team and contributor of learning resource on anti-Māori myths in the media and alternatives to them.
LAURA O'CONNELL RAPIRA
TANGATA WHENUA ADVISOR
Te Ātiawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāruahine. Tauiwi Tautoko co-founder. Executive Director of Movement Building, Foundation for Young Australians.
ALANNA IRVING
ORGANISER/FACILITATOR
Tauiwi Tautoko tech and ops helper. Founder of Gift Collective, Tauiwi Tautoko's fundholder. Social entrepreneur excited about a post-colonial future for Aotearoa.
LINCOLN DAM
ORGANISER/FACILITATOR
Tauiwi Tautoko facilitator, designer, and advisor. Researcher and lecturer in Im/migrant-Indigenous relations in Aotearoa NZ at Te Puna Wānanga at Auckland University.
KATE FRYKBERG
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Tauiwi Tautoko volunteer and advisor. Fundraising supporter and trustee of Te Muka Rau, a funder of Tauiwi Tautoko.
BEV HOSKING
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Psychodrama practitioner/trainer and playback theatre practitioner, listening-based approach influencer, listening workshop co-designer and facilitator of some of our in-person hui.
KASSIE HARTENDORP
TANGATA WHENUA ADVISOR
Ngāti Raukawa. Director of ActionStation. Community organiser for tino rangatiratanga, and takatāpui & Māori flourishing.
MICHELLE WANWIMORUK
ORGANISER/FACILITATOR
Passionate about philanthropy and social change. Winner of the Kiwi Invest Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Award. Strategic thinker with strengths in philanthropic start-ups and working with boards and senior executives.
Kay Benseman
Community Organiser
Tauiwi Pākehā - supporting volunteers to be a sustaining, collectively-owned and active community.
FAUMUINA FELOLINI TAFUNA'I
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Wayfinding expert and founder of Flying Geese Productions, which is piloting facilitation of our open access course. Advisor about programme design for all tauiwi.
JENNIFER PARKER
CONTRIBUTOR/SUPPORTER
Restorative Justice mediator informing our listening-based approach and contributing to our training programme.
FUNDERS
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported Tauiwi Tautoko financially. More details about funding and what it enables are available in our transparent budget.