Community psychologist and long-time Treaty educator Dr Ingrid Huygens has been recognised for her service to education and to Māori.
Huygens, who is of Dutch descent, co-founded Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People, an education programme created in response to requests from refugee and migrant communities seeking a deeper understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document.
While accepting the award, Huygens expressed concern over the Government’s current stance on the Treaty Principles Bill, saying it diminishes the role of Māori.
“It is a way to suppress Māori and it’s a way to depart from the Treaty of Waitangi as a constitutional foundation for this country,” she said.
Fighting for Te Tiriti
Huygens began her work as a Pākehā Treaty educator in 1989, engaging with New Zealanders across the country on better understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In 2000, she was instrumental in organising a national conference for tauiwi communities to show support for Te Tiriti.
She credits influential Māori leaders, including the late Moana Jackson, for guiding and supporting her work.
“He toa takitini tēnei. I’m really humbled by this award, because I do stand on the shoulders of giants and here they are, ngā mihi nui ki ngā rangatira o tēnei mahi mō Te Tiriti.”
Promoting Unity
Huygens continues to run Treaty workshops and educational programmes on the colonial history of Aotearoa across the country. She is the National Co-ordinator for the not-for-profit incorporated society Tangata Tiriti, and co-established Te Tiriti in our Languages in 2022, which provides Treaty education materials in more than 25 community languages, including New Zealand Sign Language.
She says the initiative has been warmly received.
“When we’ve reached out to the other communities who see the racism in this country, they see what’s happened to Māori, what colonisation has done. Those groups are enthusiastic about the vision of Te Tiriti.”
