Mō mātou Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi

50th Anniversary Conference

In partnership with Te Herenga Waka, the Tribunal hosted 'Ko te Tōrino: Haere Whakamua, Haere Whakamuri - 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal' on 9-10 October 2025 in Wellington. Here we make available a selection of conference papers, presentations, video recordings and photographs from the Tribunal's 50th anniversary conference. Access sessions via the links in the conference programme below.

Ko te Tōrino: Haere Whakamua, Haere Whakamuri - 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal

Access to conference papers and presentations

In partnership with Te Herenga Waka, the Tribunal hosted its 50th anniversary conference, 'Ko te Tōrino: Haere Whakamua, Haere Whakamuri - 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal', on 9-10 October 2025 in Wellington.

The conference brought together practitioners, scholars, and Māori communities to reflect on the Tribunal's work, consider its role in addressing contemporary and future claims, and examine how its model compares with international approaches to hearing indigenous peoples’ claims.

Here we make available a selection of conference papers, presentations, video recordings and photographs from the Tribunal's 50th anniversary conference. Access sessions via the links in the conference programme below.

Te Herenga Waka in association with Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi presents KO TE TŌRINO: HAERE WHAKAMUA, HAERE WHAKAMURI - 50 YEARS OF THE WAITANGI TRIBUNAL Thursday 9th – Friday 10th October 2025 Te Herenga Waka Marae, Wellington
DAY 1 – THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER 2025
8.30-9.30am	Pōwhiri, Te Herenga Waka Marae, Kelburn Parade
9.30am-10am	Paramanawa (Ngā Mokopuna)
Session one: Venue – Te Tumu Herenga Waka Marae (Wharenui)
10am-12pm	Karakia Timatanga/Welcome – Dr Ruakere Hond Introduction to Conference - Professor Rawinia Higgins & Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox Key note speaker - Honourable Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie KNZM Karanga Rā trailer
10am-12pm	Kaupapa: Contribution to History Panel Dr Paul Hamer Dr Aroha Harris Dr Carwyn Jones Dr Monty Soutar (moderator)
12pm-1pm	Kai nui (Ngā Mokopuna) Book Launch: ‘50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal’ (Aho Ruruku)
Session two: Venue – Te Tumu Herenga Waka Marae (Wharenui)
1pm-2.30pm	Kaupapa: Waitangi Tribunal’s influence on the making and interpretation of law in Aotearoa New Zealand Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer Hon Christopher Finlayson KC Commentators: Dr Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown Ria Holmes Dr Luke Fitzmaurice (moderator)
2.30pm-3pm	Paramanawa (Ngā Mokopuna)

Session three: Venue – Aho Ruruku (Ampitheatre)

3pm-5pm

Kaupapa: The impact of the work of the Waitangi Tribunal on iwi

Whanganui – Che Wilson
Tainui – Linda Te Aho
Ngāi Tahu – Dr Hana O’Regan
Ngā Puhi– Mere Mangu

Derek Fox (moderator)

Kaupapa: The impact of the work of the WT on the Crown & politics

Key note speaker: Professor Janine Hayward

Dr Lara Greaves (moderator)

5pm

Karakia whakamutunga - close day 1

DAY 2 – FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER 2025
9am	Karakia timatanga
Session four: Venue – Te Tumu Herenga Waka Marae (Wharenui)
9.10am- 10.30am	Kaupapa: Justice models for hearing indigenous peoples claims and their relevance to New Zealand The Honourable Justice Diane MacDonald - Member of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (in person) Judge Yasmin Meer – Former president of the Land Claims Court, South Africa Lessons of Land Justice in South Africa and the South African Land Court (via zoom) Alex Cuthbertson - General Counsel at the Treaty Authority in Victoria, Australia The Honourable Sir Joe Williams KNZM – Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand Professor Emeritus Dr David Williams (moderator)
10.30am-11am	Paramanawa (Ngā Mokopuna)
Session five: Venue – Te Tumu Herenga Waka Marae (Wharenui)
11am-1pm	Kaupapa: Learnings for the Future Matanuku Mahuika Dr Season Mary Downs Andrew Irwin Craig Linkhorn Tania Simpson (moderator) Kaupapa: Artistic Presentation Ati Teepa (Poet) Kaupapa: He Ao Hou (50 minutes) Emerging Issues Te Wehi Wright Tania Waikato Tanith Wirihana Te Waitohioterangi Tara Hauraki and Francis Cooke (moderators)
1pm-2pm	Kai nui (Ngā Mokopuna)

Session six: Venue – Te Tumu Herenga Waka Marae (Wharenui)
2pm-3pm	Kaupapa: Role of the Waitangi Tribunal into the future Annette Sykes Professor Peter Adds Eru Kapa Kingi Judge Michael Doogan (moderator)
3pm-3.30pm	Summary of Conference Judge Miharo Armstrong Professor Rawinia Higgins Judges Sarah Reeves (moderator)
	Karakia whakakapinga

WT 50th Anniversary Conference Dinner (ticketed)

Friday 10 October 2025 (6pm – late)

Renouf Foyer, Sir Michael Fowler Centre

Featuring guest speaker, Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake, and live entertainment.

Pōwhiri, Te Herenga Waka Marae

Video viewing terms and conditions

You must not record the screen (video) or audio, or any part of it and must not take still photographs. This includes a prohibition on downloading or capturing, by any means, sounds or images from the video feed (unless you are a member of the media and have obtained permission from the Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal).

You must not publish any material on social media platforms or other media (unless you are a member of the media and have obtained permission from the Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal).

Image viewing terms and conditions

Images published on the conference portal may not be copied or reproduced without written permission of the Waitangi Tribunal Chairperson. For any requests, please email WT.Registrar@justice.govt.nz.