Today, 31 October 2025, the Waitangi Tribunal releases He Tangata, he Whenua: The Citizenship Report (Wai 3513) in pre-publication format. The inquiry was granted urgency in the Waitangi Tribunal’s inquiry programme, with the hearing being held in September 2025. The Tribunal panel comprised Judge Alana Thomas (presiding), Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren, Professor Emeritus David Williams, and Ken Williamson.
The Citizenship Act 1977 provides for four types of citizenship – citizenship by birth, descent, grant, and special grant – but it limits citizenship by descent to one generation. This means that children of parents with citizenship by descent who are born overseas are not automatically New Zealand citizens and must apply for citizenship by grant or special grant. The Act makes no mention of the Treaty of Waitangi or the status of Māori as tangata whenua. Claimant John Ruddock (Ngāpuhi) was born in Australia and became a New Zealand citizen by descent through his Māori mother. However, despite their whakapapa, Mr Ruddock’s children are not New Zealand citizens under the Act as they were born in the United States. A range of others have been affected, and some gave evidence, including actress Keisha Castle-Hughes (Ngāti Porou, Tainui, Ngāpuhi).
Overall, with only passive and culturally inappropriate mechanisms and procedures in place to ensure that overseas Māori are not disconnected from their tūrangawaewae, the Tribunal found that the Crown breached the Treaty principles of partnership, active protection, rangatiratanga, good government, equal treatment, and options.
To give effect to Treaty principles, the Tribunal recommended that the Crown enter into consultation with Māori to provide for the co-design of, or full reflection of Māori views in, amendments to the Citizenship Act 1977:
- to include an acknowledgement of the status of Māori as tangata whenua;
- to include a provision requiring the Act to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles; and
- to establish a tikanga pathway to citizenship that allows for hapū and iwi to assess whakapapa evidence.
The Tribunal also made three further recommendations for the Crown to action immediately while the above consultation is taking place:
- amend section 8(2)(e) of the Citizenship Act 1977 to include ‘or te reo Māori’;
- provide Mr Ruddock with citizenship by grant if he wants it; and
- extend citizenship by descent to two generations for Māori.
He Tangata, he Whenua: The Citizenship Report is now available to download:
He Tangata, he Whenua: The Citizenship Report – Pre-publication Version
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