The Pākehā Project Leadership Journey

The Pākehā Project Leadership Journey is our flagship programme. It works with Pākehā leaders who are seeking to put their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi into practice. The programme is designed to complement Treaty training and other forms of knowledge development—“learning about” history and tikanga and Te Reo Māori—and support Pākehā to inquire deeply into themselves, their own culture and worldview, and the broader systems of which they are a part. It equips participants to understand trajectories of white supremacy and privilege, and the emotional responses that come up in discussions of race and racism so that they can be more able to manage their own discomfort and help others to do the same. And it encourages Pākehā to step outside of their own worldview and begin to experience other perspectives on being in the world. It focuses on relationships—with self, with others (tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti), and with the living world.

The programme uses experiential learning methods—in particular creative and embodied practices—to take participants beyond a purely intellectual understanding and be able to integrate the learning into their life and work. Leaders work on prototypes, both personal and organisational, that they can test out, reflect on and develop further. It is an opportunity for Pākehā to deeply consider what is their work to do (and what isn’t) in giving effect to Te Tiriti. And it offers a community of practice and peer support to co-create authentic ways of working as Pākehā towards an ethic of restoration in Aotearoa.