Māori have been and continue to be significantly over-represented in State and faith-based care. This has been caused by the ongoing impacts of colonisation and structural and systemic racism across government organisations, for multiple generations.

Because of this, and our commitment to ensuring that our inquiry is underpinned by te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles, working with Māori is among our highest priorities.

Working with Māori survivors

We are committed to listening to and supporting all Māori survivors and their whānau who want to engage with the Royal Commission, in a way that is led by the needs of survivors.

Māori survivors can register with the Royal Commission and provide their account in a private session, by writing it down or by making a witness statement with a lawyer.

If you are a Māori survivor, you can:

• Request to speak with or provide your account to a Māori person
• Involve your whānau and other support groups in how you provide your account, such as through a whānau session
• Request oranga services from a Māori provider, including rongoa Māori services.

Working with Māori groups

To support the voices of Māori survivors and their whānau, we are also listening to several Māori groups about abuse in care. These include:

• Iwi and
• Whānau Ora providers
• Māori health and social service providers
• Māori urban authorities
• Māori researchers.

Contact us

If you are a survivor of abuse or if you know something that could help our inquiry, please call us confidentially on 0800 222 727 or email contact@abuseincare.org.nz.