Te Tiriti o Waitangi Action Plan

Te Tiriti o Waitangi embodies principles of partnership, protection, and participation. These principles are not merely abstract ideals but actionable commitments that guide our efforts to foster an inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive environment. At ANZCA we understand that respecting and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi requires more than acknowledgment; it demands tangible actions that reflect our dedication to the wellbeing of Māori fellows, trainees and all peoples of Aotearoa.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Roadmap 2024-2028 set the first stage of achieving the vision of Māori health equity and a culturally safe and competent anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine workforce for Aotearoa New Zealand. The second stage of the journey, Te Tiriti o Waitangi Action Plan 2025-2028, signposted by the roadmap's identified priorities, sets out deliverable actions for ANZCA over the next three years to progress a culturally safe workforce with improved Māori participation and self-determination, and more equitable health outcomes. 

The principles and objectives are aligned with ANZCA’s Reconciliation Action Plan. In Aoteaora New Zealand the rights-based partnership principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi establish an overarching aim to guide progress towards the changes needed to achieve health equity. Cultural safety underpins the plan’s actions to transform attitudes, knowledge, skills, education, training, governance and employment in anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine at an individual and institutional level.   

Deliverable actions are identified in five priority areas: Health Equity, Workforce, Cultural Safety Education, College Governance and ANZCA Employment.  

The traditional black, red and white colours used on the cover of the roadmap and action plan traditionally symbolise, respectively: strength and protection; vitality and lifeforce – the blood of Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatūānuku the Earth Mother; and peace, light and spiritual protection.

How ANZCA will support this journey

• Enact the necessary actions required by ANZCA to meet the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Actively embed Te Ao Māori perspectives within curricula, training, assessment, continuing professional development programmes, policy, and advocacy documents. This action includes acknowledging and valuing tikanga Māori in our internal documents such as governance, committee hui and conferences.
• Ensure communications (oral, written and web-based) reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally appropriate wording, imagery, and content.
• Take steps to recruit Māori staff and ensure our workplace is culturally safe for Māori.
• Ensure members are culturally safe by developing a plan to implement a Māori cultural safety programme for ANZCA committees, fellows, and trainees.
• Provide resources to improve knowledge, attitudes, and skills in tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori within governance structures, membership, and staff.

Te Whare Tohu o Te Hau Whakaora – the Māori name gifted to ANZCA

As an acknowledgement of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and in line with many of the country's statutory agencies, cultural and educational institutions and private companies, the college adopted a Māori name, gifted in February 2021 – Te Whare Tohu o Te Hau Whakaora.

• Te Whare Tohu denotes the status of a college, or literally a “significant house”. 
• O means “of”. 
• Te Hau Whakaora means “the life-giving breath”.

The words hau and whakaora have multiple meanings including: hau – “breath, wind, gas, vital essence of life, aura, prestige, eminence” and whakaora – “revive, revitalise, rescue, restore to health, cure, healing”. The name speaks to the importance of the role of anaesthetists and pain medicine specialists in restoring the breath and “life essence” or Mauri of their patients and preserving their quality of life.  

There is a synergy between this name and the Latin motto on the college coat of arms – Corpus curare spiritumque – which means “To care for the body and its breath of life”. 

Many people have been involved in the journey to this point where ANZCA joins most other health, government, education, training, and private businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand in recognising Te Reo Māori as one of the country’s three official languages (English and New Zealand Sign Language being the other two).