Te Whāriki: our guiding document
In 2020, alongside WPF Co-chairs Tahlia Aupapa-Martin and Vivian Lyngdoh, takatāpui, tangata āniwaniwa and members of the BBIPOC rainbow community used justice design principles to:
reimagine how communities might celebrate rainbow identities in the future
critically assess the role of Wellington Pride Festival in the devolution of power and resources to indigenous and Black wayfarers.
The result is Te Whāriki — WPF’s framework in creating sustainable change for our diverse LGBTQIA* communities in Te Whanganui-ā-Tara and beyond.
Te Whāriki was voted into Wellington Pride Festival’s constitution in 2022.
Read below or download a PDF version here [link].
Whāriki (noun): Floor covering, ground cover, floor mat, carpet, mat.
Our guiding framework Te Whāriki was co-designed both by and for the community, and officially voted into Wellington Pride Festival’s constitution in 2022. It sets our strategic priorities for the future: a more inclusive and Te Tiriti o Waitangi-centred Pride Festival.
Te Whāriki
He Moemoeā tātou - Our vision: Mātauranga māori is centred
Pride plays a different role because revolutionary change has happened and it is now safe and exciting to explore our identities.
It is a place for exploration and celebration of ancient and emerging identities.
It is a place to remember histories and make futures.
Black and indigenous ways of relating are at the center.
People have autonomy over their bodies and are free from the long-term effects of trauma.
Structures protect against violence rather than enforce it.
Our current experience: Mātauranga Māori is excluded
WPF is connected to the famous (yet often unacknowledged) history of Black Feminist Activism. Pride has an established reputation and visibility platform for the community to leverage.
WPF is a place where some folx feel safe, represented and/or celebrated
Some groups feel siloed, excluded, or left behind.
Tangata whenua are not representative or valued appropriately, meaning that WPF contributes to the structural violence in Aotearoa, and the structures that drive the cis-hetero-patriarchy.
Our board and members broadly value equity but have no formal way of saying in tune with the dynamic changes in our community.
We have limited representation of marginalized folx within our community at all levels, from executive to partygoers.
How do we get there? Ka mau ka muri: walk backwards into the future
To achieve our vision, WPF will need to be bold and brave so that our mokopuna won’t have to be. We will need to be an innovative champion for tangata whenua aspirations.
To do this we need an activation plan that maps out the steps to be Te Tiriti led, community driven and co-designed. It will engage mana whenua and inspire new people to participate. It will priorities the safety and wellbeing of those involved.
To create this activation plan we need to:
Build on existing knowledge inherent in the whakapapa of Pride
Understand who our community is and what our aspirations are
Communicate our kaupapa to various audiences
Enroll others into our vision
Distribute roles, responsibilities and reciprocity
Develop accountability and succession mechanisms
Create meaningful measures of success
Build rest and recovery into all processes
