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December 18, 2025
Hineani Melbourne | 2025 has been one of the most consequential in recent memory for Māori
Dale Husband
Posted On December 18, 2025
Download AudioThe year 2025 has been one of the most consequential in recent memory for Māori, marked by major political, legal, social and cultural developments that have reshaped national debate and sharpened long-standing questions about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity, and Māori rights. At Radio Waatea hundreds of thousands of you have engaged with our stories – in fact, on Facebook alone, there have been 70 million views of content since the beginning of the year. Our #questionoftheday series has highlighted what you think about a lot of kaupapa and, as a result, we deep dive. Millions have engaged in Te Reo through our platform but, at the same time, our own world is changing. Technology is rapidly evolving, funding for journalism is getting less and less. more than 115,000 of you follow Waatea on Facebook and more than 140,000 on TikTok. Of course we remain proudly Māori. Its been a tough year and yet here we are – a strong, vibrant people – a forever people.
Across Aotearoa, Māori communities have been at the centre of some of the country’s biggest news stories-often pushing back against decisions made without them, while continuing to assert tino rangatiratanga in law, policy and everyday life. Lets take a look at some of the big kaupapa of 2025:
Te Tiriti Under Pressure
One of the defining stories of 2025 has been the renewed political focus on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Proposals to reinterpret or limit the role of Treaty principles in legislation sparked widespread concern across Māori communities. Legal experts, iwi leaders and academics warned that rolling back Treaty-based frameworks would undermine decades of progress and weaken Māori participation in decision-making.
Mass hui, public submissions and protest actions throughout the year reinforced that Te Tiriti remains a living covenant-not a historical footnote-and that Māori resistance to dilution of Treaty obligations remains strong.
Māori Media and Broadcasting at Risk
Cuts and restructuring across the public broadcasting and funding landscape emerged as another major issue. Māori media organisations raised alarms about the future of Māori journalism, language revitalisation, and independent Māori voices, warning that funding decisions risked silencing perspectives essential to democracy.
For Radio Waatea and other Māori outlets, the debate highlighted the ongoing struggle to secure sustainable support for kaupapa Māori media in a changing digital environment.
Justice, Policing and Accountability
High-profile legal cases involving Māori-ranging from criminal justice to public sector accountability-kept systemic bias in the spotlight. Māori leaders repeatedly pointed to over-representation in prisons, inequitable treatment by institutions, and the need for culturally grounded justice responses.
The year also saw renewed scrutiny of policing, corrections, and state care systems, with Māori whānau continuing to call for transparency, reform, and healing.
Cost of Living and Economic Inequality
Economic pressures dominated much of 2025, with Māori disproportionately affected by rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and tightening credit conditions. Stories around minimum wage shortfalls, mortgage lending changes, and insecure work highlighted how structural inequities continue to shape Māori economic outcomes.
At the same time, Māori businesses, collectives and social enterprises demonstrated resilience-pushing for Māori-led economic solutions rather than one-size-fits-all policies.
Health, Disability and Whānau Care
Major legal and policy developments in health and disability had particular resonance for Māori. A Supreme Court decision affirming the rights of family carers was widely welcomed, seen as validating whānau-based care models grounded in tikanga Māori.
Conversely, concerns over ACC decisions affecting long-term injured claimants raised questions about fairness and access-especially for Māori workers in physically demanding industries.
Climate, Environment and Kaitiakitanga
Climate-related stories remained front and centre in 2025. From degraded estuaries and marine heatwaves to global climate research in Antarctica, Māori voices consistently emphasised kaitiakitanga and the protection of taonga species and ecosystems.
Coastal erosion, food security, and environmental degradation reinforced that climate change is not an abstract future threat, but a present reality for many Māori communities.
Culture, Identity and Resistance
Alongside political and policy battles, 2025 was also a year of cultural strength. Māori artists, educators, broadcasters and community leaders continued to assert Māori identity, language and tikanga in spaces where they have often been marginalised.
Whether through education debates, media commentary, or public protest, Māori presence and voice remained unmistakable.
Looking Ahead
As 2025 draws to a close, one theme stands out: Māori have not been passive participants in the nation’s biggest stories-they have been central to them. The year has reinforced that decisions affecting Māori will continue to be challenged, debated and reshaped by Māori themselves.
For Radio Waatea and its listeners, the stories of 2025 serve as both a record of struggle and a reminder of resilience-setting the tone for the battles, conversations and opportunities that lie ahead.
From our whanau to yours – see you in 2026
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