Same inequities or engaged Te Tiriti partnership?

As the government shifts its focus from COVID- 19 elimination to addressing the longer- term social and economic repercussions of the pandemic, it is critical that Mäori are able to partner and lead in decision- making. In the new normal of a post- COVID Aotearoa, the transformational vision of just relationships set out by Matike Mai is more relevant than ever. Responses that do not locate Mäori at their centre will maintain, or deepen, the inequities that existed prior to the pandemic. To meet the challenges ahead, we need to draw on Aotearoa’s dual knowledge systems and the richness of mätauranga Mäori. Rather than a centralised, top- down approach, we need diverse sources of expertise, experience and leadership, with communities as the locus of decision- making, orientation and direction of recovery.