What does this course cover?
A truly local government–specific Te Tiriti course that brings together tangata whenua and tangata tiriti perspectives in a practical, grounded way. This course shows both why Te Tiriti matters to local government, and how you, as local government practitioners can uphold your responsibilities, giving you concrete actions to apply in your day-to-day council work.
Gain a deeper understanding of Māori perspectives on local government, decision-making, and partnership expectations, and learn how to identify and embed Te Tiriti practices in your own work.
The course provides learning that is directly applicable to your mahi in real council contexts.
This course is designed and facilitated by Hononga Consulting, led by Scott Summerfield and Lisa Hopa.
Scott and Lisa bring a distinctive partnership that blends academic rigour with deep lived experience. Their shared passion, complementary strengths, and grounded approach create a learning environment that is both engaging and evidence-based, ensuring participants feel informed, challenged, and supported.
Learning outcomes
Participants will:
- Understand the role and interaction of local government with te ao Māori.
- Understand expectations of Māori katoa of local government and council staff.
- Be able to articulate how Te Tiriti o Waitangi relates to local government, including the source of responsibilities and what is required of councils.
- Be able to identify the contribution of local government to the history of colonisation and Tiriti breaches in Aotearoa.
- Be able to analyse Te Tiriti and local council–Māori history and apply to day-to-day work.
- Understand how Māori organise with regard to local government.
- Understand general approaches to working with Māori, including identifying rights and interests and who should be involved.
- Understand tikanga Māori and the role of council staff.
- Be able to participate confidently in organisational conversations on tikanga, and apply te ao Māori values and perspectives to council business.
- Be able to identify Te Tiriti practices in their work, including opportunities to take a leadership role.
Who should join
This course is designed for local government staff across all roles and levels who contribute to council decision-making, service delivery, planning, engagement, or policy advice.
If you are a people leader, technical specialist, advisor, or operational kaimahi who needs to understand how Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te ao Māori, and local Māori–council history shapes your work, then this course is for you.
It is particularly relevant for you if you:
- interact with mana whenua or Māori communities
- work in strategy, policy, analysis, engagement, or governance
- want to build capability and confidence in applying tikanga, Māori perspectives, and Te Tiriti principles in everyday council business.
This course has limited places. If you are interested in a similar course for a whole team of people get in touch and we can work with you to bring the course to you.
Your facilitators
Lisa Hopa
Lisa Hopa
He mokopuna tenei o nga waka matua e wha, ko Kurahaupo, ko Tainui, ko Te Arawa hoki. I tipu ake au I raro i a Tararua maunga, no roto mai o te Wairarapa. Inaianei, e noho ana maua ko taku tamahine kei reira.
With a passion for education and personal growth, my academic journey has been a lifetime pursuit. With double undergraduate degrees in a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Māori Studies and a Bachelor of Physical Education, I also hold a Master of Professional Accounting and a Master of International Security. My educational pursuits are more recently centred around indigenous security and development issues, and how He Whakaputanga and Te Titiri o Waitangi can be reaffirmed in the defence and security realm.
Professionally, I have dedicated ten years to the Army as a General List Medical Officer, honing my leadership skills in high-pressure environments. My final regular force role was as a Senior Advisor Māori, utilizing my background and expertise to develop policy and advance Māori initiatives for service people. Prior to military service, I worked both overseas and locally as an accountant. In January 2026 I begin a new role as Pou Mataamua (CEO) for my iwi, Rangitane o Tamaki nui-a-Rua.
Family is the cornerstone of my life. I am a proud parent to one daughter, Kaia, and we share our home with two beloved furry whānau members. When not working, I enjoy engaging in various sports and physical activities, spending quality time with my wider family, traveling to new places, and continuously pursuing education.
With a rich tapestry of experiences, I share a commitment to community and service, education, and personal development, that has supported a multifaceted career and life journey.
Scott Summerfield
Scott Summerfield
He mokopuna au o Te Waipounamu, ko Tangata Tiriti ahau. E noho ana au ki te Wairarapa īnaianei.
My current work is focused on supporting councils to understand and take action on their Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities. This mahi is built on a platform of experience working across Treaty settlement negotiations, local government Te Tiriti partnerships, systems and policy development, as well as central government Te Tiriti partnership management. My passion for supporting improvement in the exercise of kāwanatanga and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi has also extending into academic areas, and I hold a Masters in Māori Studies.
I’m an unashamed fan of the impact and potential of local government with over a decade of experience working across a wide range of councils across the motu. This experience has also shown me the significant challenges facing councils, and the humble and dedicated efforts of kaimahi across the sector to address these challenges on behalf of their communities.
I’m really pleased to be able to partner with Taituarā on this programme to support local government Te Tiriti practice that is specific to the challenges, opportunities and aspirations currently facing local government. It’s also a time of great disruption in this space – and how councils navigate changes in their governing and legislative arrangements while upholding and growing their relationships with mana whenua really matters.
I live in eastern Wairarapa with my husband and badly behaved dog. We spend our time gardening, growing excessive amounts of fruit and vegetables (there’s a chance workshops held in harvest months will be beneficiaries of this mahi), and a long-term wetland restoration project.
