This episode is a recording of the talk titled ‘Signs of a Nation’ by leading legal academic Carwyn Jones, at Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery on the 4th of March 2026. This talk was the first in a four-part public programme series ‘Kōrero pono mai: talks on te Tiriti & The Treaty’ that ran in conjunction with the exhibition ‘Whai Wāhi’.

These talks take heed from Te Waka Hourua, who call upon institutions to kōrero pono mai / tell the truth. Invited speakers will present short talks grounded in their experiences as legal experts, advocates and scholars in relation to te Tiriti and the Treaty.

Jones writes, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is recognised as a founding document of government in New Zealand. But what does this really mean for the role te Tiriti has in our national life? Where do we see it reflected in our law and policy and pub ...