Darryn Ooi
Malaysian-Chinese
Darryn’s ancestors lived in the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China before migrating
to Malaysia. In the late 1980s, his parents moved to Tāmaki Makaurau where he was born
and raised. He brings a background in law and legal research. Darryn graduated from Te Herenga Waka
with an LLB(hons)/BA and worked as a judges’ clerk at Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa. He recently completed the immersion Reo Māori programme at Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kaupapa Māori.
Darryn is interested in the direct relationships between tangata whenua and tauiwi nō Āhia,
and the implications for constitutional transformation and decolonising the tangata Tiriti
sphere. Darryn’s involved with community te Tiriti education and a founder of Asian Legal Network,
an organisation focussed on te Tiriti-based advocacy for Asian communities in Aotearoa.
Matike Mai – Planning for constitutional transformation
Matike Mai works understandings of the independence of hapū and iwi, alongside their interdependence through whakapapa, within the wider Māori polity, as the basis for constitutional authority. It constructs a similar dynamic between Māori and the Crown where just constitutional relations require the independence of both to make decisions for their peoples, while acknowledging their relationships under te Tiriti o Waitangi. To enact this vision of ‘conciliatory and consensual democracy’, to ‘work together as equals’ in the light of the realities of colonial history and unresolved injustice and disparity, the Crown needs to be able to match the radical generosity from Māori. and a bring to the table a mighty commitment from Tangata Tiriti because as a group we are so far behind our Tiriti partner. Collectively we are ignorant of our history, careless in regard to our environment, insecure in our identity and deeply privileged in our lives.
