The Human Rights Commission is seeking public submissions about the meaning of rangatiratanga or self determination, in today's society.
Treaty kaiwhakarite (manager) Bill Hamilton says as part of its legal mandate the commission promotes through discussion, education and research, the human rights dimension of the Treaty of Waitangi.
He says because the word rangatiratanga has been used so loosely by Maori and Pakeha since the Treaty was signed in 1840, the commission wants to pin down what people think the term means in 2012.
Mr Hamilton says a number of wise people have commented that when submissions are made about issues such as water, land, fish and trees, which are all Treaty based, it's all about the relationship between the crown and rangatira.
He says the commission is initially sending requests to about 1700 people and organisations on its database, to gauge how rangatiratanga is expressed in today's society.
