Humanities/aronui signifies a distinctive body of cultural knowledge created from interaction between the many cultures and languages of people resident in Aotearoa New Zealand and anchored by the bilingual text of the Treaty of Waitangi. The humanities/aronui are bodies of knowledge and modes of enquiry and reflection concerning what it means to be human.

The purpose of Te Whāinga Aronui The Council for the Humanities was to promote recognition of the value of the humanities/aronui in the creation, conservation and transmission of knowledge essential to personal well-being and the cultural, social and economic development of Aotearoa New Zealand. Members of the Council continue to fulfill these aims by now standing as the Humanities Committee of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

The Humanities Research Network and Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand will be developed and integrated into the spectrum of the Royal Society of New Zealand with its newly formed Humanities Committee.