The purpose of Te Whāinga Aronui The Council for the Humanities is 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.

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.

This website will grow to provide information relating to the establishment, membership, aims and activities of Te Whāinga Aronui The Council for the Humanities. It will include links to relevant international organisations, it will publicise Council events, it will feature the policy documents and submissions which are the outcomes of the Council's research and advocacy, and it will detail the Council’s recognition of distinction and achievement in the humanities.