turns 50 this year Fifty years since its establishment the Waitangi Tribunal remains one of Aotearoa’s most significant - yet contested - institutions and reshaped the nation’s understanding of its colonial past While the Tribunal has been a safe place for Māori and the Crown to have hard conversations it has been described as both ‘a compass’ and a ‘toothless taniwha.’ Since the advent of the Coalition Government in 2023 the Tribunal has once again become a political football It is facing accusations of “activism” and scrutiny over appointments with calls for a full review of its powers Established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act in 1975 the Tribunal was created to investigate breaches of the Treaty by the Crown But as legal academic Professor Jane Kelsey explained to Moana Maniapoto but the result of sustained Māori and international pressure “The Tribunal wasn’t a piece of magnanimous decision-making on the part of the Crown,” Kelsey said It only became law because of concerted activism on the part of Māori the Māori Affairs Minister who championed the Tribunal’s creation “They would only agree to if it would only look at potential grievances after the Treaty of Waitangi Act was passed in 1975,” Kelsey said noting they will have assumed that excluded all the big issues like loss of land The legislation was passed just before the 1975 general election and right as the historic Land March arrived in Wellington the National Party leader and newly elected Prime Minister Robert Muldoon had no intention of setting up the Tribunal at all “He was going to have to set up a Human Rights Commission because of UN treaties,” she said “He was just going to slip it into there.” One of the first major tests of the Tribunal came in the late 1970s with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei leader Joe Hawke Although a permit was required to gather kaimoana Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei continued to fish for hui and tangihanga asserting they had never surrendered their customary right to do so which meant they had to set it up,” Kelsey said under the leadership of Sir Eddie Durie (Rangitāne the Tribunal began to grow in stature and impact “Eddie Durie took the Tribunal from where it was with Joe Hawke’s claim in the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel back onto the marae,” Kelsey said It was a cultural and political turning point Claimants were not required to swear oaths on the Bible and were able to present evidence in both languages and Kaituna inquiries found that there was no cession of sovereignty by those claimants Parliament expanded the Tribunal’s powers to hear claims dating back to 1840 The Tribunal’s reports have shaped some of the most transformative moments in modern New Zealand history and created the momentum for political change Its 1986 report into te reo Māori helped drive the Māori Language Act 1987 the establishment of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and the rise of Māori radio and television the Tribunal’s recommendations are not legally binding which remains a source of ongoing frustration for claimants the United Nations also expressed concern about successive governments frequently ignoring Tribunal findings who has acted as counsel in the Wai262 claim and long advocated for the rights of Moriori in Rēkohu (Chatham Islands) shared his frustrations on Te Ao with Moana once treaty negotiations with the Crown were underway “Even though there were very clear and strong findings from the Waitangi Tribunal it was like ground zero with Te Arawhiti (former Office for Māori Crown Relations),” Solomon said “We had to re-prove everything from the beginning even though we had a substantial report in our favour.” the Tribunal’s power had been in its ability to restore identity “I was told at school that Moriori didn’t exist,” he said “The Tribunal said we were still a distinct and unique people with this peace covenant intact The Tribunal’s 50th year has not been without controversy Appointments to the tribunal are made on the recommendation of the Minister for Māori development Māori and non-Māori members alike are chosen for their expertise and knowledge of matters likely to come before them Internationally respected scholar Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith did not have her warrant renewed while former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble was appointed While Prebble declined to be interviewed for Te Ao with Moana ACT leader David Seymour claimed the Tribunal had gone “well beyond its brief” and become “increasingly activist.” “It’s been a bit of a strategy in multiple countries to suggest judges are being activists when they’re really just holding governments to account,” Harris said “The work the Tribunal has done recently has been very comprehensive and considered and it’s been in line with its original legislation.” “It is also the only space in which the feet of the Crown can be put to the fire A flashpoint in 2024 was the Tribunal’s decision to summon Children’s Minister Karen Chhour The Minister refused to appear voluntarily during an urgent inquiry into the Government’s decisions to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act successfully arguing the summons was unlawful That decision was overruled by Court of Appeal judges who wrote: “It is not clear to us why the constitutional relationship between the Crown and the Tribunal should prevent the Tribunal from asking for information that would the Tribunal has built an extraordinary archive of mātauranga Māori Yet the Tribunal remains under pressure externally in a political climate that’s grown increasingly anti-Tiriti “Those things that are happening become a part of the claims before the tribunal,” says Jane Kelsey “The tribunal gets caught also in that space under pressure to make recommendations to governments that have already predetermined that they’re not going to listen.” “That means the Tribunal can find - as it has with the Treaty Principles Bill - that the Crown is profoundly in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Harris said The Tribunal is currently undertaking a major constitutional kaupapa inquiry revisiting foundational questions of kāwanatanga and rangatiratanga – teasing out issues raised in the Urewera The Constitutional inquiry has also returned hearings to marae settings But whether the Crown wants to hear its recommendations remains to be seen As Aotearoa heads into another election cycle the future of the Waitangi Tribunal depends on whether the nation sees it as having value the Tribunal represents potential and hope “I heard a former mayor speak about the Treaty Principles Bill He called himself a ‘recovering racist’,” he said he came to understand the history and the interaction “The Tribunal has a lot to teach both Māori and non-Māori about our shared history “We’re not responsible for the actions of our ancestors but we can acknowledge what happened and build something better And the Tribunal still has a very important role in that.” Whakaata Māori, Mon 8pm and Māori+ The group behind last year's Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti has been granted an urgent hearing at the Waitangi Tribunal regarding the Regulatory Standards Bill Over 12,000 people have registered as part of the claimant group after Toitū te Tiriti put out a tono on social media asking people to sign up for the claim The claim alleges that - if enacted - the bill would breach Te Tiriti and cause significant prejudice to Māori which is yet to be introduced into Parliament is part of the National and ACT coalition agreement A discussion document on the matter had been open for consultation to inform the drafting of the legislation, it includes a set of principles outlining what constitutes "responsible regulation," including rule of law good law-making and regulatory stewardship A preliminary Treaty Impact Analysis conducted for the proposed bill noted it did not include a principle related to Te Tiriti and its role as part of good law-making Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi told RNZ the Bill would give the Minister of Regulation broad powers to review legislation which could have a negative effect on Te Tiriti in legislation "The point in going to the Tribunal is to enable the Tribunal to really investigate what is going on what the whakapapa is of this Bill as opposed to waiting for it end up in a First Reading in Parliament and then knowing that it is inevitably going to become law." Toitū te Tiriti put out the call for people to sign up for the claim to give them an opportunity to participate in a different way than last November's hīkoi "It's an avenue to provide connection to the case Similar to class actions that have been brought by other groups of people in a civil jurisdiction.. this is kind of like a Māori class action I guess." Kapa-Kingi said it's not too late for people to sign up to be a claimant The Minister for Regulation David Seymour said given the Bill hasn't been introduced yet it's hard to know what Toitū te Tiriti want to talk about the gist of the bill is to require politicians and officials to ask and answer certain questions before they place restrictions on citizens' freedoms What restrictions are being placed on the use and exchange of private property but I suspect this is just another publicity stunt from a Māori Party protest group." But Kapa-Kingi said the lack of information around the Bill is itself a source of anxiety for Māori "If there's no information or little information then those voids are often filled by assumptions and we can make pretty valid or accurate assumptions in terms of the ACT Party's agenda given the policy directions and objectives that that Party has." From Toitū te Tiriti's perspective the Regulatory Standards Bill seems like the 'more covert, but more aggressive version of the Treaty Principles Bill,' which was voted down at Second Reading Once the Bill is introduced to Parliament the Waitangi Tribunal loses its jurisdiction to examine it "This is the only time and the perfect time for us to be making a claim through the Tribunal and is also why the Tribunal has granted urgency knowing that this is a small window and if we don't take the opportunity now to in a robust manner analyse this Bill and the effects that it's going to have on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tangata whenua then we've basically lost our chance," Kapa-Kingi said The one-day hearing will take place on the 6th of June at the Waitangi Tribunal Offices in Wellington The Regulatory Standards Bill is expected to be introduced to the House by the end of June under the government's quarterly action plan. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Legal experts and Māori advocates say the fight to protect Te Tiriti is only just beginning - as the controversial Treaty Principles Bill is officially killed in Parliament While the Treaty Principles Bill was defeated on Thursday the ACT leader indicated it would not be the end The controversial legislation is heading for a vote at its second reading today The Treaty Principles Bill is all but dead but the fallout from a protest haka in Parliament has Te Pāti Māori MPs at odds with the Privileges Committee By mid-afternoon today 42,000 people gathered at the Parliamentary precinct and the surrounding streets New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Gerrard Albert has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term Whanganui iwi leader Gerrard Albert has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal The appointment was confirmed by Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka on Friday is the former chair of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui the post-settlement governance body for Te Awa Tupua He has more than 20 years of experience in Treaty settlement negotiations including a pivotal role in the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River) Settlement and more than 30 years in natural resource management The minister said Albert’s expertise in these areas would make him a valuable addition to the tribunal “With his extensive experience in Treaty matters Gerrard will bring invaluable knowledge and leadership to the tribunal,” Potaka said “His appointment will ensure the tribunal continues its important work in hearing and reporting Treaty claims in a timely manner.” The minister said he was confident the appointment would support the progress of Treaty-based Māori-Crown relationships “Having a diverse range of expertise on the tribunal is key to ensuring we continue to deliver effective and timely outcomes for Māori and the Crown.” Albert has been appointed for a three-year term to fill a vacancy LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week Today actually marks 1,004 parkruns between us Last week when we reached this combined milestone Graeme (dad) 293 and me a wee way behind with 71 We don’t get together for parkrun too often but Easter Saturday seemed like a good opportunity and Olivia is chasing the prime numbers so we came together at Waitangi for event number 107 Clearly I am the minor contributor to the family tally I was always just a Christmas Day parkrunner every time we got together the other three were talking about alphabets tourist streak (these will be familiar to you if you use the 5K app) I knew so much about something I didn’t participate in that I started to think I should get more involved especially being someone who enjoys running Then Waitangi parkrun started which is close to where I live - I really had few excuses I started to attend more regularly and in what seems like a short space of time have notched up 71 runs Palindromes were never in my previous life but now I have three of them on the 5K app challenge I know there are other families and people who will have passed the 1,000 mark who has volunteered in excess of 1,000 times and we have been fortunate enough to experience many of the other 58 parkruns in New Zealand Perhaps I could set this up as a private challenge on the 5K app Easier than getting 100% for the position and stopwatch bingos - although I did achieve one of each of those today 2,000 here we come?...Not looking that far forward Thank you as always to the many volunteers who make parkrun happen every week Special thanks to the team behind Waitangi parkrun without them I would probably still be under 10 parkruns There are probably 1,000 words to express gratitude but I won’t list them all And 1,000 words to describe this morning’s event on the waterfront I’ll let you decide for yourself which word you would choose I would say it was a perfect Wellington Easter Saturday morning © parkrun Global Limited (Company number: 09411750) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner The right’s eternal hope and belief is that tax cuts will unlock vast amounts of entrepreneurial energy and eventually create a world of plenty in which tax revenues overall will rise This gospel is the very definition of voodoo economics and went out of fashion back when Ronald Reagan was still in the White House New Zealand still seems to be hellbent on cutting its way to prosperity The new standard requires public service agencies to conduct a risk assessment whenever personal information is to be shared and includes robust safeguards to protect individual privacy and directs agencies to apply best practices when granting access to personal information A window to the world for our rangatahi and whānau,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer “We won’t sit back while this Government shuts the door on Māori futures Our commitment is clear—we would invest more in regional tertiary education Unless your workplace is already utopia – and we haven’t come across one yet – there is a good reason for all union members to come to this hui Whatever your union and whatever matters most to you and your workmates please join us at the union meeting this May Day so that we can keep building our relationships and strength as a movement for workers’ rights The right to vote is the basis of democratic government Legitimate governments cannot arbitrarily remove people from the pool that elects them If the Government strips New Zealanders of the right to vote it is attacking the democratic principles it claims to be founded on Led by the seven-metre-long Taxpayers' Union Karaka Nama (Debt Clock) the hīkoi highlights the Government's borrowing from our tamariki and mokopuna It calls for the Govt to balance the books & stop borrowing billions from future generations should be able to drink the water from their kitchen tap without getting sick But this basic right is under threat by an already oversized intensive dairy industry that’s set to expand further." February marks one of the most important days in the calendar for Aotearoa New Zealand Waitangi Day commemorates the day when 185 years ago several Māori chiefs signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi; the founding documents of our nation This day holds great significance in Aotearoa as a day to remember Te Tiriti o Waitangi and brings with it reflections and celebrations year-on-year this year’s Waitangi Day theme is ‘Te Tiriti ki Tāmaki Makaurau’ commemorating the historical importance in our region of where treaty signings took place great music and enriching kōrero to commemorate our national holiday A large crowd in attendance for the Waitangi ki Manukau event with live music and delicious kai for all to enjoy Education is at the forefront this year at Waitangi ki Manukau located at Barry Curtis Park (entrance opposite 260 Chapel Road and welcoming all to enjoy the day with great kai lively music and exploration of the Treaty and its historical and cultural significance Plenty of opportunities to get involved await visitors at The Waitangi Village which has on offer weaving workshops and educational kōrero designed to foster understanding of both Māori and Pacific cultures there’s a curated market with Māōri arts and crafts kai stalls showcasing delicious fusion of Māori and international flavours and a designated play area for tamariki with engaging activities There’s also an exciting line-up of musicians featuring Dam Native Festival attendees enjoying the performances at Waitangi at Waititi More family fun awaits in West Auckland at Parrs Park who are putting on an incredible event full of delicious kai and some kid-friendly rides for the whole whānau to enjoy You won’t want to miss out on epic performers like Stan Walker Kapa Haka performers sharing Māori tradition with their waiata / song You can also head to Point England Reserve which will be bursting with family friendly activity for the day Get amongst the celebrations and enjoy yummy kai and a live music stage featuring top musicians like Katchafire Enjoy a Waitangi-themed light show to delight friends and whānau with Vector Lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge enjoy a Waitangi-themed light show to delight friends and whānau with Vector Lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge the dazzling show is a celebration of the many tūpuna gone before who laid a strong foundation for their descendants creating a legacy and everlasting connection to their whenua The accompanied waiata ‘Maunga’ by siblings Majic Pāora and Robbie Pāora can be listened to live at vector.co.nz/lights The show will repeat every 15 minutes from 9pm until midnight Here’s a tip: grab your paraikete (blanket) and catch the show from some of the best viewing places like Silo Park Bayswater Marina and Takarunga Mt Victoria some of the lights will not appear on the west side overarch of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Completion of the work is expected by 31 March 2025 © Auckland Council 2025 All rights reserved For more information on what data is contained in the cookies please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news Hamilton City Council is recognising Waitangi Day with an action-packed event for whaanau to come together Building on Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery’s long-standing Waitangi Day programme this year will feature a larger event with:   The event will be opened by Mayor Paula Southgate and representatives of mana whenua at 10am.  Mayor Southgate is enthusiastic about the new city Waitangi Day event that recognises the importance of our country’s history and celebrates everyone for whom Kirikiriroa Hamilton is home “Waitangi Day offers a wonderful chance for the community to come together and celebrate our rich history and culture I can’t think of a better place to host an event than our stunning Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery Come and enjoy the entertainment and check out some wonderful exhibitions for people of all ages.”  While the Museum and Hamilton Libraries have run Waitangi event programmes for the last decade this is the first time Council has taken a city festival approach to Waitangi Day after many years supporting other community events guided riverside history tours to learn about paa sites and after-hours activities at the Museum.  said: “Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery is proudly bicultural and Waitangi Day provides another opportunity for important conversations about our shared history and the potential of Aotearoa New Zealand’s future We strive to meet our responsibilities of partnership under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and acknowledge this is an on-going journey He Aa I Tai: Weaving the Elements celebrates the legacy of weaving through traditional and contemporary handcrafted works by members of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa It provides the aspiration and kaupapa of our Waitangi Day programme: ‘Weaving our future together’.”  The Waitangi Day Festival will run from 10am – 3pm on Thursday 6 February at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery The Museum has a full programme of activities including a panel discussion and film screenings that will run into the evening.   A full schedule of activities can be found here tewharetaonga.nz/waitangi  All tours and movie screenings will need to be pre-booked. You can do this here tewharetaonga.nz/waitangi   Check out the programme and tours to book  It seemed like a particularly poignant year to be at Waitangi for the annual celebrations After 15 months of mask-off attacks against Māori through various bills policy shifts and attempts to undermine te reo and tikanga Māori but largely there was a spirit of optimism The unprecedented mass of last year’s hīkoi (sparked by the Treaty Principles Bill) was a sign of social solidarity and support for Te Tiriti and for the continued journey it pushes us along will see a trip to Waitangi as a type of pilgrimage that a person must do once in their lives to see the birthplace of the commitment to partnership great Moana Jackson address a room of union leaders it was reaffirmed at a personal level that I am Tangata Tiriti It shook away the naïve misapprehension I had held that having no British heritage and moving here two generations ago after war displaced us put a buffer between me and our constitutional document and the subsequent breaches and hurt inflicted on Māori none of us who call this place home can hide from the role Te Tiriti plays in our history he knew the power of conversation and unity at Waitangi there was plenty of deep discussion debate and political reflection taking place the focus was on a positive future for Aotearoa New Zealand I heard the voices of Māori from many generations who understood the unusual nature of our current government but held a resolute focus on keeping a positive view of our future in mind the position of Tangata Whenua is unchallenged A future where all have what they need and can thrive Where Matauranga Māori and indigenous knowledge systems can be used to enhance life for everyone If I went up feeling glum about the direction the country is moving in I certainly left feeling enthusiasm for who we can be What I gladly did not experience was much time wasted on discussion about the Prime Minister’s lack of attendance or Seymour’s attempts at grandstanding or antagonising people.  When I commented on how difficult it must be to not want to have a go at someone using their small power to hurt Māori rights I was told “we’ve had a lot of practice dealing with this stuff” looking ahead to our shared and positive future and seeing the current anti Māori and anti-worker stunts as a wee blip in our history Play the long game and keep your head up and arms linked Copyright © New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae KaimahiAuthorised by Richard Wagstaff Politicians are being welcomed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Wednesday The Parliamentary pōwhiri is a chance each year for politicians to have their say and for the hau kāinga - home people - and te ao Māori Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will not be there but coalition partners Winston Peters and David Seymour will be Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Te Ao Māori RSS Thousands of people - and waka - gathered for commemorations to celebrate Waitangi Day today Many had travelled to the same place where Māori and Pākehā had come together to sign Te Tiriti o Waitangi Chairman of Ngā waka o Te Tai Tokerau Robert Gabel said he believed this year's turnout of 24 waka at Waitangi equalled the record previously set in 1990 Gabel said this year's fleet featured many new waka, a lot of smaller waka and many built by the late Sir Hekenukumai Busby He said crews came from every corner of the motu Ngāti Whātua brought Te Kawau for the first time which was built just a year ago and paddled in Barcelona as part of the America's Cup festivities Gabel said the 1000-plus kaihoe (paddlers) who stayed at Tent City - the week-long waka training camp at Bledisloe Domain near Paihia - was easily an all-time record The long-time waka exponent said a number of factors likely contributed to this year's record participation They included a growing sense of unity among Māori during the past year and people wanting to show their support for the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Dutch paddler Koos Wabeke travelled 32 hours around the world to take part in Thursday's Waitangi Day commemorations Wabeke said getting involved with kaupapa waka - and learning about the Māori world - had changed his life to support practices that have been done for thousands of years by the Māori … when you arrive here everybody's practising and the whole camp is buzzing with energy "I haven't found that feeling anywhere else in the world." Wabeke said another thing that kept bringing him back was the friendships he had formed over the past 15 years "It's an insane thing to wrap your head around but it's like you have family on the other side of the world and you're welcomed like you just came home like you've walked in your mum's front door The number of waka spectators also swelled sailing small craft like dinghies and inflatable boats But before waka hit the waters at Waitangi hundreds gathered in the darkness before dawn People were wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags standing under the bright floodlights which lit the marae atea of Te Whare Rūnanga Ngāpuhi rangatira Hone Sadler recited a waerea to clear the path for the dawn to rise Sadler led a delegation of politicians and officials down the centre of the rows of chairs to the mahau of Te Whare Rūnanga A small group gathered near the shore performing chants and incantations the once crisp and chilly morning turned hot with the grass drying and sand warming The Waitangi Bridge is a famous spot for rangatahi to jump off on Waitangi Day is a form of diving with the ultimate goal of creating the largest splash It is achieved by tucking your legs and torso into the shape of a 'V' just before hitting the water The air trapped in the 'V' form splashes straight upward The best 'manu-ers' have years of practice and employ a mix of technique Onlookers perched themselves upon the bridge to get a good view some even got a bit wet from the splash-back More than 150 market stalls were also set up around the Treaty grounds selling food from many different cultures alongside kai Māori favourites Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Events are starting to wind down at Waitangi with the great waka Ngaatokimatawhaorua while the PM was welcomed onto Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa and the Waitangi Hikoi made themselves known Today is the 185th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty Hundreds of people are expected in Akaroa today with the "surprise" attendance of the prime minister for Waitangi Day celebrations Ngāi Tahu's Treaty settlement has allowed them to become a driving force in the country's economy Politics RSS A dawn ceremony marked the beginning of Waitangi Day commemorations at Te Whare Rūnanga Marae on the upper Treaty grounds Events were also held throughout the country with hundreds of people expected at Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa - Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon were among them The Waitangi Day commemorations included a flag raising ceremony and the traditional waka parade Dutch paddler Koos Wabeke says getting involved with kaupapa waka - and learning about the Māori world - has changed his life thousands flock to the Northland town of Paihia to commemorate and celebrate the signing of the country's founding document the small tourist town becomes a hub of activity and whānau all arrive for the formal multi-day celebration Local motels are often booked out months in advance with restaurants and cafes buzzing with business Waitangi Day (and the week prior) has long been a place of controversy and politics. And after a rocky year of Māori-Crown relations in 2024, culminating in the largest protest to ever arrive at Parliament there will be no shortage of fiery moments on the paepae But whilst protests often dominate the headlines in recent years the events have become much more whānau-focused with food stalls kapa haka and beautiful waka all contributing to a festival-like atmosphere the National Iwi Chairs Forum will convene in the Far North on 3 February the Iwi Chairs Forum is a rōpu made up of about 80 elected leaders representing iwi across the motu They meet four times annually and this will be the first hui of the year The discussions are often rambunctious but the last forum in August was particularly heated, when representatives from Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Manuhiri walked out of the talks in protest against the coalition government's policies Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi chair Mane Tahere said the government was running roughshod over Māori Usually government officials also attend the hui the iwi leaders officially uninvited the Crown from future forums That may well turn the temperature down during forum talks and provide an opportunity for Māori to unite ahead of the arrival of government officials The iwi chairs have already made it clear that ACT's Treaty Principles Bill will be a priority in discussions but it is not the only government policy they have taken issue with In a rare move in 2024, the iwi chairs sent an open letter to King Charles III, asking him to intervene to "ensure that the [New Zealand] government does not diminish the Crown's honour" In that letter they referenced environmental and climate concerns and barriers in place preventing the revitalisation of te reo Māori Other topics which may come up at talks this year include the forthcoming Regulatory Standards Bill and indigenous economics both of which have been a key focus for iwi recently will also want to see some sort of movement from the government on advancing progress on its Treaty settlement which has been stalled for a number of years The Kiingitanga will also make an appearance at Waitangi on the afternoon of 4 February when they are welcomed onto Te Whare Rūnanga in a formal pōhiri The Kiingitanga typically marks Waitangi Day on its own whenua, but last year the late Kiingi Tuheitia and his advisors travelled to Paihia in a showing of kōtahitanga. New monarch Kuini Nga wai hono i te po already has strong connections to the historic place as an existing member of the Waitangi National Trust Board The next day all eyes will be on the government as they arrive The government pōhiri is often a main event at Waitangi as iwi leaders wait with bated breath to see how the government intends to improve things for Māori in the coming year The haukāinga (hosts) always put on a show for MPs The ope (contingent) will be escorted by Māori wardens the paepae is a place where iwi leaders are able to address MPs directly holding them accountable for the policy decisions that are made hundreds of kilometres away in the Beehive The kaikōrero of the haukāinga side certainly will not hold back ensuring their voices are heard and listened to the Treaty Principles Bill is sure to be a main point of contention with every move of ACT Party leader and soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour scrutinised Addressing the government might be a bit different this year, as the prime minister has opted not to attend. Late last year Christopher Luxon announced he had turned down the opportunity to join the national Waitangi events in Paihia His decision was met with mixed emotions from Māori Māori-Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka will be in attendance to represent the National Party While there are important discussions on the paepae between mana whenua and MPs a lot of the most meaningful kōrero at Waitangi is had in the forum tent It's become a central part of commemorations in recent years where panel discussions on various kaupapa take place the forum tent is an all-ages event for anyone who wants to sink their teeth into some hearty kaupapa Māori The tent will be set up across the bridge on the lower Treaty grounds next to the waka house with stunning views out to the Bay of Islands providing a picturesque backdrop setting up camping chairs under nearby trees so they can still listen to the kōrero in the shade The group behind the hīkoi to Parliament in November, Toitū te Tiriti, are among those organising and coordinating discussions in the forum tent this year A group just in its infancy at Waitangi last year it will no doubt be keen to carry on the momentum gained from the hīkoi The final line-up of speakers has not been announced but the forum tent's social media account has teased some of the names journalist and uri nō Ngāpuhi Julian Wilcox The discussions will take place from 4-6 February and will range across environmental guardianship Waitangi Day commemorations in Paihia might look entirely political from afar but anyone who has been to the Treaty grounds during the historic week will know that is not exactly true Alongside the lengthy discussions and wānanga Waitangi commemorations in Paihia will also have their share of fun The week-long commemorations culminate on Waitangi Day Despite the often hot and sticky February weather people bundle up in jackets and blankets to travel to the upper Treaty grounds before dawn for the formal service and whānau will gather to mark 185 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi the formalities end and festivities commence More than 150 market stalls are set up on the sports field by the lower Treaty grounds selling food from many different cultures alongside kai māori favourites There are plenty of opportunities to buy iwi merch alongside activities for tamariki including bouncy castles Crowds will gather to watch the flotilla of waka paddle around the bay including the world's largest ceremonial waka Stages dotted around the site will showcase performances from the National Youth Choir Voice Australia Māori musician Jaedyn Randall This year is expected to exceed 2024's record attendance when an estimated 80,000 people travelled from across the country to Waitangi - four times bigger than previous celebrations In Depth RSS In the 10 minutes before the new Māori monarch was welcomed onto the Waitangi Treaty grounds on Tuesday there was complete silence The pōwhiri was already behind schedule and hundreds of onlookers stood patiently in anticipation behind boundary ropes in the hope they'd get a glimpse of her The lucky few who managed to get a patch of shade were still sweating attempting to cool themselves down with makeshift fans after what had felt like a lifetime waiting the manuhiri (visitors) stepped forward signalling the start of the formal welcome The sounds of pūtatara (conch shell trumpets) rang out Three kaiwero (warriors) slowly edged forward towards the manuhiri stood out immediately among the kuia and kaumātua who were wearing their usual black formal pōwhiri clothes It was the first time Kuini Nga wai hono I te po has visited the historic treaty grounds since her father Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau te Wherowhero VII passed away in August last year and she was appointed the new monarch of the Kiingitanga movement she had accompanied her father to the Far North responding to the tono from Ngāpuhi rangatira and carrying with them the mauri from hui aa motu Kiingi Tuheitia's presence was notably felt and missed sitting on the mahau (porch) of Te Whare Rūnanga as whaikōrero commenced can seamlessly weave together whakapapa and kaupapa and this pōwhiri was no exception Tributes flowed and lamented the loss of leaders including the late Kiingi Tuheitia Dame Tariana Turia and more recently Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi Speakers on the paepae often use symbolic language embellishing their kōrero with whakataukī (Māori proverbs) and references to whakapapa and history It means that the translation of whaikōrero from te reo Māori into english Translation headsets were provided so attendees could understand the beauty and nuance of the whaikōrero on the paepae Below are the translations provided in real time was the first to speak on the haukāinga (home people) side acknowledging the new queen and her whakapapa links to the North "In the short time you have taken the throne you have accomplished a lot All of the work you have accomplished in such a short time Tainui rangatira Tukoroirangi Morgan brought an element of lightheartedness at the beginning of his kōrero also expertly referencing the Kuini's whakapapa to the North That is the one and true purpose of us being here today." Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber asked for Māoridom to keep moving how can we unite as people to move forward I've been sitting here thinking about that question and pondering." I'm not saying it's impossible but what I am thinking right now is how can we continue this work of kōtahitanga?" Barber said Co-leader of Te Pāti Māori Rawiri Waititi was also part of the manuhiri who has been pushing for a separate Māori Parliament since Waitangi last year "At Rātana I spoke about a Māori parliament but we are still waiting to embody these prophecies We have been speaking about all of these things for a long time It is not until we establish them and go full throttle that we will find prosperity for te iwi Māori." Earlier in the day Te Pāti Māori re-committed to establishing a Parliamentary Commissioner for Te Tiriti which it said would ensure the Crown was held accountable for its obligations under the founding document The party also campaigned on establishing a commissioner at the 2023 election Te Pāti Māori said that while the Waitangi Tribunal looked at breaches of Te Tiriti and have teeth" in compelling the government to honour its obligations which seemed to be well received by the crowds "Let's establish a Treaty of Waitangi commission so that we may have the ammunition to challenge the government." Although Kuini Nga wai hono i te po did not speak publicly her attendance at Waitangi this year was met with joy with a new generation of rangatahi now stepping up including Tamariki were out in droves to get a glimpse of her in person One family had brought their five daughters all the way from Whakatāne just to see her When we asked why they had come here today the kapa haka skills of te iwi o te motu were on full display Nannies and kuia from Tainui arose to sing and dance across the marae atea encouraging the rangatira from Ngāpuhi to join them They succeeded in getting the Mayor of Far North Moko Tepania up on his feet attempting to showcase his best dance moves despite the hot sun many will now travel to the tangihanga of Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi the haukāinga will have the massive job of welcoming government officials where the atmosphere will likely be very different After a turbulent 12 months for Māori-Crown relations the week of Waitangi Day will be crucial for te iwi Māori to discuss the kaupapa that will matter this year the new queen stood out immediately among the kuia and kaumātua wearing their usual black formal pōwhiri clothes A Pharmac proposal to disestablish its specialist Māori advisory team is an abandonment of Pharmac's commitment to Māori health The proposal to disestablish the Māori Directorate was announced to staff on Monday including those responsible for supporting an anti-racism research programme Pharmac acting chief executive Brendan Boyle said the agency was working through an internal process to create a Māori engagement model that was more comprehensive "This is part of a bigger work programme to make the organisation more outward-focused and responsive to the health needs of all New Zealanders No decisions have been made at this stage." Janice Panoho, Kaihautū Māori for the PSA, said the proposal was a result of the government's Letter of Expectations to Pharmac instructing it to stop embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its funding decisions "This is an abandonment of Pharmac's commitment to the health of Māori and another breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi," she said It follows Pharmac's decision late last year to disestablish its in-house Māori Advisory Group made up of medical specialists including doctors The roles responsible for supporting the work of the now-defunct group were among those considered to be axed under the latest proposal "This latest proposal flies in the face of Pharmac's statutory obligation to consider equity and address racism in access to medicines - this change will further diminish the voice of Māori in Pharmac's funding decisions," Panoho said the government was overriding its legal obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and washing its hands of the partnership between the Crown and Māori that previous governments embraced "We urge the government and Pharmac to not walk away from Te Tiriti o Waitangi if it's serious about improving the health outcomes of Māori." Input from Pharmac's Māori advisory group will be replaced by outside partnerships A patient advocate says new instructions to Pharmac could do more for Māori access to medicines than simply having a "Te Tiriti provision" The Act Party minister is plotting a huge expansion of the state-run drug buying agency despite being a proponent of small government Anthony Jordan says he "could not with good conscience" continue to work for the agency - but still hopes it can provide better health outcomes for Māori Waitangi Day is not only an important day for Aotearoa New Zealand but it is a time for us to reflect upon the role Fire and Emergency play as a kaitiaki (guardian) of te taiao (the environment) Fire and Emergency were involved in the celebrations at the Treaty Grounds on February 6th beginning with the delivery of a poignant karakia at dawn by Chief Executive and National Commander Kerry Gregory.  so did the crowds who were eager to engage with our Te Hiku personnel and learn about fire safety view live fire demonstrations and put together their own escape plan.  167 new escape plans were completed on the day reiterating just how important events like this are to connect with our communities.  We are proud to play a part in the commemorations at Waitangi each year and to recognise the status of Māori as key partners in the work we do. To find out more about our commitment to with deliver better outcomes for Māori, you can read our Rautaki Māori | Māori Strategy. Whakaata Māori has got you covered this Waitangi Day with a feast of premieres and dedicated programming to entertain Immerse yourself in the history and wairua of Waitangi from the whakapapa of protest and the evolution and transformation of Māori-Crown relations to the treaty experiences of our First Nations whānau in Canada (Treaty Road) and Australia (We Are Still Here) check out MĀORI+ for more dedicated programming all four episodes of the powerful NZ WARS series Our Waitangi schedule begins at 5.00AM with Peter-Lucas Jones and Blake Ihimaera live from the Treaty grounds for WAITANGI 2025 - KA HAO TE RANGATAHI They are joined by Te Aorere Pēwhairangi and native diva Miss Kihi in a broadcast that also features live interviews and performances by the National Youth Choir and Jaedyn Randell Māori media hubs will report throughout on events being held around around the motu Waitangi 2025 – Ka Hao te Rangatahi is funded by Te Māngai Pāho produced by Cinco Cine Film Productions and Te Hiku Media in collaboration with the Waitangi National Trust. Premiere programming includes HĪKOI – SPEAKING OUR TRUTH Twenty years after the social movement that changed the political landscape of Aotearoa forever Tāmati Rimene-Sproat retraces and unpicks the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed March CANVASSING THE TREATY pairs up well-known New Zealand artists and challenges them to create a work representative of the Treaty of Waitangi – in three days KARANGA RĀ – 50 YEARS OF THE WAITANGI TRIBUNAL traces the establishment and impact of an entity that has transformed the relationship between Māori and the Crown over the past five decades and informed with Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+ this Waitangi Day 5.00AM: LIVE – The official broadcast of Waitangi Day commemorations from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds a particular focus will be on the thoughts and aspirations of young New Zealanders 10.00AM: WHETŪ MĀRAMA – BRIGHT STAR – The story of Sir Hekenukumai Busby and his significance to Te Ao Māori in rekindling our  wayfinding DNA 11.45AM: WAIATA ANTHEMS – SONGS OF FREEDOM – For Fly My Pretties' lead singer Barnaby Weir translating his song 'Family Tree' becomes a vessel to process the grief of a severe connection to his mother's Māori whakapapa A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE – They were students Robert Reid and his activist mates set up ‘OHMS’ which did not stand for ‘On Her Majesty's Service’ but rather ‘Organisation to Halt Military Service’ They began a series of creative disruptive activities up and down Aotearoa to overthrow Compulsory Military Training 12.35PM: WAIATA ANTHEMS – Rising RnB singer Mikey Dam on translating his deeply personal song 'Somebody' into te reo Māori 12:50PM: CANVASSING THE TREATY – Well-known New Zealand artists from very different backgrounds are paired up and challenged to create a work representative of the Treaty of Waitangi 2.15PM: WAIATA ANTHEMS – Lorde opens up about the controversial release of her new collection of waiata and what drove her to express her aroha for her homeland and its indigenous culture 2.30PM: MURA O TE AHI – Hilarious 'debating' competition showcasing Māori humour and wit entirely in the Māori language 3.00PM: WAIATA ANTHEMS – Singer/songwriter Paige believes her late grandfather is her guardian angel and makes a pilgrimage to discover who he really was Whirimako Black unpacks issues around cultural reclamation and identity as she recreates her classic waiata 4.15PM: LEGACY – The story of legendary Māori Band and founding brothers Logan and Jordan Bell as they struggle to find their way through volatile creative differences and a changing music landscape that threatens to destroy the bonds of whanau culture and politics in an uncertain COVID 19 environment 5:15PM: PREMIERE: HĪKOI – SPEAKING OUR TRUTH – It was the social movement that changed the political landscape of the country 6.20PM: WAIATA ANTHEMS – Tim Finn experiences the joys of translation of Six Months in a Leaky Boat Fran Kora confronts his biggest fear about learning te reo Māori 6.55PM: KARANGA RĀ: 50 YEARS OF THE WAITANGI TRIBUNAL – 7:30PM: THE CONVERT – A lay preachers violent past is soon drawn into question and his faith put to the test as he finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody war between Māori tribes – A startling documentary record of the mass civil disobedience that took place throughout New Zealand during the winter of 1981 in protest against a South African rugby tour Ngāi Tahu's Treaty settlement has allowed it to flourish and become a driving force in the country's economy He was speaking at Ōnuku marae in Akaroa on Thursday where he has controversially decided to spend Waitangi Day instead of heading to Waitangi to join other political leaders Luxon's big Waitangi Day moment began with heckling as he took the stage a protester being taken away by security as the PM tried to start his speech Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro also spoke at the marae Luxon spent much of his speech revisiting Ngāi Tahu's historic Treaty settlement in 1998 which was achieved in the face of "enormous challenges" you have created a legacy that inspires us all." Follow updates on RNZ's blog Ōnuku marae was "a place of deep significance "Because it is here Ngāi Tahu chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi 185 years ago laying the foundation for what was hoped would be a lasting partnership "Reconciliation has paved the way for the iwi's success The prime minister also made a brief reference to the Treaty Principles Bill promising once again it would not become law It was important Treaty promises were honoured and it must be done in a way that brought the nation closer together "rather than pulling us apart" "National governments have always worked constructively and productively with Māori on Treaty issues while ensuring equal citizenship and equal opportunity for all New Zealanders Ngāi Tahu had endured more than 100 years of adversity and become "disconnected from their land and people" after signing the Treaty and the restoration of what was lost - to preserve your culture A Treaty settlement almost 27 years ago had provided the chance to rebuild and become "a thriving iwi" Ngāi Tahu is a tremendous force in New Zealand's economy - driving change across property "But the success goes beyond profit - it's about creating lasting value for whānau and the wider community." iwi and Māori were following similar paths - "building thriving businesses and ensuring a solid foundation for future generations" Luxon pressed his case for economic growth saying iwi were among those supporting the government's goals To this end more than 20 iwi-led or partnered projects were on the government's Fast Track List and the government was also partnering with iwi and Māori to build infrastructure in several regions Ngāi Tahu's achievements exemplify what is possible when a strong foundation of economic growth is in place." Luxon reminded the audience that in 2040 Aotearoa would mark the bicentenary of the Treaty's signing "The Treaty is central to the history of New Zealand "The government's role is to honour the Treaty and ensure that the country continues in a spirit of Kotahitanga." He expressed a wish for today's children to have the opportunity to be successful in their own country "That's why our focus must be on shared prosperity Luxon also paid tribute to the Māori leaders lost in the last few months It's expected events at at Ōnuku marae will continue through until mid-afternoon Māori leaders in the Far North turned their collective back in an emotional demonstration Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro will also attend the event alongside the Prime Minister While Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi's tangihanga and the Prime Minister's absence contributed Christopher Luxon has defended his decision not to attend Waitangi Day celebrations in Waitangi But the head of the marae Luxon will attend instead - Ōnuku Marae near Akaroa Canterbury - says the prime minister should not expect an easier ride "I've always said I wanted to celebrate Waitangi Day across the country where the treaty was signed," Luxon told Morning Report on Tuesday "I'm really looking forward to doing so with Ngai Tahu at Ōnuku Marae and it's also a place I spent a lot of my summers as a kid and with my own kids "It's not uncommon for PMs not to be at that Waitangi every Waitangi Day I think former prime ministers have not attended attended other events around the country as well I remember going with Bill English to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in his first year as prime minister." Morning Report's Corin Dann put it to Luxon that race relations were not as strained in those years as they are now, as ACT's Treaty Principles Bill makes its way through the legislative process I've spoken very strongly about the Treaty Principles Bill,"Luxon replied He has said National would not vote for it at its second reading we're not supporting it for a number of reasons - this won't become law "What I'm more interested in is actually sitting down with iwi leaders as I did before Christmas in my own office in Wellington and talking about what are we going to do together and you know we've got a great future focusing on how we build a better economy over the next 10 to 15 years He said senior government ministers would be at Waitangi "New Zealanders celebrate Waitangi in lots of different days in lots of different ways I want to get out across the country and experience that and be part of that as well I've been to Waitangi - doesn't preclude me from going back there again being out there with Ngai Tahu will be really good." Ōnuku Rūnanga chairperson Rik Tainui said their marae had hosted prime ministers and Governor-Generals for Waitangi Day celebrations in the past "Our job is to make sure we manaaki (look after) him and those that come in Akaroa and obviously a large number of MPs and politicians and people from local governments." He called it a chance for "us really to come together sort of to pause and reflect on our shared history celebrate Ngai Tahu rangatiratanga as recognised in the te Tiriti and showcase our famous manakitanga and strengthen the relationship between tangata whenua and the Crown and for the benefit of everyone" hopefully he will hear what we have to say and leave with thoughts of how to work better with us "A number of our whanau and iwi obviously have some concerns about the current direction of our country and that some of that will be shared on our paepae and we have a panel discussion that will talk about the relevance of the Treaty currently and the future so I think that will be interesting for everyone that attends Luxon's decision to attend Ōnuku Marae was a surprise He will certainly receive a strong message… his decision to come is his decision to come." Elsewhere in the interview on Morning Report Luxon was asked about a prominent US Senator sharing misinformation about New Zealand's treatment of Israeli visitors Ted Cruz cited an article from Israeli news outlet Haaretz which suggested Israelis were being forced to "provide details of their service in the Israel Defense Forces to apply for visas for New Zealand" "It's difficult to treat New Zealand as a normal ally within the American alliance system when they denigrate and punish Israeli citizens for defending themselves and their country from Iranian-controlled terrorists," Texas Senator Ted Cruz posted on the social media platform X Haaretz later pulled the article after Foreign Minister Winston Peters called it "fake news" noting that Israelis did not even need visas to enter New Zealand let alone talk about their military service Luxon said he had not personally spoken to Cruz about the claims "I did meet with Senator Cruz back in July in Washington He understands very strongly the work of our two countries and the work that we do together in the Indo-Pacific Israelis are very welcome to visit New Zealand They don't have to apply for a visa under our visa waiver program and it was good to see the story… has actually been subsequently taken down." Luxon was also asked if New Zealand would condemn US President Donald Trump's slapping of tariffs on some of its closest allies and neighbours each leader acts in its own national interests President Trump's been elected with a mandate like all leaders to act in their national interests I'm acting in New Zealand's national interest which is why I'm pushing trade and investment hard we think New Zealand and the world is best served in a world where trade flows freely there's other issues that the president's focused on around the border… you've seen that with respect to the Mexican tariffs this morning as well." Trump delayed enacting tariffs on Mexico after the US' southern neighbour agreed to put more troops on the border "specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl "That's a decision for a US leader to make in the interests of the US As for ACT's threat to pull New Zealand out of the Paris climate agreement "We're going really hard on economic growth and it's in our national interest to stay in Paris Every decision has to be done through the lens of our interests and I want the economy growing and we're just going to get poorer if we have less access to international markets which is what would happen if we did that." The controversial bill - which only ACT supports - has officially been introduced at Parliament After a "very friendly" conversation with Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum the US President agreed to pause anticipated tariffs while negotiations are carried out The foreign affairs minister has called out Senator Ted Cruz for sharing misinformation about the immigration requirements for Israelis visiting NZ Many people have little idea that Māori scholarship stretches back to the earliest books published in this country Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome The Chief of Navy says he is honoured to be attending Waitangi Day celebrations and continuing the Royal New Zealand Navy’s long history of playing an important role in celebrating the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi New Zealanders and visitors alike gather at Waitangi The RNZN is invited annually by Te Tai Tokerau to attend Waitangi Day and perform a range of full ceremonial duties Representing the RNZN will be Chief of Navy Rear Admiral (RADM) Garin Golding along with a large contingent of Navy personnel but my first as Chief of Navy will certainly have special significance,” said RADM Golding “The invitation by Te Tai Tokerau has always been a great honour for our Navy and an absolute privilege to be part of.” “This day is a taonga for our nation and we’re grateful we can share it with the people of this region other New Zealanders and visitors to our shores.” RADM Golding will be joined this year by Chief of Army This year the RNZN’s multi-role sealift vessel HMNZS Canterbury will be anchored off Waitangi between 4-6 February Other RNZN involvement in the celebrations will include the Navy band performing at the Village Green in Paihia on Tuesday the 4th with a Beat Retreat and Ceremonial Sunset Ceremony at the Treaty Ground flagpole on Wednesday evening A 50-person Guard of Honour will conduct the ceremonial lowering of the New Zealand White Ensign  This will be reviewed by the Chief of Navy.At midday on Waitangi Day HMNZS Canterbury will fire a 21-gun salute to observe the 185th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi The RNZN Māori Cultural Group will also give a series of performances on the Treaty Grounds Waitangi commemorations have included naval involvement from the day the Treaty was first signed on 6 February 1840 with Captain William Hobson RN as consul for the British Crown and by Māori chiefs the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy the Royal New Zealand Navy have paraded at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds In 1990 the RNZN was presented with a Charter recognising the strength of the relationship between the RNZN and the community in the region The charter allows the RNZN to parade on Te Tai Tokerau land and on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds Former Act leader and Labour minister Richard Prebble has resigned from the Waitangi Tribunal He was appointed to the role in October, 2024, by Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka He told RNZ he had become increasingly alarmed by the Tribunal's decisions over the summer but "it was only when I had the strategic plan drawn to my attention "One of the purposes of the Tribunal - and I know this because I voted for it - was that we knew that there were some historic grievances and they ought to be resolved and the intention was that the Tribunal would "But as a result of its decision that there's not one Treaty and the Treaties themselves are basically a socialist manifesto there's going to be endless numbers of grievances and I can see division in New Zealand being increased rather than decreased Asked what he meant about it being a "socialist manifesto" he pointed to the Tribunal's strategic direction - updated in 2020 - which points to inquiries into various aspects of social life including "citizenship rights and equality" "When you say that the treaty promises equality "To have it now as a Treaty guarantee means that we're going to have successive governments will have claims that they haven't achieved equality "I think aiming for equality and equality of opportunity is a very worthwhile endeavor What I'm saying is that no one puts in their constitution that you can bring a court case against the government if the outcome of a program you went to wasn't equal he said he did not regret accepting the position "I don't know if it's the right way to put it .. he said the way the Treaty was now being interpreted would come as a great shock "not just to governor Hobson but to the chiefs who signed it" "There can't have been a single chief in 1840 who thought that by signing this Treaty he was issuing a guarantee that his ancestors could bring a case regarding social welfare .. the concept of social welfare would have been strange to all of them." In a statement Tribunal Chair Caren Fox said she accepted Prebble's resignation and appreciated his thanks for the "professional manner that the Judges she also made what could be read as a criticism of his decision to resign less than five months after his appointment She said Prebble's resignation letter said his decision was made after reading the findings of the Tribunal's various decisions "in several reports published before his appointment as a member "I expect all members to undertake their own due diligence Mission and Purpose of the Waitangi Tribunal before accepting appointment," she wrote She said Prebble had referenced the Tribunal's interim report on the Treaty's principles published in August and the review of the Tribunal's strategic direction - carried out by "an independent 13-member group and Tribunal presiding officers and members" She said she could not comment on the strategic direction as it was still just a draft shared with stakeholders for feedback and was not yet finalised and presented to her as the chairperson "other than to acknowledge the transparent manner that members of the group have acted to secure the views of stakeholders" Fox also noted the Tribunal was accountable to the High Court through the judicial review process but neither the Crown nor claimants had sought to have its findings reviewed "The Waitangi Tribunal has up to 20 members They are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister for Māori Development Members come from all walks of life and are appointed for their expertise in the matters that are likely to come before them About half the members are Māori and half are Pākehā while not members of the Waitangi Tribunal can be appointed as a presiding officer for a Tribunal panel "A panel of three to seven members is appointed to carry out an inquiry Each Tribunal panel must have at least one Māori member Prebble said his resignation letter called on the minister to follow through with the National-NZ First coalition commitment to review the Tribunal I would appoint a High Court judge to head it "Appointing all the Māori Land Court judges they are very good at helping sort out iwi disputes which take up a lot of the Tribunal's business but then they're not trained in the constitution." He was not certain if is was right to say the Tribunal was not fit for purpose but "I don't think it's carrying out its purpose" Potaka said his focus was now on "moving swiftly to complete the appointment of a new member" "The Waitangi Tribunal achieves its mahi thanks to the commitment of a diverse range of members providing extensive experience and knowledge Mr Prebble has made the decision to resign of his own accord - I respect his choice and wish him well," he said Prebble said none of that criticism was the reason for his resignation because most of the criticism is rubbish," he said He particularly rejected the suggestion he had been appointed as a supporter of David Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill "I have publicly said I'm not in favor of David Seymour reinventing the principles of the Treaty even though the principles he's laid out are very good ones But I don't support the Waitangi Tribunal inventing principles either "There's actually nothing wrong with the original Treaty it's quite simple - with a preamble that extended the Crown's protection; Article 1 ceded sovereignty to the Crown; Article 2 guaranteed property rights; and Article Three extended citizenship It doesn't need all these other principles." He said the idea of partnership was a 20th-century invention - and as for the idea of equality "well that's owes more to Marx than it does to anything that happened at Waitangi" Ngarewa-Packer's comments were not worthy of a reply There has been much debate about what the signatories of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi believed they had signed up to The commitments cover fundamental matters of governance equality and rights to property and natural resources The Treaty is a significant document; New Zealand does not have a written constitution rather constitutional arrangements including "statutes Te Tiriti is a founding document within these arrangements There is an English version of the articles of the Treaty and then the Māori text - translated from the English there are key differences in the wording between the two One of the most contentious aspects is whether Māori ceded sovereignty to the Crown The Minister for Māori Development has appointed eight new members to the Waitangi Tribunal says a lot has changed in the 30 years since they made their stand Former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson has spoken in support of the Treaty Principles Bill The Treaty Principles Bill will "whitewash" the Crown and Māori partnership The Waitangi National Trust chairperson hopes the prime minister and other government ministers make their way to the Treaty grounds for the annual commemorations Christopher Luxon on Monday, at his post-Cabinet press conference would not confirm whether he would attend next year's annual gathering Luxon said he had received invitations from other iwi to attend celebrations Waitangi National Trust chair Pita Tipene said the trust's kaupapa saw Waitangi as 'the enduring symbol of nationhood' and he expected the prime minister to be there "What we're clear about is that a promise was made at Waitangi on the sixth of February 1840 discourse or conversations need to continue Tipene said while things had the potential to get "volatile" Waitangi commemorations were safe environments "Any Waitangi Day has the potential to be volatile and there are differing degrees of angst depending on the political climate of the time "What the Waitangi National Trust want is discourse and conversations of the Treaty We're encouraging everybody to keep each other safe and we want to create an environment where the country can focus exactly on what it's all about - the promise of the Treaty." With the Treaty Principles Bill at the front of people's minds Tipene said they wanted to "create much more light instead of heat" "If the hīkoi was anything to go by certainly the Wellington leg of which I was part We really want the leadership of the hīkoi to be applying that same approach "We'll just be doing our darndest to ensure people are safe Winston Peters and others who are seen as the face of leading the policies creating so much angst throughout the country." The prime minister not attending Waitangi Day would show he "has no balls and may be a drop-nuts" Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says going down in history as the largest march to Parliament in Aotearoa The PM says 2024 has been a good start - but "I'll be the first to tell you we have a lot more to do" Hundreds have signed an open letter asking the King to step in over the government's policies relating to Māori "It's just incredible what this government will do," Willie Jackson says {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/02/06/new-zealand-celebrates-waitangi-day-with-haka-hikoi-and-reflection/"},"datePublished":"2025-02-06T03:12:30.367Z","dateModified":"2025-02-06T06:34:49.683Z","headline":"New Zealand celebrates Waitangi Day with haka hīkoi and reflection","description":"The country marks 185 years since the signing of a founding document Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not attend the Treaty Grounds as previously signalled in December choosing to accept an invitation to spend the day with Ngāi Tahu at Akaroa's Ōnuku Marae alongside Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro Luxon spoke about the importance of economic growth partnerships between Maori and the Government and empowering iwi to lead initiatives that benefit both Maori and New Zealand as a whole "We've demonstrated time and time again that we can confront tension Something many other countries around the world have failed to achieve "The Crown-Māori relationship will continue to be strong and built on respect and collaboration." a dawn ceremony at Te Whare Rūnanga Marae marked the beginning of the day's events with speeches from politicians and church leaders Methodist Church leader Te Aroha Rountree delivered a sermon including criticism of Luxon's leadership and the Government's commitment to Te Tiriti She referred to the Crown-Maori relationship as a marriage and that it seemed the Crown had "filed for divorce" from a "blissfully unaware" Maori ACT leader David Seymour said he was unimpressed by the speech "Maybe if people wonder why church attendance is in free fall and people turn away from Christianity according to the latest Census it's because people try and politicise things like that." Political leaders from each party were invited to offer a prayer at the Waitangi dawn ceremony Labour leader Chris Hipkins said: “May we find the courage patience and strength to celebrate our differences and reconcile our differences Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick read from the Ada Limón poem Dead Stars What would happen if we decided to survive more?” Neither Te Pāti Māori nor NZ First were present at the dawn ceremony In one of the greater spectacles of the day waka were launched this morning following karakia and a mass haka The waka parade was key to celebrating Māori culture at Waitangi as the various waka represented ancestral waka that sailed to settle Aotearoa they left the shore as many whānau lined the bank to farewell their waka individually as they departed Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei were on hand to see off their waka Te Kawau — the iwi's first in 25 years The waka also led Team New Zealand's boat out for races in their successful America's Cup campaign in Barcelona Ngātokimatawhaorua led the fleet around the bay and across in front of Te Tii Marae has seen the tide at Waitangi come and go many times "There were one or two waka when I first saw it I feel all choked up just watching it," she said reflecting on how commemorations have changed over the years said there was a large turnout of attendees at this morning's dawn service and other activities throughout the day filled with people from near and far all coming together to commemorate this occasion the Waitangi National Trust and the community to ensure this was a safe and enjoyable day for the public.” He said the atmosphere was relaxed and respectful “It was great to see so many people celebrating with whānau and enjoying their time at Waitangi.” Events were also held across the country to commemorate our national day Around 500 people turned out for a hīkoi in support of Māori rights in Christchurch Starting at Victoria Square and finishing at New Brighton Pier with hundreds gathering for a hīkoi between Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and Waitangi Park arriving in time for a Te Rā o Waitangi on the waterfront up to 500 people were accompanied by a flotilla of waka taurua and Westshore Sea Scout dinghies in a 30-minute hīkoi along Te Awa o Mokotūāraro riverbank to Farndon Park in Clive They were greeted by a rousing haka pōwhiri from Hukarere and Te Aute college students "The purpose of remembering isn't to sow division and disharmony but actually to bind us together as a nation that can openly and honestly confront its past," historian Vincent O'Malley said "That's not about assigning blame it's just about growing up as a nation being mature enough to own our history – warts and all." Around 35,000 people gathered to celebrate Waitangi Day in West Auckland's Parrs Park with a free concert Waitangi ki Manukau at Barry Curtis Park was headlined by Dam Native Toa Waka Ama offered Porirua residents the opportunity to paddle around Te-Awarua-o-Porirua harbour on a free waka tour as part of Waitangi Day celebrations Waitangi Ltd chief executive Ben Dalton said the day was filled with people in good spirits "It’s been yet another beautiful Waitangi Day and we are grateful to everyone who came to mark this moment with us "Thank you to everyone who has supported and assisted in making this another successful day for everyone to enjoy." Despite the traditional tensions at Waitangi — this time piqued by coalition politics — the overriding atmosphere there and across the motu was resoundingly positive Thousands of attendees and dignitaries gathered at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and around the country today to celebrate 185 years since the signing of New Zealand's founding document Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not attend the Treaty Grounds as previously signalled in December, choosing to accept an invitation to spend the day with Ngāi Tahu at Akaroa's Ōnuku Marae alongside Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro. Luxon spoke about the importance of economic growth, partnerships between Maori and the Government and empowering iwi to lead initiatives that benefit both Maori and New Zealand as a whole. "We've demonstrated time and time again that we can confront tension, heal past grievances, and move forward. Something many other countries around the world have failed to achieve. In the Bay of Islands, a dawn ceremony at Te Whare Rūnanga Marae marked the beginning of the day's events, with speeches from politicians and church leaders. Methodist Church leader Te Aroha Rountree delivered a sermon including criticism of Luxon's leadership and the Government's commitment to Te Tiriti. She referred to the Crown-Maori relationship as a marriage and that it seemed the Crown had "filed for divorce" from a "blissfully unaware" Maori. ACT leader David Seymour said he was unimpressed by the speech. "Maybe if people wonder why church attendance is in free fall, and people turn away from Christianity according to the latest Census, it's because people try and politicise things like that." Methodist Church President Te Aroha Rountree says the Treaty Principles Bill feels like one spouse, the Crown, has filed for divorce.  (Source: 1News) Political leaders from each party were invited to offer a prayer at the Waitangi dawn ceremony. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said: “May we find the courage, patience and strength to celebrate our differences and reconcile our differences. May we turn away from provocation." Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick read from the Ada Limón poem Dead Stars. "Look, we are not unspectacular things. We’ve come this far, survived this much. What would happen if we decided to survive more?” Neither Te Pāti Māori nor NZ First were present at the dawn ceremony. Waka parade in front of Te Tii marae. (Source: 1News) In one of the greater spectacles of the day, waka were launched this morning following karakia and a mass haka. The waka parade was key to celebrating Māori culture at Waitangi, as the various waka represented ancestral waka that sailed to settle Aotearoa. One by one, they left the shore as many whānau lined the bank to farewell their waka individually as they departed. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei were on hand to see off their waka, Te Kawau — the iwi's first in 25 years. The waka also led Team New Zealand's boat out for races in their successful America's Cup campaign in Barcelona. Attendees reflect on a half century since the rise of the Māori Land March.   (Source: 1News) As each waka joined the fleet, Ngātokimatawhaorua led the fleet around the bay and across in front of Te Tii Marae. Heeni Davis, 89, has seen the tide at Waitangi come and go many times. "There were one or two waka when I first saw it, but this is wonderful, I feel all choked up just watching it," she said, reflecting on how commemorations have changed over the years. Ngātokimatawhaorua led the launch of fleet. (Source: 1News) Northland District Prevention Manager, Inspector Dean Robinson, said there was a large turnout of attendees at this morning's dawn service and other activities throughout the day. “It’s been a beautiful day, filled with people from near and far all coming together to commemorate this occasion. "We worked closely with iwi, the Waitangi National Trust and the community to ensure this was a safe and enjoyable day for the public.” He said the atmosphere was relaxed and respectful. Events were also held across the country to commemorate our national day. Around 500 people turned out for a hīkoi in support of Māori rights in Christchurch. Starting at Victoria Square and finishing at New Brighton Pier, the hīkoi was organised by Tai ki Maunga, Maunga ki Tai. There were similar scenes in the capital, with hundreds gathering for a hīkoi between Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and Waitangi Park, arriving in time for a Te Rā o Waitangi on the waterfront. In the south and in the north, Waitangi Day was marked by marches calling for unity and the partnership that was promised.  (Source: 1News) Meanwhile in Hawke's Bay, up to 500 people were accompanied by a flotilla of waka taurua, canoes, and Westshore Sea Scout dinghies in a 30-minute hīkoi along Te Awa o Mokotūāraro riverbank to Farndon Park in Clive. They were greeted by a rousing haka pōwhiri from Hukarere and Te Aute college students. "The purpose of remembering isn't to sow division and disharmony but actually to bind us together as a nation that can openly and honestly confront its past," historian Vincent O'Malley said. "That's not about assigning blame, it's just about growing up as a nation, being mature enough to own our history – warts and all." Around 35,000 people gathered to celebrate Waitangi Day in West Auckland's Parrs Park with a free concert, featuring Stan Walker, Aaradhna, Che Fu, Troy Kingi, Corrella and more. In south Auckland, Waitangi ki Manukau at Barry Curtis Park was headlined by Dam Native, MAJIC, Jordyn with a Why, MOHI and Tipene. Toa Waka Ama offered Porirua residents the opportunity to paddle around Te-Awarua-o-Porirua harbour on a free waka tour as part of Waitangi Day celebrations. Waitangi Ltd chief executive Ben Dalton said the day was filled with people in good spirits. "It’s been yet another beautiful Waitangi Day and we are grateful to everyone who came to mark this moment with us. Despite the traditional tensions at Waitangi — this time piqued by coalition politics — the overriding atmosphere there and across the motu was resoundingly positive. Treaty Principles Bill voted down amid fiery MP debate The only party to support the bill was ACT with its 11 votes Te Ao Māori Council pledges Treaty law apology after brutal history lesson A debate on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill was shut down by conservative councillors at the council's December meeting Why Te Tii Marae lifted the media ban at Waitangi Analysis: The marae in Waitangi stands steadfast forever tied to the land where a pivotal moment in our country’s history began John Campbell: Waitangi in the age of the Treaty Principles Bill Waitangi 2025: Luxon speaks at Ōnuku marae Join 1News for coverage of commemorations from Waitangi and across the motu Waitangi 2025: Haka pōwhiri fit for Government What unfolded in the pōwhiri for politicians on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds NRL: Sharks centre Iro wants to be known by new name 4 mins ago Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' 7 mins ago Arrest after person assaulted, robbed at Palmerston North Hospital 10 mins ago Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain 19 mins ago Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 46 mins ago More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ 0 min ago 1Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon The Government's Treaty Principles Bill has been defeated at its second reading concluding more than a year of contention over the controversial legislation The motion is lost," said Speaker Gerry Brownlee Opposition MPs and some in the public gallery stood and applauded the result The voting down of the bill came after a fiery debate between MPs Labour's Chris Hipkins said the "grubby little bill" was a "stain on our country" after ACT's David Seymour made a final plea for Parliamentarians to support his legislation the architect of the bill and leader of ACT was interrupted just seconds into introducing the second reading of the legislation by a protester in the public gallery who began singing in te reo Māori Brownlee called the outburst "unacceptable" "Anyone else who thinks that's acceptable .. will be treated harshly by the officers of the law who are here," he said "Members of this house can still change their mind and send this bill onwards to a referendum of the people," he continued "I ask that members listen carefully to understand the choice that they'll be denying the New Zealand people if they oppose this bill this House passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act saying that the Treaty had principles but failing to say what they were and those principles as a concept are not going away." He said the review of Treaty clauses in legislation committed to in the New Zealand First coalition agreement would not touch the Act the Waitangi Tribunal and the public servants" have to find the principles instead "The effect of these principles have become more and more obvious lately "The idea that your race matters is a version of a bigger problem it's part of that bigger idea that our lives are determined by things out of our control." Both National and New Zealand First have vowed not to support the bill The only party in Parliament expected to support the legislation will be ACT Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the Treaty Principles Bill "a stain on our country" "What I do take pride in is the way New Zealanders have come together over the last six months to say loud and clear 'This is not us this is not Aotearoa New Zealand'." Labour's Willie Jackson was ejected from the debating chamber for refusing to withdraw a statement he made about Seymour Hipkins described the proposed legislation as a "grubby little bill born of a grubby little deal" and that the coalition partners can have "no credit for starting to fight the fire they helped to ignite" "Not one National MP should walk out of this debating chamber today with their heads held high The bill was based on a "mythology" of Māori special privilege "No member of this House simply gets to wipe all of those 185 years of history away to suit their own purposes because Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not just history Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson began her speech by describing her fear of missing out during the hīkoi last year "I was inspired by your beautiful kotahitanga energy," she said "This house will and should hear repeatedly today that 90% of the submissions [on the bill were] opposed Record breaking submissions to the select committee oppose this bill 80% of the oral submissions also oppose this bill and that is from 529 oral submissions The people spoke there was one clear message: Toitū Te Tiriti." She challenged ACT to "release their myth of special treatment and find their equity bone" so they don't bring any more embarrassing Bills like this to the House." Davidson was told her speech may be terminated because of her repeated reference of the Prime Minister who was not in the House said the outcome of the bill had been known since its introduction "National has consistently said we'll not support it into law," he said "Fundamentally because we regard the bill - which seeks to impose a particular interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi by simple majority and referendum is a crude way to handle a very sensitive topic." Hipkins' speech was "hyperbole" and National had to compromise to form the coalition Our country is not so fragile that we can't stand a debate about the role of Te Tiriti." He said National did not oppose discussions about the Treaty and its place in New Zealand "It has to be worked through issue by issue." New Zealand First's Casey Costello said the bill "would have taken us back to the courts [which] is the last thing this country needs" She said the party was well-aware of the compromises related to the Treaty Principles Bill coming to a second reading a subsequent Parliament could change the definitions and so a cycle could continue." uninterrupted position" on the Treaty of Waitangi Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke who led the haka during the first reading debate said her speech was "daunting" to write "We're not going to talk about the Treaty Principles Bill .. the whole world knows our view of it," she said referring to the viral video of her ripping up the bill during its first reading it's been absolutely annihilated." Maipi-Clarke said the real issue was not the bill but the institution "only ever recognising one partner "When will the rules of this house acknowledge the laws of this land - tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was absent from the debating chamber today as he usually is on Thursdays He insisted this was due to scheduling of proceedings in Parliament rather than intentionally avoiding the debate "We've got serious things to get done." who is also typically absent in Parliament on Thursdays Seymour said he remained optimistic his coalition partners would change their minds and support the legislation The Treaty Principles Bill proposed to redefine how the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are interpreted and applied in laws and decision-making The principles are interpretations of the Treaty that the courts and government officials have developed since the passing of the Treaty of Waitangi Act in 1975 The principles were created in part to bridge the differences between the two versions of the Treaty and guide relations between the Crown and Māori While there is no definitive list of principles people often refer to the "three Ps": No principles have ever been expressly defined in law which is what ACT leader David Seymour said the Treaty Principles Bill was seeking to do The legislation is officially known as the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill If passed and supported at a subsequent referendum the bill would have required the new principles to be used when interpreting laws National and New Zealand First committed to supporting ACT's Treaty Principles Bill to the select committee stage when signing their coalition deals in November 2023 ACT had campaigned on a referendum on the Treaty principles While neither of ACT's coalition partners agreed to support the bill to a second reading it took several months before Prime Minister Christopher Luxon effectively killed the bill by completely ruling out National's support for it going further in Parliament In January 2024, 1News was leaked a Ministry of Justice memo on the bill It expressed concerns the proposed law would conflict with the rights and interests of Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi that the Crown was trying to define Treaty principles without consulting with Māori that the bill breached international agreements and that it infringed on the Māori right to self-determination An interim report by the Waitangi Tribunal in August described the bill as "little more than a politically motivated attack on perceived 'Māori privilege'." The tribunal added in the second part of its report - released when the bill's introduction to the House was brought forward in November - that the legislation would be the "worst most comprehensive breach of the Treaty/te Tiriti in modern times" if enacted the legislation had its first reading in Parliament MPs who opposed the bill described it as being "divisive" a "wrecking ball" to Crown-Māori relations and "amounting to a dictatorship of the majority" Labour MP Willie Jackson was booted from the debating chamber after he called Seymour a "liar". A subsequent haka led by Te Pāti Māori MPs saw proceedings suspended before the vote could be finished Once MPs returned to an empty public gallery the bill passed its first reading and went to the select committee stage Henare was recommended to apologise, although the MP said he did not regret the haka On November 19, more than 42,000 people, including the Māori Queen, Nga wai hono i te po, marched on Parliament The nine-day hīkoi organised by Toitū te Tiriti, which had begun in the Far North and crossed Auckland's Harbour Bridge was in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill alongside other Government policies derided by protesters as anti-Māori It was one of the largest demonstrations of its kind in the country's history briefly appeared alongside his MPs on Parliament's forecourt to boos from the crowd and chants of "kill the bill" led by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi Submissions on the legislation opened on November 20 and initially closed on January 7, although the deadline was extended until January 14 after people encountered problems with submitting online Parliamentarians received more than 300,000 written submissions and requests for 16,000 oral submissions representing the largest response to proposed legislation Parliament has ever received Thousands of submissions were to be excluded from the record because staff didn't have enough time to process them, but ACT MP Todd Stephenson moved a last-minute motion last Thursday to add all submissions to the public record Parliament's Justice Committee released its 45-page report on the bill the next day which recommended it not proceed Seymour disagreed with the committee's recommendation and said he didn't believe the opposition reflected the true opinion of New Zealanders He pointed to ACT’s End of Life Choice law as an example of the gap between submissions and public opinion 90% opposed the law - but when put to a referendum A fight over the Government’s Treaty Principles Bill has prompted a brutal history lesson for Taranaki Regional Council – and an apology Councillors have voted to investigate why a debate on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill was shut down by conservative councillors at the Taranaki Regional Council’s December meeting The council will also apologise to the people – mostly Māori – who wanted to discuss the contentious bill which aims to change how Te Tiriti is interpreted and applied The response has neutralised a threatened High Court judicial review staff were asked to draft a submission to Parliament on the bill but veteran councillors Neil Walker and Donald McIntyre used a little-known meeting rule to halt discussion Peter Moeahu – the policy and planning committee’s Taranaki iwi representative – lodged a conduct complaint saying Taranaki Regional Council "wilfully abandoned its legal obligations and denied open and transparent discussion" He spoke at the year’s first full council meeting on Tuesday "The council submission said the Treaty Principles Bill will undermine your relationship with iwi "You showed you didn’t give a stuff about that You didn’t even care enough to discuss it." The farmer-lobby councillors Walker and McIntyre have collectively spent 41 years in the chamber shaping submissions to Parliament Walker suddenly declared the council was "not a political body" and the Treaty bill was "too divisive" and "not appropriate" for discussion Moeahu said current Government bills are core council business and the RMA Amendment Bill all share the same kaupapa reduce or expunge environment protection and as this council is responsible for the environment I would have thought this council would be raising hell over and over." Moeahu asked councillors if they honestly wanted a relationship with iwi But what we do know is what your kith and kin did to us." Moeahu insisted councillors needed to know their history before considering issues such as the Treaty Bill "Greed for our lands and our resources The very things protected and guaranteed to us under the Treaty." and the destruction of homes and villages with crops burned and livestock stolen He recalled the hundreds of men and boys – including his great grandfather Tāmati Whanganui – were imprisoned as forced labourers without trial "because they had committed no crime" our defenceless girls and women were repeatedly raped by white men at Parihaka," said Moeahu speaking of assaults the Crown admitted in the 2017 Parihaka Reconciliation Act "That rape and pillage went on for years "Can you understand the trauma that our people have had to suffer under for generations?" Moeahu’s son – New Plymouth District Councillor Dinnie Moeahu – had approval to address the December meeting but was left fuming as councillors debated when he might speak and moved him down the agenda described by TRC iwi rep Mitchell Ritai as “really appalling” treatment Dinnie Moeahu said he had come to praise them for the draft submission and "the type of leadership that the rest of Taranaki could follow" and also [of you] as elected members to provide an opportunity to have a robust discussion." The rudeness he instead experienced was "perplexing" Council chief executive Steve Ruru advised councillors that procedural failings and other deficiencies had left them at legal risk Ruru suggested three options – a Conduct Review Committee or an internal review – recommending the latter as best and fastest He also recommended Taranaki Regional Council apologise to Dinnie Moeahu Moeahu said he’d expected to seek a judicial review as he didn’t trust the council to referee itself – but the iwi reps now favoured Ruru’s suggested internal review “We had lengthy discussions about what is best for this council… Councillor Bonita Bigham said she was deeply concerned about "discussions and pre-determination" from which she and councillor Susan Hughes KC had been excluded the Taranaki Regional Council would be mentioned at the Treaty bill Parliamentary hearing "I'll be appearing before the select committee next week… and I'll be making reference to what happened at this council and these actions," said Bigham "I just invite you… as another great-granddaughter of a Parihaka prisoner to understand that we still live with the trauma and the legacy that Peter [Moeahu] outlined "So this is very important to us." Councillor Charlotte Littlewood – who earlier in the meeting stood down as chair – said perceptions of council behaviour were vital a councillor sitting there reading the newspaper and… not taking any interest in the discussion while we all have a debate I find it quite offensive." New Plymouth’s David Lean was the councillor reading the newspaper while his council’s response to historical trauma was debated Walker and McIntyre have remained publicly silent on the issue since the December meeting Moeahu was satisfied with Ruru’s recommendation "We had lengthy discussions about what is best for this council… and we'd be satisfied with that." The recommended investigation and apology was voted for by all councillors but McIntyre who said he’d prefer a full conduct review committee LDR is local body reporting co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air marking the end of another year at Waitangi the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1835 and where Rangatira wrestled with the decision of whether or not to sign Te Tiriti o Waitangi five years later that’s not always the story people have been told about this place a newly paved forecourt and a fresh lick of paint after a year of restoration the people of Ngāti Rāhiri hosted a dawn service to mark its grand-reopening they allowed mainstream media to enter and film for the first time in years I wasn’t yet a reporter when Waitangi commemorations were held at Te Tii before a decision was made to move official events north of the Waitangi bridge in 2018 But the TVNZ archive offers a certain insight into what it was like There are images of men and women shouting at police a protester grabbed former prime minister John Key by the collar Helen Clark cried over speaking rights on the marae And who could forget when mud was thrown at Don Brash mainstream media were no longer welcome at Te Tii Kaumātua had grown tired of the negative coverage But that didn’t stop reporters from showing up I have heard stories of journalists arguing with locals at the front gate I often think about that and how unfathomable it would be for someone to behave that way at one of my marae - a stranger with no whakapapa or relationship to the area demanding to be let in against the wishes of my people I’d liken such an act to someone demanding entry into my home The marae later put in place entry fees for media wishing to film there The fee became one of the biggest stories at the time with much of the reporting framing the marae as unreasonable about the impact that past media coverage had on his people “Most of it hasn’t been that good,” he said they didn’t understand who we were and what we were about.” some out there had negative perceptions of us He acknowledged that some of the past protest actions over breaches of Te Tiriti had been “violent” and we’re trying to clean that up,” he said Our kaumātua were fighting for what they believed in.” The remark made me wonder - what is a reasonable response to 185 years of injustice were the media allowed back after all these years He explained that he didn’t want whānau who couldn’t attend the re-opening to miss out the story of Te Tii Marae has been whatever the media has wanted it to be offering the chance to see things through their eyes the mood at Waitangi felt strikingly different I was walking across the famous lawn at the Treaty Grounds wondering how to tell the story of this year’s Waitangi in its complexity and its desperate need of the c word I asked them if I could record what they were saying We’d been discussing the political pōwhiri, on Wednesday, and what was for some (many?) at Waitangi the confusing and challenging business of welcoming David Seymour, when his Treaty Principles Bill has been described by the Prime Minister as “divisive” and in that division many of the people I spoke to at Waitangi vehemently oppose the Bill as one woman told me after watching David Seymour walk past her on Wednesday afternoon “it’s a slap in the face of generations of us as we stood on the hill looking out to the Bay of Islands and the Pacific we see people coming and we gotta manaaki them… lead them in when you see lights bringing people in from the ocean that's Manaaki… And I think that's what we need to do That’s really significant at a place like this Waitangi… No matter if we don't like them I précised Pou to as many people as I could asking them whether that’s what they thought manaakitanga required of them made me realise the pressure some (many?) Māori must feel under but to do so consistent with manaakitanga and the immense scrutiny Māori protest is always placed under to misquote a phrase much loved by rugby commentators Wednesday felt like the morning (mourning?) after this February 5th felt strikingly different and saw significantly fewer people attend - including the Prime Minister who chose instead to be in the Canterbury township of Akaroa once the centre of unrealised French dreams of some form of colonial beachhead After the huge crowds of February 5th last year with its white flags advancing up the hill and across the lawn like giant albatross searching for lost land after the “be Māori” exhortations of Kingi Tūheitia in January which had carried into Waitangi and made people feel airborne the day on which the politicians came to Waitangi the absence of people was so striking that someone asked me “It should never have come to this,” Hōne Sadler told me he meant the Treaty Principles Bill going to Select Committee We sat together under the canopy that protects people from the intense northern sun as they listen to speakers outside Waitangi’s beautifully carved meeting house There were empty bottles everywhere – water has such a deep understanding of this place and its history that when he tells you the people here “strategised” their response to the politicians arriving as a high-powered group huddled on tightly configured chairs outside the meeting house their voices rising and falling as voices do when ideas are being tested and scored it was apparent something was being planned “We had to get some strategies together to ensure that we were ready for the game," Hōne Sadler told me “And what we did today was what we had strategised And I think we played the game really well.” The game was what my TVNZ colleague Maiki Sherman was alluding to when she pointed out that when the microphone was removed from Seymour as he spoke on Wednesday he still had a mic of his own attached to his lapel – for Act Party social media videos The game was Shane Jones seemingly wanting to prescribe the acceptable limits of protest and appearing to suggest funding might be contingent upon it The game was Labour leader Chris Hipkins stating “Responsible political leaders light the path forward they don’t exploit division and fear that comes from the fear that uncertainty creates,” two decades after Labour Prime Minister had called the foreshore and seabed hikoi leaders It was four hours before the political pōwhiri he warmly greeted the Māori Wardens who’d arrived similarly early their manaakitanga such a shining feature of being at Waitangi that each year’s reunion is one of the highlights of my visits there respect) is central to how the people who oversee Waitangi believe it should engage with the world he’s the author of the Treaty Principles Bill Manaakitanga and tikanga (customary behaviour) preserved and applied alongside a widespread desire to reject the Bill in unequivocal terms we have a responsibility to manaaki people and that we’re going to express ourselves appropriately.” As Aperahama Edwards removing Seymour’s microphone In the unleashed heat of Wednesday afternoon kapa haka and pōwhiri performers at the Treaty Grounds whose skills and energy are much in demand during Waitangi week “Happy to see my Māori come together again They talked about their pride in being strongly connected to Māoritanga and te reo Māori That they were “fortunate enough” to grow up in an environment where those things were available to them “We’re building a path for the next generation to come.” I asked them to tell people who’ve never been to Waitangi what you get when you come here for the first time And then she told me the best thing about coming to Waitangi was that it helped you understand Te Titiri I asked them about the Treaty Principles Bill and Seymour “I think it’s just in the Māori nature to manaaki.” that those so often repeated lines from the Allen Curnow poem to the generation being called the “kura kids” some child born in a marvellous year / Will learn the trick of standing upright here.” Ngā wai hono i te po was welcomed on to Waitangi Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was there with the Kīngitanga party She of the Parliamentary protest haka that has now been viewed somewhere in the region of a billion times but she can’t go further than a metre without being stopped for a selfie In her maiden speech to Parliament To the tamariki Māori who have been sitting in the back of their classroom their whole life to the tamariki who haven't been to their pepeha yet Much has been made of Seymour’s microphone being removed at Waitangi but slightly less of the fact that when he arrived for the pōwhiri a group of mostly younger people who were gathered on the Treaty Grounds turned their backs on him and walked off down the hill Many were from the Toitū Te Tiriti movement The people behind last year’s hikoi - the largest march on Parliament in this country’s history Which brings us to the second half of this Waitangi of two halves and the day blossomed into a kind of celebration After the politicians had left on Wednesday I wanted to know how he thought it had gone I asked him what he thought of Seymour’s speech “I think David Seymour said some things that taunted the people and hence the reaction… The removal of the microphone… People turning their backs… People singing a waiata People who support the Treaty Principles Bill And there it is, posted to Act New Zealand’s YouTube page receiving more than 40,000 viewings in its first 24 hours as we looked back on the pōwhiri on Wednesday afternoon The strategising Hōne Sadler told me about To a YouTube audience whose comments suggest they may never attend Waitangi in person down amongst the hustle and bustle of the Forum Tent meetings and the first-time-at-Waitangi families having picnics and the Waitangi veterans sagely comparing this to other years “The wairua from the hikoi has carried through," Tipene told me Or perhaps it was the manaakitanga Pou Te Rongomau insists we must shine like a beacon from our shore They were, they told me, two of 120 people who’d come to Waitangi with the Karuwhā Trust with the purpose of getting young New Zealanders to Waitangi during Treaty commemorations so they can learn more about the country’s history “We've been cleaning the wharepaku down there and helping out in the kitchen They told me the trust’s name was a reference to a man called Henry Williams Keen observers of our history will know that among the things the Williams brothers translated into te reo Māori were the Bible only in Māori not in English by all the rangatira there that day with its guarantee of “tino rangatiratanga” was after the handle Māori had bestowed upon Henry Williams who wore spectacles – it translates as "four eyes".) And here’s where things get rather wonderfully strange Because the people in the photo below are Nigel Williams and his daughter Emma Williams and his son Martin Williams and Emma and Martin’s great-great-great grandfather I asked Nigel, Emma and Martin what they think Henry Williams might have made of the Treaty Principles Bill and its impact on the status of the Treaty that he translated And Emma Williams told me that it wasn’t just the translation itself it was that Henry explained to the chiefs at Waitangi what he’d translated Watch John Campbell's interview with Nigel, Emma and Martin on TVNZ+ and the fluent te reo Māori speaking brothers travelled the country explaining to rangatira what they were putting their signature to And they believed the Treaty would be honoured “And we’re really here today," Martin told me as explained and promised to Māori in that way And we’re really concerned that it isn’t being (honoured) through what’s happening right now through the Treaty Principles Bill.” that 160 members of the Williams family have signed a submission against the Treaty Principles Bill “We can’t stand by and have liars made of the missionaries and the promises that were made at that time,” Martin Williams said “The Treaty Principles Bill is like this giant act of buyer’s remorse David Seymour would probably say emphatically that that’s not what he’s doing You arrive at Waitangi for the dawn service in darkness so complete that you sometimes can’t see where you’re going as you walk the last stretch to the Treaty Grounds looking up to where the Treaty was signed on February 6th 1840 you can see the headlights of the even earlier cars as they head down from the top of the hill They’re strikingly bright against the darkness Like Pou Te Rongomau’s sense of manaakitanga The light we shine to bring people home and keep people safe An extraordinary pōwhiri played out on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as the Government and opposition parties were welcomed to Te Whare Rūnanga On Tuesday, we saw how proceedings usually unfold when esteemed guests are welcomed New elements added – and taken away – from proceedings left no doubt about the message from haukāinga: They were against recent Government policies and actions or simply a matter of letting actions speak for themselves the first of three kaiwero initiated proceedings by approaching the visitors He made a declaration – “nō tātou te whenua as he turned his back and led the group forward The final kaiwero stalked up and down the line for a prolonged length of time before NZ First MP Shane Jones stepped forward to trigger a response ACT Party leader David Seymour would end up picking the taki up they selected Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee to pick up the three taki three different men would be chosen for this duty – certainly there were plenty of suitable candidates within the group – or a single person would do all three Seymour said initially Brownlee was meant to do all three they wanted me to pick one up — and so I eventually responded to that challenge,” he said In Tuesday’s pōwhiri for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po swapped with the men to take the front lines as the group neared Te Whare Rūnanga — but that was not done today The rest wore red blankets over their clothes and stood in a group on the mahau (porch) of the whare The lone kaikaranga posed the question to the group: “Ko wai koe with some MPs visibly moved by the display There were red blankets and scarfs worn by many of the people involved in the pōwhiri and a particular group of women draped in the colour were clearly in charge turning their backs and creating a wall of red between him and the haukāinga They served up the same treatment — blocking the media instead of the haukāinga this time — to Jones and NZ First leader Winston Peters "We were telling them 'we're not listening' — we no longer want to listen to what they have to say," said Frances Goulton the lead artist who designed the red blankets she said it was a colour related to the sign of blood Seymour continued his speech in spite of the backs turned but Ngāti Wai leader Aperahama Edwards crossed over to take away the ACT Party leader’s microphone and stand Kaumātua Waihoroi Shortland eventually returned the mic — only for Edwards to take it away a second time and stood between it and the haukāinga until Seymour finished his speech Edwards said the sentiment expressed was "very clear" "I was also mindful that he had been told by his hapū not to attend and if he attended that he shouldn't speak." He said New Zealand aspires to have a country that is honourable and that the actions and behaviours of the coalition Government have been "anything but honourable" The Cronulla player formerly known as Kayal Iro has explained his decision to change his first name midway through the NRL season Iro made a tryscoring return from a hamstring injury in the Sharks' Magic Round win over Parramatta last Friday sporting a new name on Cronulla's team list The 25-year-old has now requested he be referred to as 'KL Iro' The centre is named after his father Kevin Leslie Iro who enjoyed a decorated career in England and represented New Zealand with distinction The left centre's official documents will still read "Kayal" but the Sharks flyer said he made the switch to 'KL' to avoid any doubt as to how his name should be pronounced "Mum didn't want it to be a two-letter name when I was a kid," Iro said "She's the one that changed it to 'Kayal' I think it was just foreign back then to have a two-letter name "But my dad always wanted it to be 'KL' and I like it that way too because it's easier to pronounce and there's no confusion I was too scared to step on anyone's toes "I guess I've built a bit of a relationship with these fellas now so I asked the question and got it done pretty quick." which was often mispronounced by commentators when his father and uncle Tony were playing "Even my dad and uncle when they were playing the Pommies would pronounce it 'aye-ro' rather than 'ear-ro'," Iro added he loved it but it's pretty cool to hear a commentator saying our family name." Iro was born in England while his father was playing for Leeds but spent most of his childhood growing up in the Cook Islands While he hinted he would be open to facing the Kangaroos in the end-of-season Ashes series "I wouldn't say no but my first thing is getting the Cook Islands qualified for the World Cup next year," he said Iro and the sixth-placed Sharks (5-4) will face one of the most daunting challenges of their season to date when they travel to take on Manly (4-4) at Brookvale Oval on Sunday "They've got a strong right edge and also [Tom] Trbojevic at the back," Iro said "[Trboejvic] is a strike weapon in attack and things happen around him we've got to be aware of him." The sister of Juliana Bonilla Herrera wants her memory to be "honoured through firm actions and just decisions that prevent similar tragedies" Saray Bonilla has taken part in the Coroner's inquest into the 37-year-old's death remotely from California It came to a close in Christchurch this afternoon was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Joseph Brider who had been paroled from prison just 72 days earlier He'd been serving time for serious sexual offences including rape Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame has heard evidence from various Corrections Department workers about their interactions with Brider prior to the murder the rehabilitation agency supporting Brider in his reintegration into the community Juliana's sister has had the opportunity to question those who appeared in court and a victim support worker shared a statement from her 1News was not allowed to film Saray Bonilla but she watched online as her words were read and to every person whose safety depends on a just and responsible system and to never again allow preventable failures to cost innocent lives may this be the moment we stop repeating avoidable mistakes and start building a system that truly protects" she said Coroner Cunninghame also addressed Herrera's family "What happened to Juliana was horrific being attacked by a stranger in our own home must be every woman's worst nightmare.. she made the most of what New Zealand has to offer And I'm profoundly sorry that her last moments were so horrifying could have responded if they were aware of concerns is a relevant issue for the inquiry But it's important that this question is not framed in a way which suggests that Juliana should be criticised for not having done more The burden should never be on women to keep themselves safe from men" she said She explained there would now be a period of time before her findings were finalised and made public A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/02/07/john-campbell-waitangi-in-the-age-of-the-treaty-principles-bill/"},"datePublished":"2025-02-06T17:00:31.161Z","dateModified":"2025-02-06T19:06:42.61Z","headline":"John Campbell: Waitangi in the age of the Treaty Principles Bill ","description":"ANALYSIS: The crowd was smaller John Campbell with the Waitangi dawn service in the background Pou and Donna Te Rongomau (Source: 1News) We’d been discussing the political pōwhiri, on Wednesday, and what was for some (many?) at Waitangi the confusing and challenging business of welcoming David Seymour, when his Treaty Principles Bill has been described by the Prime Minister as “divisive” Ngāpuhi rangatira Hōne Pereki Sadler (Source: 1News) The game was Shane Jones seemingly wanting to prescribe the acceptable limits of protest Chair of the Waitangi National Trust Board Whero Ahlers and Tukua Waretini (Source: 1News) Nga wai hono i te po is welcomed on to Waitangi In her maiden speech to Parliament And there it is, posted to Act New Zealand’s YouTube page Renata van der Wal and Hana Wood (right) (Source: 1News) They were, they told me, two of 120 people who’d come to Waitangi with the Karuwhā Trust I asked Nigel, Emma and Martin what they think Henry Williams might have made of the Treaty Principles Bill and its impact on the status of the Treaty that he translated Watch John Campbell's interview with Nigel, Emma and Martin on TVNZ+ And then William joined him, and the fluent te reo Māori speaking brothers travelled the country explaining to rangatira what they were putting their signature to. And they believed the Treaty would be honoured. And they told Māori that. “And we’re really here today," Martin told me, “to stand up for Henry and William, to ensure that the bargain, as explained and promised to Māori in that way, at that time, is honoured today. And we’re really concerned that it isn’t being (honoured), through what’s happening right now through the Treaty Principles Bill.” “We just believe a contract was made”, Emma Williams added. A contract about “partnership”. So concerned are they, that 160 members of the Williams family have signed a submission against the Treaty Principles Bill. “We can’t stand by and have liars made of the missionaries and the promises that were made at that time,” Martin Williams said. “The Treaty Principles Bill is like this giant act of buyer’s remorse, let’s renegotiate the deal, we don’t like it anymore. David Seymour would probably say emphatically that that’s not what he’s doing. But beyond the “game”, Waitangi gives history flesh. You arrive at Waitangi for the dawn service in darkness so complete that you sometimes can’t see where you’re going as you walk the last stretch to the Treaty Grounds. Dawn service at Waitangi on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (Source: 1News) And as you drive from Paihia, along beside the ocean, looking up to where the Treaty was signed on February 6th 1840, you can see the headlights of the even earlier cars, as they head down from the top of the hill. They’re strikingly bright against the darkness. Pointing out, out, as if to somewhere not yet charted. Like Pou Te Rongomau’s sense of manaakitanga. The light we shine to bring people home and keep people safe. Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Politics Full video: Question time as Parliament resumes after recess Parliament is back after a three-week recess Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Stanford said her practice of forwarding Government correspondence to a personal Gmail account Govt halts all current pay equity claims Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air Shane Jones has made a somewhat veiled threat to Ngāpuhi over the handling of today's political pōwhiri at the Treaty Grounds The event typically welcomes politicians ahead of Waitangi Day itself but with the government's Treaty Principles Bill and other legislation stirring anti-government sentiment among many Māori Kaiwero performing haka to welcome politicians to the marae were heard shouting during their challenge and a large group of wāhine from Te Tai Tokerau stood and turned their backs to National and ACT ministers delivering speeches David Seymour's microphone was also removed then removed and replaced again during his speech - interrupting his kōrero and making it inaudible to those further away Senior NZ First Minister Shane Jones said the pōwhiri had become a circus and was no longer fit for purpose "The pōwhiri is no longer a welcome ceremony it's an opportunity to tally up the list of woes and grievances - and in a democracy no-one can stop that from happening but it should not be the dominant feature of a Māori welcome ceremony they're highly passionate and I know many of them - I know their whānau really well - but there's an unhelpful virus that's crept into a lot of our Māori welcome ceremonies and they're starting to bark and they're starting to yell during the wero when the welcome ceremony was conducted and you had the challenge we always brought two or three runners with us and those runners chased the person doing the wero and if they could catch them they rubbed their head in horse shit Sadly I didn't bring a bag of horse shit with me today." He said there was "something seriously awry about the architecture of the day" which he blamed on the current trustees and said he would be taking the matter to New Zealand First's caucus I understand it's theatre but let's be honest with each other the Tai Tokerau's not that weak that it can't tolerate a speech .. full of things that were obviously designed to rile the crowd but switching the microphone off in all honesty is not going to switch the voice off." He and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka allocated in November $10.2 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and a further $7.1m for Māori economic development projects in Northland and Taranaki Jones criticised the approach taken by the hosts given that spending "Obviously this is an independent body but I just gave them $10m so if you want to take the money you take the responsibility of looking after your manuhiri "There's an expectation that when the manuhiri come to an area like this they're not going to come back if they're mistreated the Waitangi Trust have received $10m from our government to address infrastructure .. obviously the money's already been allocated but if they don't buck their ideas up don't look to central government to fund an organisation that's independent and can't raise enough revenue to look after itself "I've certainly lost my zest in pushing future grants forward unless they buck their ideas up and look after their manuhiri." Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and Potaka said funding for Māori organisations was not contingent on them toeing the line we're absolutely focused on getting this economy back on track," Potaka said "Shane has his own interpretations and views and I'm certainly not going to try and get into the brain of Shane Jones "We're very committed to supporting institutions like Waitangi we're really focused on supporting efforts throughout the country through the regional infrastructure fund and other things that we think will help the economy get moving." "As a government we continue to engage right across the board and we expect robust discussions and we expect differences of views but we don't stand back and accept the idea that somehow this is a government that is in any way negative towards Māori "We don't stop funding people because they disagree with us Shane can explain his sentiments and I quite understand it's always an emotional experience up here "It's a unique blend coming to Waitangi of confrontation and also an exchange of views and then the extraordinary harmony of the singing and the coming together at the end in peace." Seymour said he had his own microphone for a recording of his speech and he did not agree with people who thought it was okay to intimidate people out of freely communicating their ideas but they can't turn their back on the very real challenges that we face giving every kid in this country equal rights and equal opportunity." saying they were claiming he wanted to take away Māori mana but that was "poison being poured into the ears of young people" He said that was a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet "about putting mistruths in people's minds and I believe that's what people have done about my bill" Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said Jones' comments were unacceptable and designed to stir things up "What an absolute abuse of power and privilege What an absolute whack in the face for democracy," she said that manaakis the 10s and 10s of thousands of people every year actually needs more funding and more support to be able to do this mahi because it's here for everyone Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Jones' approach was an abuse of power and accused him of blackmail saying he thought it was "utterly inappropriate" "I think this government are trying to create a culture of fear where people are afraid to speak out against the government because they're worried that they're going to get that kind of knee-jerk response where their funding's going to be cut and they're basically going to be punished for having a different view." He said Seymour's speech had set out to be deliberately inflammatory "I think he got a response that was proportionate to that It's not the sort of thing I think responsible leaders do he set out right from the beginning of his speech to be inflammatory and he was." and he could understand where the anger was coming from Follow all the speeches and events from the Treaty Grounds As Waitangi celebrations begin to pave way haukāinga and manuhiri have arrived in numbers Top Stories RSS Analysis - When Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka stood to speak on the paepae during Waitangi Day commemorations a rōpu of wāhine Māori arose from their seats and turned their backs with tears running down their faces - united in protest against the government's words. There's a common misconception that because men are more often seen speaking on the paepae This is a fallacy that misinterprets tikanga Māori as simple when it is actually complex and nuanced The power that wāhine have on marae was evident in today's events It was the women who had coordinated the protest planning carefully in the lead up to the pōwhiri for government officials And whilst their 'activation' wasn't widely advertised and this group doesn't have the social media following others do The pōwhiri mō te kāwanatanga is a chance each year for politicians to have their say and for the haukāinga - home people - and te ao Māori The speech of ACT Party David Seymour at Waitangi this year was highly anticipated given his controversial Treaty Principles Bill is currently before the select committee It meant that Māori leaders were quick to shut his kōrero down when they deemed he had spoken for long enough held back tears describing her motivation behind participating "We've suffered the brunt of consecutive governments since the signing of our beautiful Tiriti o Waitangi That's why we are here today to try and minimize giving to this coalition government the anger they seek and the reaction they seek The protest was about more than just the Treaty Principles Bill it represented the mamae her people are currently feeling "It represents the 827 mokopuna that are in state care the numbers of our women and our men that are in prisons that continue to rise at the hands of this government and there's a lot to be angry about," Himiona said What they were wearing also held significance with a deep whakapapa and history Draped in homemade red woollen blankets hand-stitched with Tino Rangatiratanga and He Whakaputanga flags a group of wāhine including Goulton adopted the idea as a symbol of resistance They started stitching 15 years ago at the Waitangi Treaty hearing in Whangaparoa supporting the kaupapa by sewing blankets in the background The blankets tell the stories of land loss and the injustices they endured Blankets also hold significance as they were once used as a form of currency to purchase land Goulton also says that similar blankets were hanging in the trees on the Upper Treaty Grounds in 1940 "We're still fighting this fight for our rangatiratanga for our manaakitanga for our kaitiakitanga for our oranga all those things we're still fighting and we shouldn't be in 2024 ko ēnei ngā wāhine e tautoko ana i tērā mamae nui." (There's a lot of hurt as wāhine we are here to support with that hurt) The wāhine were supported by Ngāti Wai rangatira who was the first and only kaikōrero from the haukāinga today "It's no surprise that our people are hurting And I think the shame of the policies being advanced that deliberately attack Māori rights that deliberately deny and suppress tino rangatiratanga and so it was expected that those sentiments be relayed in the pōwhiri," he told RNZ Edwards took matters into his own hands during the pōwhiri and took the microphone from Seymour while he was speaking - a more unusual act of protest not appreciated by all of his whānaunga sitting beside him "I heard parties express that there is no chance that the Treaty Principles Bill will go through to completion I could feel our tupuna and the hollow promises that were made to them and I'm mindful that our time upon the earth is only finite and our thinking has to be future focused to the generations that are to come when the iwi of Te Tai Tokerau turned their backs Their collective opposition spoke louder than any words a quiet refusal to let their voices and concerns be forgotten Kaiako Tania Koroi Nohotima said Waitangi provided a valuable holistic learning environment for students Ngahuia Harawira sits in the shade under a marquee at Waitangi taking a brief respite from the hot February sun Harawira stands out - not just because she's interloping as a younger person in a tent reserved for elders - but because for weeks we've been trying to track her down to interview her about the Waitangi forum tent which is one of the most intriguing permanent fixtures in the Waitangi calendar the tent is a highly protected space at Waitangi where Māoridom come amid the commemorations to wānanga about the important issues impacting them In the past the mainstream media has rarely been allowed inside to cover it with organisers opting to protect their people from being the source of negative headlines at a time where Māoridom feels like it is increasingly under attack RNZ was granted access inside - and Harawira agreed to talk to us about the tent's history and its future While others might get sick of being compared to their renowned ancestors who came before them and particularly when your family are as well known as the Harawiras and was born to well-known activists Hone Harawira and Hilda Halkyard Titewhai Harawira dedicated her life to holding the Crown Urging them to live up to the promises of Te Tiriti She was also a powerful and formidable presence at Waitangi But Ngahuia says it was her aunties and uncles who started the forum - and it was a tradition before she was even born "It was started by the activists who weren't really accepted onto the marae at a certain point in time "They wouldn't receive a pōwhiri (formal welcome) the debates about what's happening at that moment." It was the early 1990s and Waitangi Day had become a focus for protests about mana motuhake Amongst Māori there were differing opinions on the best way to approach Māori and Crown relations creating fractures and tension we weren't allowed on the marae." she says The tent provided a chance for people who typically didn't have the platform to be heard they've got all year to make a stand but the forum tent is a place where people who aren't being interviewed She says a lot of those people actually had solutions to problems iwi and hapū were facing I didn't really know what they were talking about," Harawira says my uncles and aunties are always in that blimmin' tent.' But as I got older I started seeing that there was probably an opportunity for me to put my hand up and start giving back to that kaupapa that they started back then." First as a bystander then as an occasional panel member Ngahuia Harawira took over the organisation of the forum tent around six years ago "I've got all of the backings of those who originally started the forum tent so ko tērā te mea nui ki ahau (that's what is important to me)." Normally Harawira would be in the main tent but this year "I'm trying to see if they can figure it out on their own," she says In the past there has only been one forum tent with two forum tents taking place simultaneously The forum tent at Te Wharewaka was co-run by Ngahuia Harawira and Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi who led the hīkoi to Parliament in November last year Kapa-Kingi has also enlisted the help of his triplet brothers Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri chief executive Tipene Kapa-Kingi and clinical psychology researcher and creative storyteller Heemi Kapa-Kingi At the same time a forum tent at Te Tii marae was run by local hapū Ngāti Kawa and Ngāti Rāhiri The Waitangi National Trust allocates funding for only one group to facilitate a forum alongside the official programme though it was unclear which group received the funding this year Ngahuia Harawira says it was the right time to move the tent she had been organising to the lower Treaty grounds by Te Wharewaka as the kaupapa needed its own space to grow "E tika ana me mihi ki Ngāti Rāhiri me Ngāti Kawa ngā rātou te kaupapa i hautū i ngā tau kua taha (It's right to thank Ngāti Rāhiri and Ngāti Kawa who have led this kaupapa over the years.) There was just an understanding that it needed to come over to this side I'm not sure if it was understood by everyone over there "There's no nawe (grievance/complaint) around that we just came over because the kaupapa needed its own space We don't even know if it will stay here forever," Harawira says Plastic chairs sit lined perfectly in rows inside a white plastic marquee erected on the lower Treaty grounds this patch of grass is home only to cicadas Today their rhythmic buzzing is competing with the passionate voices coming from the tent kuia wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses perch listening intently to the first speakers of the day fidgeting and tugging on their parents' clothes for attention Standing at the front of the tent speaking into a microphone organiser Eru Kapa-Kingi gestures at audience members to move forward For now there are enough seats for everyone who wants one but in just a few hours it will be standing room only "There's still a few seats up here so all of you fullas too humble to sit down Kapa-Kingi is the 'kaiwhakahaere' for the forum tent including as a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland's school of law teaching indigenous rights and tikanga Māori Between that and managing the logistics of a nationwide hīkoi you'd think this might be a walk in the park for Kapa-Kingi but still he says it's been challenging Waitangi at Waitangi has political tensions that you may not be aware of until you walk right into them "There's been a lot of learning in terms of sort of but it's important for us to be doing this because this is mine and my brother's first year supporting Ngahuia as organisers of the forum Years prior I've been here as a kaikōrero or and just come to listen but we're right in the thick of it now." Kapa-Kingi says Toitū te Tiriti has been instrumental in coordinating discussions in the forum tent this year The group was just in its infancy at Waitangi in 2025 and now it brings its more than 70,000 social media follower base giving the forum tent a heightened profile The participation of Kapa-Kingi and Toitū te Tiriti marks a shift across generations with a new wave of rangatahi who are connected to their whakapapa fluent in their reo and confident in their Māori identity now taking the lead Kapa-Kingi is well aware of the changes they've made to the forum tent "We're elevating the kaupapa that's been around for a long time using the new generation's modes of communication to do that not only to promote the kaupapa beforehand but to get it out to the world in real time as everything's happening." There is even a media team on site to quickly turn around video content from the forum tent allowing people to feel like they are here even though they may be watching from home "We're adding more layers to the kaupapa of the forum "I see it as a bastion of of truth and empowerment and a place where there is an opportunity for the people to gather to speak and be critical and still political about our lived realities as tangata whenua on the very place that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was created." He says he is proud of where he and his brothers are taking the forum but also cautious because of its already existing legacy traffic is bumper-to-bumper and getting a spot in the forum tent is not for the amateur attendee We watch as one kuia with silvery grey hair wrapped in a feather cloak sits patiently in the front row holding a paper cup filled with tea She's been here all morning maintaining her prime spot so as to not miss any of the action whānau set up camping chairs and picnic blankets under nearby trees so they can still listen to the kōrero in the shade the conversations are strikingly different to how the mainstream has historically painted te ao Māori the panels actively focus on moving forward into a more positive space "It's just another way of elevating the kaupapa so it's not just sitting around listening to politicians make empty political promises It's an opportunity for us to speak to ourselves to reflect and to effectively launch our waka to our Hawaiki hou," Kapa-Kingi says Of all the issues discussed during the week the concept of a 'Hawaiki hou' is one of those mentioned most frequently over the course of the week spoken as a goal for te iwi Māori to reach Hawaiki is the traditional place of origin for Māori an ancient homeland where many Māori are said to have migrated from to New Zealand So when Kapa-Kingi speaks of a 'Hawaiki hou' (new ancestral homeland) he's referring to a transformative place in which Māori can thrive we're in a position where our role is not so much to talk about the change and be extremely pedantic about the design of your waka and think deeply about how it's going to go on the water But there has to come a time where you just launch the waka as opposed to just staying on this island." Kapa-Kingi says it's fitting that the discussions being had are happening right next to Te Wharewaka the largest ceremonial waka built almost a century ago "We're literally staring at the moana that our tūpuna sailed across in coming here from Hawaiki Māori legal expert Carwyn Jones has come down the forum tent to partake in the kōrero "I always find the wairua is really lovely and lots of really interesting conversations and people wanting to be engaged in those conversations." He echoes the need to look forward to a Hawaiki hou "We've spent a lot of time this year focused on what the government is doing There has needed to be a defensive push back on a lot of the things that the government has been doing the Treaty Principles Bill key amongst them it would be nice to take that energy and put it into thinking more proactively about how we create that Tino Rangatiratanga space It's not the first time he's been to the forum tent at Waitangi "It's that opportunity for Maori to come to Waitangi and engage in conversations about the relationship in Te Tiriti about the relationship between Tino Rangatiratanga and kāwanatanga Those discussions take place in the forum tent," Jones says she says she's spent the past few days reflecting pondering and thinking of all of those who have passed on now "It was really just a moment to say thank you to those who have started this kaupapa Harawira knows she might have to step away from the forum tent in the future "I appreciate the mana that my grandmother brought to Waitangi I appreciate the mana that my parents have brought But I think if I try to fulfill their dreams I wouldn't be honouring the kaupapa," she says "I feel the responsibility of ensuring that the kaupapa grows The Prime Minister has confirmed he will be hosted by Ngāi Tahu in Akaroa for Waitangi Day on Thursday In December, Christopher Luxon announced he would not be heading to Waitangi in Northland for this year's commemorations as he wanted to move around the country to celebrate New Zealand's national day "It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around New Zealand This year I am at Ōnuku marae near Akaroa," he said in a statement "Akaroa is very dear to me - it was a place I used to tear around with my brothers during the long My children learned to swim under the Nor'West arch and I remember thinking then how very lucky we were to have the privilege of growing up in New Zealand." The Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro will also attend alongside Luxon in the South Island Te Rūnganga o Ngāi Tahu in a statement said hundreds of people were expected to attend and they were pleased Luxon and Dame Cindy had accepted their invitation They said Ōnuku and Takapūneke were places of significance for New Zealand "It was at Ōnuku on 30 May 1840 that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was first signed within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā the Crown delivered its formal apology to Ngāi Tahu for breaches of Te Tiriti at this same location," chairperson Rik Tainui said "In 1820 Takapūneke was a thriving commercial trading post of national significance In 1830 our whānau living at Takapūneke were tragically massacred by a rival tribe supported by British Captain John Stewart on the Brig Elizabeth It marked the beginning of British involvement in Māori tribal affairs and was a catalyst to the writing and signing of Te Tiriti ten years later." Ngāti Irakehu and Ngāi Tahu whānau would provide a hākari (feast) and activities for tamariki as part of the day's commemorations all other political party leaders will descend on Waitangi for the annual political talks ahead of the dawn service the next morning Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka will speak on behalf of the Prime Minister during the pōwhiri There has been a mixed response to Luxon not travelling to Northland with some iwi and hapu saying it was a good thing while others believed the Prime Minister should be in Waitangi on the national day had been clear that he would have preferred Luxon attend and "be accountable for the position that he holds as the top executive in our government" and Helen Clark also decided to stay away from Waitangi and Te Tii marae in the past over issues around speaking rights the political talks have moved away from the controversial Te Tii Marae and have been held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds which is seen as a more neutral environment The iwi chairs forum is being held at Waitangi on Monday and Tuesday which government ministers and the Prime Minister have also traditionally attended Luxon met with some of the iwi leaders in Wellington late last year instead and told them of his plans not to be there in February Chairman of Waitangi National Trust Pita Tipene expects an intense first meeting with the Treaty Principles and Regulatory Standards Bills likely on the agenda The first time Matarora Smith worked Waitangi Day commemorations in Paihia she felt the wairua and whakapapa of the historic place As the country discusses the concept of kotahitanga (unity) marae and whānau across Te Tai Tokerau have demonstrated what true unity can achieve has formally requested he not attend Waitangi commemorations in Northland due to his ongoing support of the Treaty Principles Bill In a letter sent to the ACT Party Leader on Tuesday Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia chairperson William Skipper (Kipa) Munro divisive and is seen by many as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi itself The letter continued to say Waitangi was a special time of year for the iwi of Te Tai Tokerau and that the mana of Te Tiriti and rights of te iwi Māori were being threatened due to Seymour's bill The legislation - which aimed to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and enshrine them in law - has attracted widespread opposition and criticism Tens of thousands of people marched against the bill last year resulting in what was believed to be the biggest protest to ever arrive at Parliament "Your hapū have supported your attendance at Waitangi in the past but our advice this year is that while this bill is still being progressed and you are still actively supporting it we do not believe it would be an appropriate decision to attend Waitangi." the letter said Seymour has whakapapa links to the Ngāpuhi hapū hapū members supported Seymour with a waiata tautoko after he stood to speak and recited his pepeha at Waitangi last year protesters attempted to drown out Seymour with waiata as he spoke "While it will ultimately be the decision of the taumata on the day as to how best to uphold the operations of our tikanga it is our responsibility to tender our advice and suggest you might consider celebrating the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi at a different venue this year." "We have written to you previously with our concerns and to ensure you are aware that your hapū do not support your actions our concerns have not changed your views and position on this take (topic)." the letter said The hapū asked Seymour to consider putting the concerns of his hapū at the forefront "while making your decision around attendance this year." Seymour confirmed he would attend Waitangi to celebrate the signing of the Treaty and take part in discussion of what it means for New Zealand "I'll be attending as a member of the government which is obliged to serve all New Zealanders equally "It would be wrong to say I was attending on behalf of one hapū "They could easily have picked up the phone regarding these concerns but instead chose to write a letter that almost immediately ended up in the media "What has caused division is successive governments treating New Zealanders based on their ethnicity which is the problem the Treaty Principles Bill seeks to solve." Late last year Christopher Luxon announced he turned down the opportunity to join the national Waitangi events in Paihia Analysis - Coalition parties looks set to try to differentiate themselves and Nicola Willis tries to kickstart the economy They have pleaded with the ACT leader to stop what they say are abusive violations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi "Kill the bill" was the cry from the hīkoi but it may not go away as quickly as protesters would like An estimated 42,000 people from all around the country descended on central Wellington on Tuesday after a nine day hīkoi reached its final destination Wellington City Council is proud to present two events celebrating diversity inclusion and our combined heritage and culture with Te Rā o Waitangi and Wellington Pasifika Festival both coming up this week a free whānau-friendly event on Thursday 6 February at Waitangi Park commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and Aotearoa’s national day The celebrations will be opened by mana whenua and Mayor Tory Whanau followed by a line-up of tangata whenua and tangata tiriti performers showcasing Aotearoa talent including Kapa Haka and up-and-coming singing stars Lee Stuart and Ruby Solly The event will also include arts and crafts stalls ‘The Eggfruit’ (a voice recording activation by Barbarian Productions) There’ll be multi-cultural food stalls and trucks and the always popular fundraiser hāngi from midday – but get in quick Mayor Tory Whanau says Te Rā o Waitangi is about coming together to celebrate Aotearoa and acknowledging our treaty obligations and partnerships we are reminded of the rich diversity of our nation and the significance of Te Tiriti “The fantastic range of activities planned – from live multi-cultural performances arts and crafts to delicious kai – reflect the spirit of inclusivity and understanding that is central to Te Tiriti It’s also a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our history and connect with our community.” Visit wellington.govt.nz/waitangi for more information and the full stage programme led by local personalities Jamie McCaskill will give Wellingtonians the opportunity to discuss what Te Tiriti o Waitangi means to them Visit facebook.com/wellingtoncitycouncil/events and find the correct event for more information and flavours of the Pacific at the Wellington Pasifika Festival This free whānau-friendly festival celebrates our unique Pacific communities From art and language to performance and food – the Pasifika Festival is all about acknowledging the richness of our Pacific cultures The stage programme will feature a wide range of entertainment including performances by local Pasifika community groups and the always popular Pacific Island Cuisine Cook-Off competition is back for another year with food stalls submitting their best dish for judging by a celebrity panel and enjoy a festival wide activity based on the card game ‘Lalaga’ The Wellington Pasifika Festival is a celebration for all people showcasing the best of Pacific food and aligns with Council’s Aho Tini 2030 strategy Find out more about event details and the programme at wellington.govt.nz/pasifika Keep an eye on Council’s Facebook facebook.com/wellingtoncitycouncil for weather updates to commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and Aotearoa New Zealand’s national day It's about coming together to celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand and acknowledging our treaty obligations and partnerships Bring your friends and whānau and enjoy multi-cultural performances For more information, visit wellington.govt.nz/waitangi Wellingtonians talk about what Titiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) means to them Te Tiriti and Me is a travelling forum discussion led by four local personalities – Jamie McCaskill they will discuss what Te Tiriti o Waitangi means to them as New Zealanders from a range of different cultures and backgrounds Visit the Council Facebook events page facebook.com/wellingtoncitycouncil/events and find the correct event and enjoy an award-winning line-up of multi-cultural performers The 2025 event theme is ‘Journey’ which will be represented through onstage performances and kids can make their own journey at the event collecting stamps in their Wellington Pasifika Festival passport Find event details and the programme at wellington.govt.nz/pasifika A special kākā has been spotted at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush a full decade later Read on to find out more about this livestream star Council makes submission opposing Treaty Principles Bill The capital’s 2025 summer season has kicked-off with a full calendar of exciting and entertaining events Service desk locations Analysis - If Christopher Luxon was trying to avoid controversy and challenge attending Waitangi Day in the South Island The prime minister's attendance at Ōnuku marae saw protest and was met with a forceful message from the hosts Even ACT's David Seymour made an appearance - despite his own hapū urging him not to Luxon's stated reason for heading south instead this year was "to celebrate where else the Treaty was signed throughout our country." Labour leader Chris Hipkins argued nothing was stopping Luxon from doing both - a fact demonstrated by at least one Labour MP Ngāi Tahu invites the prime minister every year and welcomed the significance Luxon's visit added to the 185th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi's signing and if they accept that invitation - that's on them," kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa said "There were some really strong messages delivered it was provocative and there were no backwards steps taken." The massive crowds initially expected at Waitangi did not eventuate The school where manuhiri parked their cars filled up by about 8am and Akaroa Recreation Ground - a large grassy space - was quickly crowded too Buses shuttling the hundreds of visitors along the narrow access road to the marae delayed the prime minister's arrival - and all other proceedings - by 40 or 50 minutes The event was closely managed by Ngai Tahu with external media unusually prevented from filming their initial speeches with access granted only for the Governor-General's speech onwards Things seemed to be going smoothly until pro-Palestine protesters led by John Minto - across the bridge leading to the marae - cranked up the megaphone during morning tea They quieted after shouting a few slurs at National but only long enough for Luxon's speech to begin the megaphone drowned out his words for several minutes One protester in the crowd began shouting abuse and was quickly escorted out Police later confirmed a man was arrested for breaching the peace "Police were speaking to several other protesters but there were no other arrests." Minto said his group had remained outside the marae having discussed protocol with the organisers who advised they could "make as much noise as you like" when Luxon began speaking They put the megaphone down when requested by other staff Echoing his State of the Nation address just weeks earlier, it hinged on the need for economic growth but pointed to the government's past work with Ngāi Tahu and what could be achieved when iwi and government cooperate "But the success goes beyond profit - it's about creating lasting value for whanau and the wider community." sounded a warning over the Treaty Principles debate - a topic Luxon has appeared at pains to avoid in recent weeks "Too much of the conversation has been focused on abstract philosophical debates about the nature of sovereignty and the true meaning of liberalism .. used as smokescreens to advance shallow ideological agendas and play party politics," Tipa said "True political leadership is about meeting people where they are and synthesising the interest of various strands of society into a workable whole .. when there's an absence of this type of leadership voices that represent comparatively simpler and shallower viewpoints begin to shine through." "This is why our political debates - particularly those concerning the Treaty - have come to be dominated by minor parties: because our major parties are struggling to articulate a political vision that builds on the distinct character of the New Zealand nation .. we get an ACT party neoliberal thought experiment posing as a faux source of moral principle and national unity." He then laid down the challenge for his guest "A National Party that fails to take leadership on matters of fundamental importance to the identity of our nation is not worthy of its own name .. But simply going for growth and liberalising the economy isn't going to cut it "We've got to have those disagreements in good faith - without making a mockery of the complex and contingent nation we've inherited I think we're failing at that at the moment." telling reporters afterwards there was "a lot in Justin Tipa's speech that I fully agree with and represents the philosophy of the National Party" Whether Luxon has the courage to bring that philosophy more purposefully into his government's running of the country is up to him Note: Some audio is missing from the footage of the speeches at Onuku marae This was due to poor connectivity of livestreaming technology in a remote location Comment & Analysis RSS Te Rā o Waitangi/Waitangi Day is an opportunity to reflect on Te Tiriti and celebrate our partnership between tangata whenua Māori and tangata tiriti (all other New Zealanders here by right of the Treaty whether born in Aotearoa New Zealand or a new migrant) Here are some ways to commemorate Waitangi Day in the capital whānau-friendly event on Thursday 6 February from 12pm to 6pm Enjoy live performances from tangata whenua and tangata tiriti talent an interactive voice recording activation by Barbarian Productions For the full programme, visit our events webpage Every year we get a day to commemorate Waitangi Day but do you know the history behind the signing of this document and the events that followed Some of our facilities and services have reduced opening hours during holiday periods, so make sure to check out our holiday hours page before heading out.  Please note that the Council has been advised about a Tiriti Action Group hīkoi taking place on the morning of Thursday 6 February The hīkoi will leave Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and is expected to arrive in Waitangi Park around 11am Celebrate both Te Rā o Waitangi and Wellington Pasifika Festival in Pōneke this week With just over a year to go until the opening Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library has been released onto its base isolators FillGood aims to reduce the mass amounts of single-use items by offering reusable cups Christopher Luxon’s decision to skip out on visiting the Treaty Grounds for Waitangi Day has been criticised but those on the ground are continuing as usual Our Waitangi 2025 coverage is possible because of the 13,000-plus Spinoff members who regularly pay to support our work. If you aren’t a member yet, now is the time The lawns of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds will be trodden on a hundred times over today The sun over the Bay of Islands will scorch the fields below the sun will kiss and sweat out skins and turn the heat up on celebrations until tensions are hot enough to burst or melt parliamentarians will attend a pōwhiri in the morning strapping in for hours of talks and challenges between MPs and iwi leaders Where Ngāti Rangiāmoa chief Iwikau and Ngāi Te Kahukura and Ngāi Tūāhuriri chief Hōne Tīkao (under the name John Love) signed te Tiriti on May 30 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu said they expected “hundreds” to be in attendance in Akaroa for this year’s celebrations In Luxon’s place on the Treaty Grounds will be minister for Māori development Tama Potaka who told reporters in parliament he was expecting “hard kōrero “My view has always been [that] the people of Te Tai Tokerau show enormous manaakitanga and aroha to manuhiri like myself who visit the rohe from time to time,” Potaka said Asked how he’ll handle the “hard kōrero” without his leader Potaka said that he’ll just be one of many senior National MPs on the ground “We won’t be up there just for one day or one pōwhiri so there’s quite a degree of opportunities for us to liaise with and engage with whānau though “two out of three [Winston Peters and David Seymour] ain’t bad” Te Pāti Māori’s Rawiri Waititi had already labelled Luxon a “drop-nuts” for his decision in parliament who made her return to politics following her breast cancer diagnosis at the Treaty Grounds on Monday said she believes the prime minister has a duty to honour the significance of the site on Waitangi Day “It’s a way of acknowledging the people of the North it’s expected for prime ministers to be able to show up and be accountable for their actions official Waitangi Day celebrations were held at Government House following a tense year on the Treaty Grounds Prime minister Jim Bolger and his cohort were jostled by protestors who took issue with Bolger’s proposed billion-dollar cap to settle historical Treaty claims “There can be no going back to commemorate and celebrate Waitangi as it was,” Bolger said in 1995 who vowed not to visit the Treaty Grounds after being brought to tears when activist Titewhai Harawira (Ngāpuhi) questioned her right to speak in 1998 when government and oppositions MPs were jostled and met with mud slings in response to the Foreshore and Seabed Act and from 2005 she opted to miss out on visiting celebrations to instead host her own walkabouts on the Treaty Grounds Seymour’s Treaty principles bill will be on the tip of everyone’s tongues come time for debating on the marae Luxon’s absence arguably also leaves room for the opposition to have a stronger voice in debates. Their united stance against the Treaty principles bill and criticism of the government will only add to the frustration voiced by iwi leaders, and the subject of Luxon’s absence will likely make be easy fodder for the day’s speakers. Community-focused events have grown at Waitangi in recent years, with this year’s celebrations including multiple talks and performances, and Toitū Te Tiriti “activations” throughout the week. On the lower Treaty Grounds, the Waitangi Forum Tent has days of talks hosted by iwi from Te Tai Tokerau, and other influential Māori speaking on tino rangatiratanga, economic freedom and more issues specific to tangata whenua. Speaking on a panel for Ngāpuhi, the Greens’ Hūhana Lyndon, whose influence in Te Tai Tokerau is boosted by her former roles as CEO of Ngāti Wai Trust Board and Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust, encouraged listeners to save their energy for ensuring the strength of their own communities and kainga, and to “ignore the Crown and focus on ourselves”. A complaint must be first directed in writing the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication The Parliamentary pōwhiri at Waitangi is a chance each year for politicians to have their say Today though, the Prime Minister won't be there to listen Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson thinks Christopher Luxon should be "It's a way of acknowledging to the people of the north It's expected for prime ministers to be able to show up and be accountable for their actions and actually needing to front up to people," she said Instead Luxon will be represented by Minister for Māori Crown relations Tama Potaka "I'm very proud and privileged to be in a position of Minister of Maori Development and a number of other ministerial responsibilities leading the government delegation," he told RNZ Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty are critical for our past Being present at Waitangi is a non-negotiable for him "I will be at Waitangi so long as I have support of tangata whenua and the hosts to be here Clearly with my wife being Ngāpuhi and our children being Ngāpuhi Coalition partners Winston Peters and David Seymour will be there too The ACT leader's own hapū told him not to come but he says he has to front up "My job as a representative of the government Parliament and the ACT Party is to be up there and say that actually we have something to contribute to the national debate And if we're all going to live together and get on in this country then we need to be able to have these dialogues." But Labour leader Chris Hipkins says a conversation is a two-way thing "David Seymour and the government say they want a conversation about the Treaty but it seems they want a conversation in which they're the only people doing the talking They need to open their ears and do some listening as well." Word on the ground at Waitangi is that a protest group will make its presence known during the pōwhiri - an activation specifically aimed at Seymour Ben Dalton is the chief executive of the Waitangi National Trust and it's his job to make sure everyone is safe and able to participate in that conversation it's about how is the voice of unhappiness that is pretty apparent through a lot of the people that are here today - how is that heard that the sanctity of tikanga is maintained." "I suspect there will be people that try to steal the show I'll be taking the precaution of releasing my speech beforehand so that anyone who's truly interested in a dialogue can see what I went to say," he said acknowledging politicians are all accountable to the people "I'm never looking forward to anything that David Seymour has to say The Greens have a lot to say about Te Tiriti being a way for this country to make sure everyone is okay "It's about taking the best possible care of each other I'm interested in what we have to say," she said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi also thinks it's important everyone gets a say "Te Tiriti o Waitangi belongs to all of us To deny one part of that would mean that we cut our nose off to spite our face "And so we have every right to come here and talk about the issues that are currently facing te iwi Māori today" Te Pāti Māori was welcomed to Waitangi on Tuesday alongside the Kiingitanga and Māori Queen, and brought with them a renewed policy commitment for a commissioner to put a Te Tiriti check on Parliament "We're wanting to give this commissioner some teeth and what it does is it becomes the arbiter for anything when it comes to legislation being created "It will ensure that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is concreted into everything that we do." Waititi says it should have veto powers to ensure a bill like the Treaty Principles never makes it to Parliament Seymour has called the idea a "crazy" and undemocratic demand "If breaking democracy is a bottom line for Te Pāti Māori Labour and the Greens need to role out ever being in government with them or they'll never be in government with anyone," he said But Hipkins told RNZ he's always open to discussions around how there can be more checks and balances on Parliament "We have a very simple Parliamentary system it requires a simple Parliamentary majority and the government of the day can effectively do whatever it wants "There aren't that many other democracies in the world that give that much power to the government of the day and so I think checks and balances are always important and we don't have many in the New Zealand system and I'm always open to debates around how we can improve that," he said But the head of the marae the prime minister will attend instead says he won't be given an easy ride It will be a bottom line for any potential coalition negotiations at next year's election The political situation is simply one of the big topics Ngāti Kahungunu iwi chair Bayden Barber says The thousands predicted to descend on the Waitangi political talks on Wednesday never arrived there was also a snubbing by some because of the way the national trust and Ngāpuhi chose to run the pōwhiri Meetings were held and plans were changed right up until the moment politicians walked onto the treaty grounds to receive the challenge on Wednesday morning That was the moment Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson who had deliberately chosen Waitangi as her return to politics following breast cancer treatment was told she would not be speaking from the mahau (porch) as earlier agreed to Davidson had prepared a Kōrero she never got to deliver - instead having to share her message for the nation with media immediately after the official proceedings Many attending Waitangi with plans to send a strong message to the coalition government were understood to be frustrated by the organisers in the lead-up to this week It's the trust and Ngāpuhi that determines the tikanga and order of the day and this year it opted for just two speakers from the home side - an opening and closing address It was a stark contrast to last year when the paepae was opened up to iwi and protest leaders none of whom held back on Christopher Luxon and ACT leader David Seymour It meant the pōwhiri was wrapped up at least an hour earlier this year - even with the interjections and microphone removals led by Toitū Te Tiriti protesters It was Ngātiwai chairperson and Toitū Te Tiriti follower Aperahama Edwards who was given the first address on the paepae which was relatively calm in its delivery compared to some of the kōrero this time a year ago it was also Edwards who approached the manuhiri (visitors) and took the microphone from Seymour while he was speaking - a more unusual act of protest that was not appreciated by some of the trustees and Ngāpuhi representatives sat next to him The scaling back of pōwhiri proceedings might have left some feeling underwhelmed, yet on the manuhiri side the microphone stealing in particular enraged New Zealand First's Shane Jones enough for him to threaten reconsidering funding the national trust in the future Any suggestion that might be followed through on was immediately shut down by both National and ACT The protest element - the turning of backs and microphone disappearing act - were not unexpected Seymour had even preempted it by wearing his own microphone allowing him to continue to broadcast to those following the powhiri on ACT's social media The trust is responsible and accountable for what takes place at the pōwhiri since the political talks were taken from Te Tii Marae in 2018 and moved to the more politically neutral upper treaty grounds before Luxon announced he would not be travelling to Waitangi there were trustees predicting 10s of thousands would arrive on 5 February and concern about how the crowds would be managed That never transpired despite the momentum created by the hīkoi to Parliament - a collective 42,000 New Zealanders marching to Wellington to protest the coalition's policies and commitments The Toitū Te Tiriti protesters arrived on Wednesday but they only numbered around 100 Some spoken to by RNZ speculated the Treaty Principles Bill coming to a natural end in a few months' time may have taken some of the oxygen out of this year's political day It was also possible some of those galvanised by the hīkoi movement returned home and have instead regrouped with their own hapū and iwi to determine how they challenge the government into the future sparing themselves the trek to Northland when news broke the prime minister was not showing face The police presence in Paihia was significant this year and most political leaders have some form of security nearby given the heightened tensions leading up to Waitangi week In the end it was unnecessary and at no point on Wednesday were politicians intimidated or made to feel unsafe But that should not have been surprising either given the peaceful nature of last year's hīkoi While those who chose to stay away and those who came and protested anyway may have felt let down by the lack of criticism directed at the government in the Kōrero from the paepae the message of ongoing hurt and anger was still on full display Waitangi day is a non-working day just like any other public holiday - so if you're working on the day (as regularly rostered) you're entitled to time-and-a-half pay and an alternative day off Shops, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality and retail venues will be open as usual on Waitangi Day but they can choose to close if they wish - so it pays to check opening hours beforehand Public holidays are an expensive day to be a business and Waitangi Day is no different Hospitality businesses in particular may add a 15 percent surcharge to their services - this is usually to cover the costs of paying employees time-and-a-half they must have clear signage communicating this to the customer This can be done with the display of signs detailing the surcharge or by verbally letting the customer know at the time of purchase or before they order If customers believe they have been misled about a surcharge they can complain to the Commerce Commission Eight new members have been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka said the new appointments will strengthen the tribunal and help ensure it remains fit for purpose Five current members also had their terms renewed Waitangi Tribunal members are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister for Māori Development The appointments are for a three-year term The Tribunal is tasked with considering Treaty claims and working toward "reconciliation of outstanding issues" between Māori and the Crown The Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal is Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox of the Māori Land Court A panel of three to seven members is appointed to carry out an inquiry Each Tribunal panel has to have at least one Māori member Potaka's office provided details of the new appointments to the Tribunal: Tipene Chrisp (whāngai to Rangitāne) has held a range of senior public service roles and has extensive knowledge of Waitangi Tribunal hearings and negotiation experience Current General Manager of Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust Philip Crump practiced law for more than 20 years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and has significant experience of statutory and contractual interpretation negotiation and dispute resolution procedures an experienced governor for nonprofit organisations Her experience includes Treaty negotiator for Ngāti Raukawa Currently chairperson of the council for Te Wānanga O Aotearoa including in information and data management with experience preparing oral and written resources to support Tribunal claimants councillor on the Manawatū District Council and chair of MDC Chief Executive's Employment Committee Hadfield has held a range of executive and governance roles including chief executive of Manawatū Agricultural and Pastoral Association and chief executive of FarmSafe Currently a director of Whakaata Māori and a member of Te Mātāwai He is managing director and founder of TupuOra Education which supports building Māori capability for iwi and public sector agencies served in the New Zealand Army (1971 - 1990) before moving into governance and politics An MP and Minister of Defence and Veterans from 2017 to 2020 Currently in his second term as Mayor of Carterton Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren University of Waikato and New Zealand's first Pasifika dean of law and was the second woman Supreme Court Justice of Samoa Five existing members of the Tribunal were reappointed: Potaka said as the Tribunal nears its 50th anniversary the new appointments will give it the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing and reporting Māori Treaty claims in a timely manner "Waitangi Tribunal members bring with them a range of knowledge and skills and are appointed for their broad expertise in the matters that are likely to come before the Tribunal "I give a warm welcome to the new members as well as those reappointed in their roles I acknowledge and thank those leaving for their important contributions." 165 descendants of the Williams brothers have collectively submitted against the Treaty Principles Bill The first full day of hearings will begin on 27 January The Prime Minister says it is not true to say Maori were not consulted The Waitangi Tribunal has released the first part of its inquiry and found the Crown did not follow robust policy processes A treaty lawyer says she can't recall the tribunal issuing a directive like this before Hamilton’s kerbside services will not be impacted by Auckland Anniversary Day (Monday 27 January) and Waitangi Day (Thursday 6 February) As Hamiltonians enjoy some day's off to soak up the summer weather our contractors will be busy collecting the city’s rubbish and recycling “Residents should put their bins out on their usual collection day by 7am,” said Hamilton City Council's Resource Recovery Operations Manager Trent Fowles “If you plan to go away or enjoy a sleep in over the upcoming public holidays remember to put your bins out the evening before Hamiltonians saved 360,000kg of food waste 269,000kg of glass and 637,000kg of recycling from landfill by using the kerbside services One item which should not be disposed of in kerbside bins is lithium batteries Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre has seen multiple fires sparked by batteries over the past month portable phone chargers and electric toothbrushes They catch fire or explode when the bags are compressed in the kerbside collection truck or as they are compacted at the Resource Recovery Centre.   “Putting batteries in bags or kerbside bins puts people at risk If you are dropping your rubbish at the Resource Recovery Centre keep the batteries separate and drop them in the bin for free in the recycling section of the facility” Residents can talk to their vape supplier about their in-store battery disposal system Council provides a free battery and electrical waste disposal bin at the Resource Recovery Centre – along with free household recycling check out the operating times for the following facilities: Lincoln Street Habitat for Humanity ReUse Store A groundswell of resistance against the government’s Māori policies is driving many to make the trip to the Waitangi treaty grounds in New Zealand’s far north for the first time Māori chiefs and the British Crown forged a nation state Above her, the red, black and white flags of Māori independence flick and pop in the breeze. Hundreds of people amble behind her towards the grounds – some pausing to cheer on children launching themselves into the estuary hoping to create a colossal splash It has taken Te Waaka 10 hours of driving to attend her first Waitangi day event but there is no sign of fatigue “It’s amazing here, I love it, I’m just so happy,” she says, adding that the widespread symbols of Māori independence and self-determination was something to behold “Look how many [young Māori people] are here holding their flags – that’s something my mum’s generation would never have done.” The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi – New Zealand’s founding document that is instrumental in upholding Māori rights – has been commemorated as a public holiday on 6 February since 1974 with events around the country and a formal multi-day celebration held at the Waitangi grounds Te Waaka joined her family in the protest action: “I was smiling and my mum was crying so it shows the depth of generational effects this has had on us.” The rationale behind many of the government’s proposals is to end “race-based” policies and the coalition has said it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders The groundswell of resistance against the policies is driving many people to attend Waitangi for the first time – be it to protest or simply enjoy what many feel is the real Waitangi Day: a festive celebration of community and a forum for discussions on sovereignty McKenzie, who is Pākehā (New Zealand European), felt compelled to attend Waitangi for the first time last year in opposition to the government’s policies. This year, his son Whittaker is joining him for the first time. Read more“I wanted to give him a sense of the history of Aotearoa [New Zealand] and why this place is so significant,” McKenzie says “It is like a festival but with this layer of depth meaning and history – it is a beautiful blend of things.” as the sun broke over the Waitangi peninsula and crowds shuffled away from the formal dawn ceremony to seek coffee and breakfast a group of five Pākehā in their 70s and 80s explained why they had made the journey for the first time “I’m really disgusted with this government – I think we’ve gone back too far and this focus on equality crowds gather to watch a large procession of waka (canoes) slip through the still water who travelled from Wellington to attend the celebration for the first time feels moved seeing Māori culture and identity take centre-stage unity and sovereignty – it’s about togetherness “There is a lot going on in the world and our country and it is important – more than ever – to be present Kassie Hartendorp: “Te Tiriti gives us practical solutions for where we go next as a country By changing our structures to better reflect Te Tiriti we can repair past harms and move forward together on an equal footing.” it completely changed the way that she thought about our country and history we didn’t talk about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in my household As one of the few young people in the room his talk started to fill in the blanks of such an important part of our history Moana told us about how he and a committed group of people travelled the country to speak with Māori about the future they dreamed of they met with Māori from all walks of life asking questions about how we can move forward together as a country It changed forever the way that I thought about our country Here are five things I learned from Matike Mai: What often gets missed when we talk about Te Tiriti today is that it wasn’t just about Māori at all While hapū and iwi have long histories of governing ourselves the British were struggling to ensure that their people visiting our shores behaved themselves — and when they didn’t The 500-plus rangatira who signed Te Tiriti gave the British the ability to establish governance over their people here so that everyone could live in peace and continue to seek prosperity together many Māori believed that Te Tiriti was inclusive and invited newcomers to become a tangata Tiriti (person of the Treaty) and call this country home Just as Māori had a sense of belonging here they made it possible for others to have the same security and connection to this beautiful country The intention was never that Māori would stop governing themselves simply because British settlers were allowed to set up their own governance and we could each look after our people as we saw fit It’s easy to get stuck in talk about Treaty principles Te Tiriti is about an enduring relationship between two different Moana would often talk about how hapū and iwi had a history of making treaties and strategic alliances with each other you have to learn how to get along most of the time the Crown (or New Zealand government) hasn’t always respected the relationship with hapū and iwi putting their own hopes and dreams first and making things harder for Māori to survive and thrive Despite 184 years of an unequal and discriminatory relationship Māori still believe in the future that Te Tiriti can offer us Many Māori accept that those of our tūpuna (ancestors) who signed the agreement did so in good faith to create an honourable equal and equitable relationship with the Crown It gave many of us a living blueprint for how different people from across the world could prosper together The hope that emerged from Matike Mai is that our country’s governing structure can make decisions based on values that we all think are important rather than on the whims of the political moment Some of the values that came through from over 70 meetings with young people included protecting the health and wellbeing of our natural environment “kotahi aroha” — the right of all peoples to peace and mutual respect Instead of electing political parties that change things every three years imagine if we had a government that was accountable to the values that really matter to us Te Tiriti offers a guide to make laws and systems based on the values we share including respect and dignity for all people in Aotearoa What inspired me the most about Matike Mai is that it showed how Te Tiriti gives us practical solutions for where we go next as a country Matike Mai suggested different examples for decision making which ensure Māori get to have a say over the things that are important to them while ensuring we can all continue to look after each other and work together we can repair past harms and move forward together on an equal footing Some organisations and churches have already modelled relationships where decision-making is shared Structural changes like Māori wards and the Māori Health Authority were ways to make sure Māori got to decide the right way to meet our own needs respectful relationship with councils and the health system we can chart a path forward where our differences are celebrated Every opportunity that we get to learn more about (and honestly reflect on) our history is an opportunity to enrich the social fabric of our country for future generations the better decisions we can make for tomorrow It reminds me of the whakataukī: Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua I walk backward into the future with my eyes fixed on the past He mihi nui ki a Veronica Tawhai i te tautoko nui Ngāti Korokī) is the director of community campaigning organisation ActionStation She was trained in the union movement and studied at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ahunga Tikanga (Māori Laws and Philosophy) Since then she’s been involved with social justice movements for Te Tiriti justice If you like our focus on Māori and Pasifika stories so we need the support of our readers to keep going If you support our kaupapa and want to see us continue please consider making a one-off donation or contributing $5 or $10 a month Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Sign up for our email newsletter and get the latest E-Tangata stories sent straight to your inbox E-Tangata is an online Sunday magazine specialising in stories that reflect the experiences of Māori and Pasifika in Aotearoa We welcome submissions or inquiries to:editor@e-tangata.co.nz You can support E-Tangata’s kaupapa by contributing through PressPatron we can tell more Māori and Pacific stories © 2014 - 2025 E-Tangata House of Shem headlined Waitangi Day 2024 in front of 30,000 people You can expect another awesome Waitangi Day event in Porirua Waitangi Day at Te Rauparaha Park on Thursday 6 February runs from midday to 5pm and will feature live music performances from homegrown talent PERE and Kings Don’t miss cultural performances by Mana Whenua me te Kāhui Kuratea and visiting Canadian Indigenous group the Kumugwe Cultural Society The fun continues inside Te Rauparaha Arena and Pātaka Art + Museum with lots of free activities for tamariki and art and history to discover Visitors will also have the chance to check out the many stalls set up on Te Rauparaha Park as well as choosing from a range of tasty kai options from food trucks located along Norrie St The popular free waka tours are also returning for the day giving people the chance to paddle around Te-Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour “Last year we welcomed more than 30,000 people into our city centre for Waitangi Day with many coming from outside of Porirua,” says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker stalls and kai on offer means there will be something for everyone.” Culture or Heritage Event at the NZEA Event Awards This year’s event has a zero waste kaupapa so remember to pack your keep cups for inu (drinks) and kai (food) There are plenty of ways to get to Te Rauparaha Park for Waitangi Day – walk scoot or bike to the city centre if coming from nearby As it’s a public holiday Council parking is free in the city although there will be fewer available parks due to event road closures Visitors are encouraged to catch the train to Porirua city and make the five-minute walk around the waterfront to the action Some mobility parking spaces will be available at Te Rauparaha Arena Find everything you need to know on our webpage poriruacity.govt.nz/waitangi-day Tens of thousands of people gathered at parliament to protest the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill was finally laid to rest on Thursday amid cheers from the parliament floor and gallery It took nothing less than a mass movement to drive the nail in its coffin Here’s Kassie Hartendorp from ActionStation on an exhausting year and a half of countering the threat to Te Tiriti it was obvious to us at ActionStation that this bill was a vehicle for the ACT Party to remake Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its own image It was clear that David Seymour hoped to roll out a plan similar to his successful End of Life Choice Bill — but this time to focus on replacing the court-established Treaty principles with ACT Party policy There have been countless attacks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ngā iwi Māori from this government this bill and ACT’s strategy to promote it was especially important because it was aimed squarely at winning public opinion Most politicians know that when you have won over the public you have a mandate to push through policy details But when so many people rallied against this bill they denied Seymour and a racist minority the ability to claim that the public was on their side When we at ActionStation saw this bill included in the coalition agreement we turned to our First Nations tuākana from so-called Australia namely Larissa Baldwin from our sister organisation GetUp They had recently been through the wringer with the Voice referendum Initially called for by First Nations leaders There was a concerted campaign from far-right actors to spark fear claiming that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were dividing the country The campaign successfully drove down public support for an Indigenous voice in the Australian constitution Our tuākana told us the aftermath of losing the referendum was worse than they could have imagined The spiritual and emotional impact was so severe that many in their communities didn’t want to leave the house or go to school I attended a hui of community organisers seven months afterwards and the pain among First Nations people was still palpable the referendum created something of a scorched earth policy meaning that future laws protecting Indigenous rights will be almost impossible to achieve in its wake We were told to do everything in our power to stop such a referendum here and we were given advice on how to do that and I believe their lessons gave us the ability to get ahead of the racist far right here When we started our efforts against the bill there was no guarantee from the National party that they would vote it down Christopher Luxon was making non-committal statements that gave him the ability to wriggle in any direction While ACT was leading this particular charge National went ahead with legislation that brought back referendums on Māori wards among a host of other legislative changes to remove references to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and dismantle Māori rights So National wasn’t ideologically opposed to the Treaty principles bill — they just hadn’t committed to taking it all the way our collective task was to make sure that the bill was shown to be so ill-informed and then turn out in force for the select committee submissions At first, I thought that the whole thing was a distraction, but as time went on, I came to see it as the main event. Not because other bills weren’t just as dangerous, but because this was the vehicle that the racist far right were using to shore up popular support They have a clear playbook where they scapegoat marginalised communities (migrants Indigenous people) and embolden violence towards them The Treaty principles bill was an attempt to create a public mandate to weaken our constitutional law While this bill had its own unique local flavour groups similar to ACT are doing this all around the world the existing Treaty principles protect our public good to provide checks and balances on rampant privatisation and the corporatisation of public assets As academics like Ryan Ward and Rupert O’Brien explained the principles have become a roadblock to governments wanting to sell state assets If the Treaty principles bill had been successful it would not just have killed our Te Tiriti relationship in law but also cleared the way for the government to open up our natural resources and publicly owned assets to corporate exploitation It’s a lot easier to strip a country of public assets when they are drawn into a carefully curated race war It’s true that the fight still isn’t over for Māori nor anyone who genuinely respects Te Tiriti o Waitangi. An insider said to me that David Seymour has 12 different ways to win this thing, and the Regulatory Standards Bill is certainly one of them the next battleground is the referendums that could lose us Māori ward seats in 42 different councils this October let’s take a moment to celebrate what we just achieved together bad-faith attempt to turn our country against our founding agreement We revitalised the democracy that was being used against us by breaking multiple records and encouraging people who had never submitted before to get involved We refused to be deceived by the far right While the world watched (thanks to Hana-Rāwhiti’s searing haka) thanks to the tireless efforts of Māori kātoa we have reached a tipping point where more people than ever respect Te Tiriti o Waitangi I come from an iwi whose cultural revitalisation strategy over 50 years ago has changed our rohe in remarkable ways I have seen the quiet confidence of the kōhanga generation instilled with a vision for the future that is grounded in te ao Māori I have seen the impact of Te Tiriti educators who fill the knowledge gaps among us so that we can all stand stronger in who we are I have sat in a reo class at our marae where whānau had returned for the first time in decades I have watched non-Māori soften when they learn that Te Tiriti is an act of generosity which invites their families to call this place home Neither David Seymour nor Christopher Luxon have chosen to truly listen to te ao Māori nor to experience and understand our hopes for a united nation But in their arrogance and hunger for power they underestimated how far our whole country has truly come Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is the Director for progressive She has been the strategic lead on the organisation’s Treaty principles bill and Māori wards campaigns E-Tangata, 2025 Event in February that commemorates signing of New Zealand’s founding document expected to draw tens of thousands but PM will not attend Organisers of New Zealand’s national day commemorating the signing of the country’s founding treaty between Māori tribes and the British crown are expecting record attendance in 2025 following a year of rising tensions over the government’s policy direction for Māori Read moreThe 2025 event is expected to exceed last year’s record attendance when 80,000 people travelled from across the country to Waitangi While some will be there in a show of force against the coalition government, which many fear is rolling back Māori rights and undermining the promises made in the treaty attendance will not be entirely driven by anger “It is becoming much more a festival atmosphere … and people know they can come there bring their children and grandchildren and have a good time.” Still, Tipene hopes people will reflect on what the day means. The Waitangi event is as much a festival as it is a forum for political discussion about sovereignty, equality and history. It has often been the scene of demonstrations, with Māori protesting against the lack of progress made in tackling inequality and ongoing breaches of the treaty. “While we want people to be enjoying themselves … let’s just remember what it’s all about and celebrate nationhood in whatever way we like.” Read moreThe signing of the treaty has been commemorated as a public holiday on 6 February since 1974 and a formal multi-day celebration held at the Waitangi grounds where the treaty was signed In December, Luxon announced he would not be attending the 2025 event in Waitangi, instead opting to attend smaller events in different parts of the country – a decision that sparked accusations of cowardice from opposition parties “I have been in Waitangi the last two years including in my first year as prime minister so next year I have decided to head to another part of the country,” he said in a statement at the time and I am keen to join New Zealanders celebrating it in other regions.” Other prime ministers have skipped the formal celebrations in the past Luxon said senior government representatives would attend events around the country But Luxon’s decision was disappointing and “Particularly given the current political situation where the treaty principles bill is going through and there is a lot of angst in our society in general.” which proposes to radically alter the way the treaty is interpreted The bill does not have widespread support and is unlikely to become law its introduction has prompted anger from many who believe it is creating division and undermining the treaty Luxon’s absence would be a missed opportunity to keep the conversation going between Māori leaders and the government “We would rather that we were focusing on what nationhood is and painting a clearer vision of where we’re going as a country particularly given that we’re fast approaching the bicentennial of the signing of [the treaty].” and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events This day is more than commemoration—it’s a commitment to justice and unity Find an event near you and be part of shaping the future of Aotearoa Link What: Waitangi Day 2025: Kotahitanga & Solidarity Hīkoi; Organisers: Tiriti Action Group – Pōneke | Actionstation Where and when: Pukeahu National War Memorial Park Link Organisers: Ngāti Toa | Porirua City Council Link Organisers: Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki | Kāpiti  Coast District Council Link What: Honour Te Tiriti: Activation and voices of change Organisers: Ōwae Marae Whaitara | Te Ohongaroa Collective Link Organisers:  Te Puia: Māori Arts & Crafts Institute Link What: Waitangi Mō te aroha o te iwi – For the Love of the People Where and when: Wai Ariki Hot Spring and Spa Link Link Where and when: Te Marae o Hine | The Square Link Link Organiser: Te Whare Tonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery | Hamilton City Council Link Link What: Waitangi Day at Whakatū Marae and Founders Heritage Park Organiser:  Nelson City Council | Whakatū Marae | Founders Heritage Park Where and when: 9am pōwhiri at Whakatu Marae Link Where and when: Victoria Sq to New Brighton Link What: Waitangi Day 2025 Commemorations (Including Prime Minister Chrisopher Luxon) Link Something missing? Feel free to let us know here Waitangi National Trust chairman Pita Tipene at Waitangi 2025 Despite 185 years of Te Tiriti o Waitangi the relationship between Māori and central Government continues to face challenges That was the sentiment of Waitangi National Trust chair Pita Tipene just after dawn broke on Waitangi Day Thousands descended upon Northland this week to mark the partnership between tangata whenua and the Crown While the energy from those attending commemorations was positive, the Treaty Principles Bill and other policies continued to draw criticism As to whether the Government was listening to what was being said He was displeased at the absence of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who instead spent the day at Ōnuku Marae Numbers for this year’s Waitangi were lower than expected and less than last year Despite the smaller attendance, Far North mayor Moko Tepania felt the sense of nationhood and identity was strong “Politically of course [Waitangi Day] was always going to be heightened because of the Treaty Principles Bill.” That was seen on Wednesday when protesters turned their backs on key speakers and Ngāti Wai chairperson Aperahama Edwards took the microphone from Act’s David Seymour Tepania said a lot of work had gone into ensuring manaakitanga [respect] throughout the week it is culturally appropriate for our people to express themselves as part of that.” Tepania felt those moments reminded central Government policymakers that upholding Te Tiriti O Waitangi was vital He felt the Treaty Principles Bill had for many been the “straw that broke the camel’s back” especially after the reversal of Māori names from Government agencies Māori Wards and the repeal of smokefree laws Tepania said the Government would be scrutinised by the nation moving forward He felt tensions would persist until Māori felt Te Tiriti O Waitangi was being lived “We would be doing a disservice to our ancestors if we were to roll over or lay down.” He also said local Government continued to play a key role in ensuring strong relationships with iwi and hapū in the community Tepania encouraged people who opposed the system to participate but in our last election only 4000 voted.” Northland National Party MP Grant McCallum said Waitangi offered a unique opportunity to showcase the region That included the challenges the region was facing with roading infrastructure and housing he said Luxon had been clear he wanted to get around the country on Waitangi He felt the relationship between Government and tangata whenua was robust “Ultimately we want the same thing as a country it’s a question of the journey to get there [which] will be bumpy and this is another year of it Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond Visitors are encouraged to help identify people in the photographs.