This article was first published by RNZ.
The national hīkoi for Te Tiriti has arrived on Parliament’s doorstep.
After travelling through Hawke’s Bay and Manawatū over the weekend, the main convoy reached Porirua, on the outskirts of Wellington, on Sunday night.
Across the seven days of hīkoi and carkoi, many non-Māori joined in at various points to lend their support.
When the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Hastings on Saturday, there were plenty of speeches and chanting - but it was the kōrero of one young local which captured the crowd’s attention.
Misbah was born in India but now calls Aotearoa home - something about which he spoke eloquently.
He said it felt wonderful to have the crowd cheer him on - he said it lifted his wairua, his spirits.
“I feel the mana, I feel the aroha coming from here, I am embracing the energy that is coming out from here and I am honoured to be part of a historical movement here in Aotearoa.”
The term tangata Tiriti - literally meaning Treaty people - has entered the lexicon in the last few years as a way to describe the other party to Te Tiriti o Waitangi - non-Māori.
If tangata Tiriti lent their voices of support to Māori, that would make the difference, Misbah said.
“I took up the responsibility as tangata Tiriti, we need to make our stand clear about Te Tiriti... as tangata Tiriti we need to put our voice out there and make it clear that we are with tangata whenua and we are with all the people that are suffering all around the world.”
Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi said it was moving to have tangata Tiriti, like Misbah, come out to support the hīkoi.
He believed it was representative of a younger generation who were thinking more critically about the way things were.
“It’s encouraging and it’s inspiring as well so I’m grateful to see all of our people here but also all tangata Tiriti, tauiwi, supporting our kaupapa.”
When the hīkoi marched through The Square in Palmerston North on Sunday there were groups of tangata Tiriti there as well - many carrying signs reading “we stand with Māori”.
Palmerston North local Lise Bakker said it did not matter if people were Pākehā or from overseas - they arrived at the hīkoi with the same purpose.
“I think so many of these really important te ao Māori causes kinda get shunted aside by Pākehā, and we go ‘it’s not our culture, it’s not our problem’, but this is.
“This affects all of us and we need to be here to support our whānau. Because Māori are our whānau and we are all a part of Aotearoa.”
Bakker said her message was really simple - kill the Treaty Principles Bill.
“It’s not te Tiriti, it’s not what we’re here for, it’s not what the Crown signed, it’s not what the United Nations has recognised as our founding document, so why are we even here arguing about this?”
For members of the North Island hīkoi, Monday would be a day of rest and preparation which would include making signs and learning haka and waiata for the final march to Parliament.
But another convoy coming up from Te Waipounamu was expected to arrive in Wellington on Monday evening. Both groups would converge and march the remaining distance to Parliament on Tuesday.
By Pokere Paiwai of RNZ.