More than 42,000 people marched to Parliament’s steps in Wellington, to conclude the final leg of the nine-day march, Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti.
The historic event, which police called peaceful, was one of Aotearoa’s biggest protests to Parliament and included the young, the old, tangata Tiriti and Māori.
Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti organiser Eru Kapa Kingi told the crowd, “Toitū Te Tiriti, ki te ake ake. Te Tiriti is forever. Toitū He Whakaputanga ki te ake, ake. He Whakaputanga is forever. Toitū te tangata whenua, ki te ake, ake. We are forever.”
“Honour the Tiriti, forever enduring, Te Tiriti is forever. Honour the Declaration of Independence, forever enduring. The Declaration of Independence is forever. Honour the indigenous people, forever enduring. We (Indigenous people) are forever.”
From haka chants to waiata melodies, the sea of red, white, and black moved, united for one cause, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Social media Influencer Te Aorere Pēwhairangi of Ngāti Porou was among the thousands. Speaking to Te Ao Māori News reporter Michael Cugley, “Ka whakaaro au ki te āpōpō, kaua ko te iwi Māori anake engari ko te reo Māori me te tikanga Māori. Koirā tētahi o ngā kaupapa i tae mai ai au. Ko te titiro whakamua ki ā tātou tamariki me ā tātou mokopuna kia taurikura ai te ao e noho nei rātou,” says Pēwhairangi.
“I think about the future not only of the Māori people but also of the Māori language and culture. That is one of the reasons I came. It is about looking forward to our children and grandchildren so that the world they live in may thrive,” Pēwhairang saidi.
Many protestors voiced their concerns to Te Ao Māori News. One woman Tanja Schwalm from Germany, described participating as a tangata Tiriti, a Treaty partner. “Me tohe te kaikiri, me tohe ngā ture kaikiri, nē? Āe, nā he akoranga i ō mātou hītori, nē? Kei te kitea i tēnei āhuatanga i konei, he nui tōku āwangawanga.”
“We must challenge racism, and challenge racist laws, right? Yes, because there are lessons from our history, right? This situation we see here causes me great concern.”
Nesian Mystik artist Te Awanui Reeder was also there with his children and their kura kaupapa and said, “Everyone was in a choice vibe, and it’s choice to see our tamariki, because this is really for them.”
Raewyn Neho of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahungunu was one of many Māori who described how the day was also a reclamation of Māori culture and identity. She explained that her own dad’s loss of language due to colonisation, which included beatings at school for speaking Māori, meant she was only taught English. Neho says “What I’m looking for is to be more Māori and proud to be Māori.”
The day came without mention of ACT leader David Seymour, who was reported briefly waving to the crowds that gathered outside Parliament and then returning into the Behive.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi jokingly commented over the microphone to the crowd about his absence and for not talking to the public that gathered. ”As for David Seymour, will see you next Tuesday, when I sat down there it was midday. So my message to him is now see you noon Tuesday,” Waititi. said
Tā Herewini Parata also summed up the feeling of what the day meant for him as a Ngāti Porou leader, “Mōku tonu. Ka hoatu taku mana motuhake i roto i a au i te maunga tapu o Hikurangi, hoi anō ko te pai o tēnei rā, ko te whakakao i ngā mana motuhake o te motu, e noho tahi ana, te kōkiri ki te karauna kia pare atu i te pire ki waho rā anō o te pāremata. Kaua te karauna e raweke i te Tiriti. Waiho te kawenata tapu, e tapu ana,” Parata said.
“For me personally, I derive my sovereignty from within, from the sacred mountain of Hikurangi (on the East Coast). However, the highlight of this day is the uniting of sovereign authorities (tribes) of the nation, standing together with the Crown to push the bill out of Parliament. The Crown must not tamper with the Treaty and leave the sacred covenant as it is, sacred and untouchable,” Parata said.
Prominent figures were also there, under the protection of Te Kahu o te Raukura and the Māori royal houses.
Ruakere Hond of Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui said, “ko te nuinga o te hau kāinga kua haere mai ki te tautoko i tēnei hīkoi. Ko te tautoko a te manawhenua, he whakatau i te hīkoi. Kāore e pai kia haere Pākehā mai nei ki runga i te pāremata. Engari te tuatahi me haere Māori mai, me haere rangatira mai, me haere Tiriti mai,” says Hond.
“Well, most of the local people have come to support this hīkoi. The support of the local custodians is to welcome the hīkoi; it’s not appropriate for us to come on to Parliament here as you would a Pākehā. Instead, we should come as Māori, we should come with dignity, we should come with the principles of Te Tiriti,” Hond said.
Police estimated 42,000 people participated in Tuesday’s Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti, more than double the numbers of those who attended the 2004 Foreshore & Seadbed Hīkoi. And yet 20 years later, people from all walks of life have joined the cause of Honour The Treaty.
Actor Jemaine Clement of Ngāti Kahungunu was among them saying, “I knew it was big but look, look how many thousands of people are here.”
Musician Rob Ruha of Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou, said,“Kei konei a Mana, kei konei a Tapu, kei konei a Ihi, o aua mea katoa, kei konei te Kuīni Māori, kei konei te iwi e oreore ana i te whakatakariri. Otirā ia i te whakatakē ki ngā kaupapa pēhi nei, whiua nei i a tātou i roto i te kōpū o te wā.”
“Here stands Mana, here stands Tapu, here stands Ihi - all those elements. Here stands the Māori queen, here stand the people stirring in righteous anger. Yet, it is in resistance to these oppressive agendas that we cast them into the womb of time.”
“Ko te wāhi nei, ko te tikanga mā Ngāpuhi, he hāpai. Koia te tūāpapa o te Tiriti o Waitangi, koia e kī ake nei ko te karanga kia toitū te Tiriti, kia pērā ai te toitū o te whenua.”
This place, its custom is meant to be upheld by Ngāpuhi, as it is the foundation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that’s why it is a call to honour Te Tiriti, and to honour these lands.”
Parata also highlighted the sentiment with the thousands that gathered, “Ko te hua, ko te kotahitanga o ngā iwi o te motu, ko te kotahitanga o ngā mana motuhake o te motu, ko te kotahitanga o ngā whakaaro e ū ai Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
“The outcome is the unity of the tribes of the nation, the unity of the sovereign authorities (tribes) of the nation, and the unity of thought that upholds the Treaty of Waitangi.”
