A protest for Maori rights brought 42,000 demonstrators to the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington on Tuesday. The protest, a nine-day hikoi, or peaceful march, was in opposition to a bill seeking to reinterpret the country’s 184-year-old Treaty of Waitangi between British colonizers and the Indigenous Maori people. Prior to the protest, some had been peacefully demonstrating outside the Parliament building for nine days. The controversial Treaty Principles Bill was introduced for a preliminary vote on November 14, leading Maori parliamentarians to stage a haka to disrupt the proceedings. The Maori, the original residents of New Zealand, have a distinct culture and language, with different tribes spread throughout the country. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, officially making New Zealand a British colony. However, the English and te reo versions of the treaty differ significantly in their guarantees to the Maori people. Over the years, Maori land was taken by the British Crown, leading to ongoing injustices and breaches of the treaty. The Treaty Principles Bill, proposed by Member of Parliament David Seymour, aims to set specific definitions of the treaty’s principles and apply them equally to all New Zealanders. However, many believe the bill will erode Maori rights and breach the principles of the treaty. The bill has faced strong opposition from political parties and Maori people, with the Waitangi Tribunal warning of significant breaches of the treaty if the bill is enacted.
