Category: Te Ao Māori

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Pākehā leader working to mobilise tangata Tiriti support for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says last year’s hīkoi revealed the power of collective action and aroha.

A year on from one of the largest protest movements in Aotearoa’s recent history, the sense of kotahitanga (unity) that filled the streets during Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti still lingers for many who took part.

Rebecca Sinclair, co-founder of the Pākehā Project, an organisation of tangata Tiriti leaders who run programmes and workshops for Pākehā, told RNZ one of the most moving aspects of the hīkoi was seeing so many Pākehā and Tauiwi marching alongside Māori.

“The real difference now, compared to ten years ago or so … is that those Tauiwi and Pākehā aren’t just showing up to be seen,” she said.

“They’re showing up because they really believe in this. They want this, not just for Māori, but for themselves.”

She said many non-Māori are beginning to understand that honouring Te Tiriti benefits everyone.

“There’s a real sense of, ‘this is what’s better for all of us if we move towards it’.”

“So many more people understand that this is at the root of our collective well-being. It’s pretty amazing – and we see that in our Pākehā Project people as well.”

She said through any mention of the hīkoi, she was “totally transported back.”

“For me, it was that real sense of what it felt like to be in kotahitanga (unity).”

“Not even the outcome or whatever anyone thought the message was. It was about the experience of being there, all of us there for this common purpose, and for each other.”

A taste of kotahitanga

Sinclair was among hundreds of volunteers supporting the hīkoi through Wellington in 2024, helping to run manaaki stations offering water, kai, and powerbanks to participants as it made its way to Parliament.

“I was feeling intense love, feeling the kotahitanga – like this is the Aotearoa that we actually deserve,” she told RNZ at the time.

“If people could just come down and feel what it feels like, they would see why it’s so incredible to be supporting this kaupapa.”

Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti began with a dawn karakia at Te Rerenga Wairua on 10 November 2024, marking the start of a nationwide movement opposing the government’s Treaty Principles Bill and other policies impacting Māori.

Thousands of people – Māori and non-Māori – joined the protest as it travelled the length of the motu.

Sinclair said what stood out to her the most was the feeling of collective strength.

“It was every moment – being there near the beginning, watching as it took two hours for people to pass us, bumping into people I knew, giving out water and kai – it just felt so beautiful,” she said.

“Then when we went and sat down at the park afterwards, it was this amazing feeling of real love. That kind of agape love for everyone.”

She said the hīkoi offered a glimpse of what Aotearoa could be like when people stand together.

“This was a taste of what we could have if we could just understand that this is the future of Aotearoa right there.

“My daughter said she wants something like that again because she’s never felt anything like it before.

“That sense of wanting that feeling again, is what’s so powerful about it,” she said.

The nine day hīkoi also reminded her what real power looked like.

“It showed me that power is so much more than top-down wealth or manipulation or force. For power to be exerted on us, we have to give it away,” she said.

“What kotahitanga gives us is a taste of what it feels like not to give that power away, but to explore that power together.”

The experience echoed the energy felt each year at Waitangi, she said.

“The more people can experience that, the more they’re intrinsically motivated to keep going with it.”

Over the past year, a series of government policies have sparked debate about Te Tiriti o Waitangi – including the Treaty Principles Bill, the Regulatory Standards Bill, and changes to the education curriculum.

These shifts had only reinforced the importance of tangata Tiriti stepping up, Sinclair said.

“We’ve got to be part of this, and we’ve got to see the ways that dominant colonial power is working, and that it’s actually working against everyone,” she said.

“People are starting to see that this sort of colonial power isn’t about looking after everyone… it’s not even about looking after white people.

“When authoritarian behaviour starts to appear, there’s going to be a backlash, and that’s what we’re seeing now – a reaction of coming together.”

The government’s recent decision to remove Te Tiriti from legislation and protections has had unintended consequences and that she has seen an uptake of Pākehā wanting to know more about Te Tiriti, she said.

“The Treaty Principles Bill has made so many people understand Te Tiriti in a way they didn’t before.”

“[The government] don’t realise the reaction they’ve provoked. They fear the stuff they don’t understand – people power, kotahitanga, manaakitanga. They fear care, love, togetherness and that’s why they’re trying to get rid of them. That tells us those are exactly the things we have to keep doing.”

Building a community of tangata Tiriti

The Pākehā Project, which Sinclair co-founded in 2019 alongside Louise Marra (Tūhoe), runs workshops and leadership programmes to help Pākehā understand Te Tiriti and their role as tangata Tiriti.

Interest in their kaupapa has grown rapidly, even as funding remains a challenge, she said.

“We just finished the last retreat for our leadership programme in Tāmaki.

“It’s beautiful to see what happens when people start to feel what it might be like to operate in a different way – to think collectively, without judgement or superiority. It’s about trying to genuinely operate from a different paradigm.”

That included learning new ways of relating to one another, she said.

“One thing that stuck with me is that Pākehā need to learn to love each other. We’re not used to that – not used to loving each other in public,” she said.

“It might sound strange when we’re talking about resistance, but if we can’t be with each other in that way, how are we going to be with anybody else?”

Self-compassion was also key to sustainable change, she said.

“You can’t have accountability without compassion otherwise it becomes self-flagellation.”

“Everyone’s feeling overwhelmed by what’s going on, so it’s even more important to look after each other.”

Despite the political climate, with ructions within Te Pāti Māori, Sinclair said she felt hopeful about the growing number of groups across the motu working to uphold Te Tiriti.

“There are so many cool groups popping up now doing this mahi not just us, but all over the place.

“It reminds me how much bigger it is than us.”

The spirit of connection was what would sustain the movement, she said.

“As painful as some moments are, rupture is part of our ways of growing. Maybe we just have to hold firm and understand we’re holding that around each other,” she said.

Her message to those continuing the kaupapa was to “look after each other”.

“We so need each other. Kotahitanga, aroha those are so important. We cannot do this alone.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Thousands of indigenous educators and leaders from around the world are set to gather in Tāmaki Makaurau next week for the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE).

It’s the first time in 20 years the global event has returned to Aotearoa, with more than 3800 delegates expected to attend.

Hosted by Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau (AUT) and iwi manaaki Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the five-day conference will be held at the Aotea Centre from 16-20 November.

The event opens with a pōwhiri on Sunday, followed by a colourful ‘Parade of Nations’ along Queen Street, where representatives from more than 20 Indigenous cultures will march in official kākahu (attire).

WIPCE Co-Chairs Dr Noe Noe Wilson-Wong, Dr Bentham Ohia, Professor Damon Salesa and Professor Meihana Durie said the gathering celebrates indigenous unity and knowledge-sharing.

“WIPCE is about celebrating and affirming a shared sense of Indigenous determination and unity,” the co-chairs said in a joint statement.

“WIPCE is also a time to draw inspiration from the power of Indigenous ceremony, language, culture and scholarship and to reimagine the future of Indigenous education through sharing our deepest experiences, our distinctive histories and bold visions for the future.”

Alongside their iwi manaaki of Ngāti Whātua Orākei, the chairs said they look forward to welcoming manuhiri to Aotearoa and in particular, to Tāmaki Makaurau, “a city that is home to the largest number of Pacific peoples in the world”.

Durie said the kaupapa provides a global platform for indigenous voices and aspirations.

“Although it is clear that indigenous rights remain under immense threat, this gathering unites indigenous educators, scholars and champions from across the world,” he said.

“Amplifying indigenous voices and aspirations to transcend barriers that limit our collective potential, and more importantly, to achieve transformative inter-generational outcomes for indigenous education worldwide.”

Durie said WIPCE is all about thinking about the future, and how to navigate it collectively as Indigenous people.

“Our greatest strength comes through our unification.”

The conference will feature keynote speakers including distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai-Smith, Professor Leonie Pihama, Dr Teina Rongo and actor-producer Cliff Curtis.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said WIPCE will also deliver a major boost to the city’s economy, generating an estimated $8.275 million and more than 16,600 visitor nights.

“In addition, this gathering reflects our identity as the world’s largest Māori and Polynesian city, enriched by more than 200 ethnicities. We are committed to sharing knowledge that connects us all.”

For those not attending the conference, a free public festival Te Ao Pūtahi will run in Aotea Square over the week, featuring kapa haka, live music, kai and workshops – all celebrating indigenous culture.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The National Iwi Chairs Forum has filed court proceedings seeking clarification on how the Crown must uphold Treaty of Waitangi settlements as it pushes ahead with major resource management reforms.

The action has been brought by forum member and Waikato Executive Chair Tukoroirangi Morgan, who said iwi leaders have lost confidence that the government understands or intends to protect the integrity of Treaty settlements.

“Treaty of Waitangi settlements are a solemn compact between iwi and hapū and the Crown, giving rise to a series of obligations on the Crown to uphold those settlements with honour and integrity,” Morgan said.

The move comes as the government prepares to introduce replacement Resource Management Act (RMA) legislation before the end of the year.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the legislation removes “handbrakes on New Zealanders’ lives,” helping to drive growth and job creation.

“The Resource Management Act has been holding New Zealand back for decades. It has let successive governments and councils say ‘no’ to progress, ‘no’ to development, and ‘no’ to building the houses, infrastructure, clean energy and other important projects that New Zealanders need to get ahead,” Bishop said.

Despite government assuring that they intend to uphold Treaty settlements, the National Iwi Chairs Forum and Morgan said iwi and hapū engagement to date suggests otherwise.

“The Government’s announcements about replacement RMA legislation show that decisions on the new regime have been substantively made, and iwi and hapu are being engaged on our settlements as an afterthought,” Morgan said.

The Forum, which represents over 80 iwi across Aotearoa, argues that Treaty settlements are deeply connected to existing resource management law – meaning any new framework must embed those commitments from the outset.

“The Crown cannot unilaterally change settlements in a manner that diminishes that compact,” Morgan said.

“That will give rise to fresh grievances and the need to re-negotiate all of our compacts. So we are going to Court to seek that confirmation, because this Government is not listening, so it needs to be told.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour is “absolutely” campaigning to get Te Pāti Māori out of Parliament and while that party’s internal ructions are sad for te ao Māori, that is politics.

Labour’s campaign manager Willie Jackson said there has been strong interest in campaigning for the Māori seats and they will be “ready” if there are by-elections.

He has also ruled out accepting rogue MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris into Labour, after Te Pāti Māori announced their expulsion from the party on Monday.

Jackson – who will be managing Labour’s 2026 election campaign and also leads the party’s Māori caucus – said they would be fighting hard to win all seven of the Māori seats, and if that meant Te Pāti Māori not getting back into Parliament, that was fine with him.

“Oh absolutely. We got rid of them in 2017 and they try to get rid of us in the seats, we try to get rid of them, that’s just the nature of the game. Doesn’t mean to say we don’t have good relationships with them still … it’s just how it is.”

He said there had been a lot of interest from people looking to win the Māori seats for Labour.

“We’ve had a lot of interest, a lot of interest in the seats – particularly during the Māori Party troubled times – so had a lot of interest in the last six to eight weeks, candidates lining up everywhere.

“I think people don’t like division, and they like what they’re seeing from Labour. Our Māori MPs are performing and they’ll be ready if there are any by-elections.”

He made clear however that whoever Labour picked as candidates, Kapa-Kingi and Ferris would not be among them.

“They’re not Labour people, they’re not Labour candidates. They’re good people, we don’t have anything against them, but they will not be candidates for Labour.”

Asked what value Te Pāti Māori was bringing to Parliament, he came up short.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask their supporters. I worry about Labour and the reality is we’ve got a real opportunity – at the same time I don’t take any joy in what’s happening. All parties go through these internals, so, disappointing for them, disappointing for a lot of our people but it’s their business, we’ve got to concentrate on getting ourselves organised and we will.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins agreed the party would be competing “vigourously” for every Māori seat at the next election.

He had a pithy response when asked if he would be comfortable with Te Pāti Māori exiting Parliament: “They’re doing a pretty good job of that for themselves at the moment.”

“At the moment Te Pāti Māori are more focused on themselves than focused on tackling the issues facing New Zealand, so they’re not bringing a lot to the debate at the moment.

“We’ve got a very strong line-up of potential candidates vying for Labour’s nomination for those Māori electorates and I think that bodes well for a good result for us in those seats at the next election.”

He indicated Labour was looking to capitalise on the divisions in Te Pāti Māori.

“There were a lot of non-Māori New Zealanders who were very supportive of the Toitu te Tiriti movement for example who felt very let down from the Māori Party basically saying ‘if you’re an Asian new Zealander or a Pākehā New Zealander then you have no right to be speaking on Māori issues’.

“A lot of people driving around with Toitu te Tiriti bumper stickers suddenly felt that they were alienated from that kaupapa so I think that means that they’re now looking around to say ‘well we thought we were supporting something which it’s clear … that’s not what we thought it was.

“My message to them is vote Labour if you want to change the government.”

Whether Labour could work with Te Pāti Māori around the cabinet table was still an open question, which would be answered next year, he said.

“Lots can change in a year. But we will make our decisions, and they’ll be principled decisions and we’ll set them out closer to the election. I’m not making those decisions in advance.”

He said strategic decisions about whether Māori seat candidates would be also placed on Labour’s list would also be made closer to the election.

There was “some certainty” that Cushla Tangaere-Manuel would again be Labour’s candidate for Ikaroa Rāwhiti, but the others were yet to be confirmed.

Jackson said Te Pāti Māori’s internal ructions were “very sad”.

“I think it’s sad for te ao Māori. I don’t like to see this sort of thing happen – some of these people are friends, relations, so I take no joy in it but the reality is we’ll be after the seats … so course it’s sad, however that’s politics.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF), supported by a coalition of national education organisations, has launched a petition against the government’s removal of the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Treaty requirement currently in the Education Act said schools would give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by ensuring plans, policies, and local curriculum reflected local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori; taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students.

Rahui Papa, chair of Pou Tangata the NICF’s arm responsible for education, said after more than a year of formal engagement and consultation with the government on the proposed changes, they were disappointed and concerned by the last-minute amendments to remove the school board objective requiring schools to give effect to Te Tiriti.

“These amendments were never put out for consultation. Instead, they were introduced by the minister after public consultation closed, published less than 24 hours before they progressed through Parliament, and it looks like those changes will be passed into law today – only a week after they were made public,” Papa said.

“We’re launching this petition to send a clear message to the Government: removing Te Tiriti from education law undermines your responsibility to ensure every learner, Māori and non-Māori, thrives in an education system that honours the Māori-Crown relationship.”

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Treaty was the Crown’s responsibility, not schools’.

“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.

The Protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Education petition is led by the National Iwi Chairs Forum, and supported by the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa, New Zealand Principals’ Federation, New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua, Te Akatea New Zealand Māori Principals Association, Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand, Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – New Zealand Schools Boards Association, Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, and Te Rūnanga Nui o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.

Papa said collectively the coalition represents 88 iwi and over 95,000 teachers, principals, schools, and kura.

“We agree with the Minister of Education when she says that school boards play an important role in raising achievement. Boards set the overall direction of a school or kura, through their governance responsibilities and development of strategic plans,” Papa said.

“Removing Te Tiriti from the one place every child in Aotearoa passes through – our education system – deprives our tamariki of the opportunity to learn about identity, belonging, and partnership in a culturally responsive environment, and we will not sit idly by while this happens.”

The petition is hosted on ActionStation and will be available to sign until Tuesday, 25 November. It will then be presented to Parliament.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF), supported by a coalition of national education organisations, has launched a petition against the government’s removal of the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Treaty requirement currently in the Education Act said schools would give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by ensuring plans, policies, and local curriculum reflected local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori; taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students.

Rahui Papa, chair of Pou Tangata the NICF’s arm responsible for education, said after more than a year of formal engagement and consultation with the government on the proposed changes, they were disappointed and concerned by the last-minute amendments to remove the school board objective requiring schools to give effect to Te Tiriti.

“These amendments were never put out for consultation. Instead, they were introduced by the minister after public consultation closed, published less than 24 hours before they progressed through Parliament, and it looks like those changes will be passed into law today – only a week after they were made public,” Papa said.

“We’re launching this petition to send a clear message to the Government: removing Te Tiriti from education law undermines your responsibility to ensure every learner, Māori and non-Māori, thrives in an education system that honours the Māori-Crown relationship.”

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Treaty was the Crown’s responsibility, not schools’.

“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.

The Protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Education petition is led by the National Iwi Chairs Forum, and supported by the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa, New Zealand Principals’ Federation, New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua, Te Akatea New Zealand Māori Principals Association, Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand, Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – New Zealand Schools Boards Association, Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, and Te Rūnanga Nui o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.

Papa said collectively the coalition represents 88 iwi and over 95,000 teachers, principals, schools, and kura.

“We agree with the Minister of Education when she says that school boards play an important role in raising achievement. Boards set the overall direction of a school or kura, through their governance responsibilities and development of strategic plans,” Papa said.

“Removing Te Tiriti from the one place every child in Aotearoa passes through – our education system – deprives our tamariki of the opportunity to learn about identity, belonging, and partnership in a culturally responsive environment, and we will not sit idly by while this happens.”

The petition is hosted on ActionStation and will be available to sign until Tuesday, 25 November. It will then be presented to Parliament.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

One year ago, a dawn karakia at Te Rerenga Wairua marked the beginning of Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti – a nationwide march opposing the Treaty Principles Bill and government policies impacting Māori.

Organisers framed it as more than an activation, calling it a step “towards our own liberation as a people” and a reminder of tino rangatiratanga.

The ACT Party’s Treaty Principles Bill was a key driver of the hīkoi, with organisers hoping to reach Parliament for its first reading.

The Waitangi Tribunal’s interim report said the government breached its Treaty obligations in developing the Bill, warning it could advance assimilation and undermine Māori as tangata whenua. The legislation was introduced shortly after, earlier than expected.

Across nine days, thousands walked, sang waiata and carried the colours of tino rangatiratanga across the motu, united in a call to protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

On the final day alone, an estimated 100,000 people filled the streets of Wellington, arriving on Parliament’s doorstep.

While the hīkoi was massive nationwide, its impact was global – captivating audiences around the world.

These are some of the faces and moments that defined that haerenga (journey).

From the mist-covered peaks of Te Rerenga Wairua

A mist-covered dawn karakia at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) on 11 November marked the beginning of the hīkoi to Parliament.

Hundreds were welcomed onto Pōtahi Marae in Te Kao the night before, some travelling from as far as Waikato.

Speaking at the pōwhiri, Hone Harawira celebrated the wave of new, young leaders taking the helm of the protest movement, calling them the “sunrise generation”.

The next stop was Kaitaia, where thousands marched through the town’s main centre. Supporters lined the streets with flags, and local cafes offered free water and coffee. The sound of waiata and chants echoed across the town.

From there, the hīkoi travelled to Kawakawa and on to Whangārei, where hundreds were welcomed at Kaka Porowini Marae after covering around 280 kilometres.

On day two, thousands gathered at Laurie Hill Park in Whangārei, where rangatira acknowledged the scale of support and significance of the kaupapa.

The hīkoi then made its way to Dargaville, where manawhenua Ngāti Whātua, Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau welcomed marchers. Hundreds filled Selwyn Park for waiata and kanikani, ready to activate.

The ordinarily quiet streets of the small town heard waiata and haka echo through them as the hīkoi made its way through the main centre.

Residents could be seen peeking through windows to watch the hīkoi pass, with locals leaving their workplaces to see the march.

The group later visited the Kaipara District Council to deliver a statement of support for former Māori ward councillor Pera Paniora, whose seat was disestablished by the council after changes to the Local Government Act.

Auckland’s Harbour Bridge sways

On day three, the hīkoi crossed Auckland’s Harbour Bridge under a sea of tino rangatiratanga flags.

Led by kaihaka, tamariki and kaikaranga, the bridge shook beneath thousands performing waiata and haka – a sight reminiscent of the 1975 Land March and the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed protest.

Kaumātua Herbert Manupiri, the son of a 28th Māori Batallion, reflected on that legacy, saying it was vital for young people to carry it forward.

“It has to come through our young people,” he told RNZ. “Our old people have to teach them.”

After stops at Takaparawhau (Bastion Point) and Ihumātao to acknowledge past struggles over Māori land, the hīkoi reached Huntly, where they were welcomed by mana whenua.

Trees were planted at Ihumātao, and organisers reaffirmed their call for kotahitanga before moving on to Rangiriri Pā – the site of a major Waikato War battle.

The following morning, the hīkoi entered Hamilton, where thousands gathered in Garden Place.

Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke welcomed the crowd, shifting the chant from “Ka whawhai tonu mātou” (we will fight on) to “Ka ora tonu mātou” (we will live on).

Organiser Eru Kapa-Kingi told the crowd the hīkoi was not about politicians in Wellington but about “standing up for future generations of Māori”.

Up to 6000 people filled Hamilton’s streets, with locals crowding balconies and side streets to watch. Waiata filled the air, kai was shared, and tamariki from Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa joined in support.

Haka in the streets and in Parliament

That same day, the Treaty Principles Bill had its first reading in Parliament.

The debate grew heated. Labour’s Willie Jackson was ejected after refusing to withdraw comments accusing ACT leader David Seymour of “rewriting the Treaty” and being a “liar”. Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick urged National MPs to “listen to their conscience”.

When the final votes were called, Maipi-Clarke stood and interupted, leading the haka Ka Mate – a moment that shook a nation. Speaker Gerry Brownlee later ruled her actions “grossly disorderly”, suspending her from Parliament for 24 hours.

Despite opposition from Te Pāti Māori, the Greens and Labour, the Bill passed its first reading and went to the Justice Select Committee.

The cavalry arrives

From Hamilton, the hīkoi pressed on through the rain to Rotorua, where an estimated 10,000 people filled Fenton Street, undeterred by the weather.

Marchers left Apumoana Marae at dawn, heading to Village Green Park for kōrero and waiata.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told the crowd that neither the rain nor politicians in Wellington could dampen the kaupapa.

“This is about the mana and tapu of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, nobody in that House has a right to debate that,” he said.

He also praised MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for performing a haka in Parliament the day before, calling it a continuation of tikanga Māori in debate.

As the hīkoi moved through the city, a group of horsemen – dubbed by RNZ kaimahi as “the cavalry” – joined the front line, while prominent Māori activist Tame Iti walked alongside marchers.

Steam rising from Rotorua’s geothermal fields marked the end of the march, as thousands gathered beneath flags and raincoats.

From there, the hīkoi travelled to Hawke’s Bay, where more than 3000 people marched through central Hastings chanting “Treaty Principles Bill nehua” (bury the Bill).

Despite the rain, spirits remained high.

Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi said the scale of support had been “unfathomable”.

“Everywhere we go, there’s whānau on every corner waving flags,” he said. “It hasn’t let up once.”

As the hīkoi moved south, locals across Manawatū and along State Highway 2 staged their own roadside hīkoi, waving flags and joining in as the convoy passed through.

The runners

Alongside the main convoy, groups of runners were seen hitting the pavement – rain, hail or shine.

Each group covered part of the distance travelled by the wider hīkoi, often starting before dawn and rejoining the convoy each evening.

Organisers had said the running crews played a special role, keeping alive a tikanga from the 1975 Land March.

“The runners or the running crew are almost like an elite unit,” Kapa-Kingi said, “because it’s one of the tikanga from the ’75 march that the whenua is covered.”

“I suppose that’s a representation of tangata whenua, tūrangawaewae, those things.”

Each region the hīkoi passed through organised its own group of runners to carry the kaupapa across their rohe before handing it on to the next.

For the next leg of the hīkoi, the Square in central Palmerston North was packed with about 5000 people ready to activate.

From there, the convoy continued south to Levin for another rally before heading to Porirua for a rest day.

A contingent from Te Waipounamu had also travelled from Christchurch to Picton, crossing by ferry to join the North Island convoy in Wellington.

Arriving on Parliament’s door

The final day of Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti brought thousands to the capital, marking the end of a nine-day journey from the very top of the North Island.

Marchers set off from McEwan Park in Petone before dawn, walking the 14 kilometres into Wellington alongside convoys from across the motu. Māori wardens and police helped guide the hīkoi, while passing motorists tooted in support.

By mid-morning, Wellington’s waterfront was painted red, white and black as crowds gathered at Waitangi Park. From there, thousands moved through the city’s main streets towards Parliament, where Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po joined them – only months after the passing of her father, Kiingi Tuheitia.

Those marching performed waiata such as Ngā Iwi E, while Tapeta Wehi and his students revived Tiriti o Waitangi – a haka written by his father Ngāpo Wehi in 1986.

At Parliament, the forecourt and surrounding streets quickly filled. Police estimated around 42,000 people attended, though some placed the number much higher.

ACT leader David Seymour was met with chants of “Kill the bill, kill the bill” when he walked out of the Beehive for a brief appearance at Parliament’s forecourt, before waving to the crowd and returning into the building.

A Ngāti Whakaue rangatahi-led petition signed by more than 200,000 people opposing the Treaty Principles Bill was then presented to MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.

Kapa-Kingi thanked attendees for their kotahitanga, and told the crowd the hīkoi was not a reaction, but rather, a response.

“The Māori nation has been born today,” he said. “Te Tiriti is forever.”

The day ended with kai, waiata and a concert at Waitangi Park, closing a historic week-long movement that drew an audience from across Aotearoa and beyond.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A group of nine rangatahi Māori are making their final preparations to depart for Belém in the Brazillian Amazon to represent their iwi and Aotearoa at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

The group Te Kāhu Pōkere, established under Pou Take Āhuarangi the climate change arm of the National Iwi Chairs Forum and is the first iwi-mandated Māori youth delegation to attend a global COP.

While world leaders come together to negotiate COP also includes an outer zone with business leaders, young people, climate scientists and Indigenous Peoples sharing their perspectives.

Delegate Kyla Campbell-Kamariera told Morning Report that Te Kāhu Pokere will be part of those conversations, especially sharing stories and solutions to the climate crisis with indigenous peoples.

“Indigineous peoples have been doing this work for hundreds and thousands of years so it’s nothing new to each of us.”

The group is not part of the official New Zealand government delegation at COP but will spend some time with Minister for Climate Change Simon Watts at the conference, she said.

“We’ve met with the minister and some of his officials a few times prior to heading to COP as well so there is some alignment there but he also is understanding that there are some challenges between Māori-Crown solutions and our delegation is absolutely one hundred percent in support of spreading the stories and the strategies and the solutions of Māori.”

Campbell-Kamariera said each of the delegates comes from different perspectives across each of their iwi and so provide different strategies and solutions, but for her it was about whakapapa.

“We whakapapa to the land, to the sea, to the sky, and that’s really important to show the commitment that we have to climate justice and the climate crisis is that if we view the land and the sea and the sky as our relation, we look after them as if it were a brother or a sister or a mother or a father.”

It was about reiterating that kaitiakitanga is climate justice, she said.

Campbell-Kamariera said after four months of preparation the group will begin their travels on Monday night, arriving in Belém early on Wednesday morning New Zealand time.

While backed by Pou Take Āhuarangi the group are self-funded, with most of the financial backing coming from their iwi.

Te Kāhu Pōkere delegates:

– Harris Moana (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto)

– Te Rina Porou (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki)

– Waimarama Hawke (Ngāti Whātua Orākei)

– Shannon Mihaere (Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua, Ngāti Porou, Ngai Tai ki Tāmaki)

– Taane Aruka Te Aho (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki)

– Aaria Rolleston (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Te Rangi)

– Kyla Campbell-Kamariera (Te Rarawa Kaiwhare, Taranaki Tūturu)

– Macy Duxfield (Ngaa Rauru, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi)

– Tahua Pihema (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Whātua Nui Tonu)

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The worlds of art, scent and Māori storytelling have come together in Journey of Scent – a new six-part series exploring memory and identity through perfume.

The kaupapa, launched on Monday, follows scent artist Nathan Taare (Ngāti Porou) and perfume enthusiast Whitney Steel (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Te Ātiawa) as they create bespoke fragrances inspired by the lives of well-known Aotearoa creatives.

Each episode sees Taare craft a perfume for a different guest – including Te Rongo Kirkwood, Troy Kingi and Ana Scotney; acclaimed poet Tayi Tibble; award winning chef Kia Kanuta; and te reo Māori expert Dr Anaha Hiini – drawing on their memories, emotions and connection to place.

The idea for the series came unexpectedly.

Series creator and co-producer Jessica Sanderson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Ātiawa) first approached Taare to create a perfume for her brother’s wedding. However, she did not realise it would spark a whole new kaupapa.

“I asked Nate to create a scent for my brother’s wedding – his wife’s from the States,” she said.

“He asked her where she was from, she shared a few memories, and he put some scents under her nose. She just started crying. She said, ‘That’s my home. How did you do that?'”

That moment, Sanderson said, showed how scent connects deeply to whakapapa and emotion.

“I lost my father when I was young, and scent takes me straight there. To my loved ones of the past.

“I know how important scent is to everyone. Everyone who’s lost someone, everyone who’s felt nostalgia – it’s a universal experience. I thought, oh, this is a show.”

Taare, the founder of niche perfume house OF BODY, first gained attention in 2023 for his scent design inspired by Auckland’s Karangahape ‘K’ Road.

Originally working in film and television as a production designer and art director, scent was never part of the plan.

“It started out as a side hustle,” he told RNZ. “Now it’s become what it is.”

Taare said that perfumery is just another way to express creativity.

“I come from a background of sound and music and visual art. So using colour and ways to communicate an idea through visuals or sound – it’s the same with scent.

“These materials just replace those mediums.”

Each episode challenges Taare to translate ideas, memories and emotions into a sensory language.

“It’s about taking those ideas … and translating them into a palette I can compose from.

“There’s a lot of obvious connections between an idea, a colour, a mood, or an emotion, and that connection to a scent material.”

Some ingredients come with deep meaning, he said.

“Te Rongo Kirkwood’s scent was very connected to the spiritual and cosmic realm … it was esoteric, almost fantasy-like, which I love. And Anaha Hiini’s scent connected to Ngāwhāriki and the sulphur of Rotorua.”

Taare tries to weave local ingredients into every scent he makes.

“Perfumery is very Western in its construct, and they tend to take things from Indigenous cultures and remove them from context,” he said.

“So I try to bring something that’s very local to our whenua into every one of those scents. We have some of the best botanicals and rongoā in the world right here.”

He finds joy in “finding beauty in the unexpected”.

“These aroma materials offer me something that feels endless and infinite in terms of possibilities. It’s just this constant loop of learning.”

He hopes more Māori will find their own place in the art of scent-making.

“We already have it through rongoā,” he said.

“Forget the Western construct, forget the top-shelf perfume stores … just focus on what we have here. That’s what makes it special and unique on a global scale.”

Sanderson, alongside her partner Olly Coddington, founded their production company FOURPLAIT in 2024.

The ingoa, named after the four-plait used to weave a poi, is a reflection of how, like a strong plait, great story-telling weaves together people, perspectives and purpose.

She said te ao Māori naturally informs how she works and the stories she wants to tell.

“What I hope this offering shares is a different version of us.

“You don’t often see Māori perfumers. Whitney and Nate are really good at what they do – and they bring such a unique way of storytelling.”

That unique storytelling runs deep within Sanderson’s whakapapa too.

Her grandfather, Martyn Sanderson, was also a filmmaker, and her nan from Ngāti Kahungunu “had a camcorder in the ’90s and would let us use it”, which she said “was unheard of”.

“She’d let us do skits, edit on the tape. So it came from both sides.”

She hopes Journey of Scent shows that Māori storytelling continues to evolve.

“As Māori, we’re a full spectrum … we’re not all the same. I hope this series just shows another side of who we are.”

Sanderson also hopes that those watching are able to reflect on their own memories.

“One of the coolest reactions we had at the launch,” she said, “was someone saying, ‘I’m really thinking about what my own scent is, the smells of my own memories.’

“If people have that response, then we’ve made them feel something. That’s all you hope for when you put something out into the world.”

Journey of Scent is produced by Fourplait Productions with support from NZ On Air.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A leading Māori academic says removing the requirement to teach Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories would be a step backwards – and a breach of children’s right to understand the country they live in.

Margaret Mutu (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whātua), professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, told RNZ teaching local histories gives tamariki a stronger sense of belonging and helps all students understand the places they live.

“Every single school in this country sits within a hapū’s rohe. For children to grow up there and not understand who the hapū is, where their marae are, or what the place names mean, that’s a huge gap,” she said.

“Every child has a right to know whose land they stand on.”

The proposed changes are part of a growing wave of criticism of the government’s approach to Māori language, culture, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in schools. On Tuesday, the government announced it would remove schools’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a move that has alarmed educators and Māori leaders.

In October, Education Minister Erica Stanford released the full draft of the new Years 0-10 curriculum, ahead of a six-month consultation period. It includes plans to fold Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories into the broader social sciences learning area.

The Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum was introduced in 2023 after years of advocacy from educators and iwi. It made learning about local hapū, colonisation, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi compulsory in all schools, which was a major shift from previous approaches that focused largely on European history.

An Education Review Office (ERO) evaluation found the curriculum was being well received, with Māori and Pacific students among the most engaged. It also found that many teachers felt more connected to their communities.

However, the proposed changes to the curriculum have drawn widespread criticism from educators, principals, and Māori education leaders who say they undo hard-won progress in teaching local histories and Māori perspectives.

Importance of learning local history

Central to the current Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum is teaching local history. It requires ākonga (students) learn about the rohe (region) they live in and the mana whenua of that area – a requirement removed in the new draft curriculum.

But Mutu said learning local history is important for tamariki and staff, to not only understand the country they live in but make sense of global issues.

“Whether you’re Māori, Pākehā, or Hainamana (Chinese)… It’s important that they can identify themselves within the place they live and relate that more widely when they go elsewhere.

“This kind of knowledge is crucial for teaching values – about relationships between people, how you build them, and how you relate to mana whenua.”

Mutu said in her iwi of Ngāti Kahu, the approach is to start by learning about your own place and people, then expand outwards – regionally, nationally, and internationally.

“If you’ve got that foundation of who you are and where you live, it makes a huge difference to how you approach everything else.”

Understanding your own rohe is essential for understanding the wider world, she said.

“If you understand mana whenua, and the realities of having your land and histories taken, you understand what’s happening in Gaza or Ukraine.

“What’s happening there happened here.”

Mutu said the demand for local resources came directly from teachers, who wanted tools to bring the histories of their communities into the classroom.

In 2017, she published Ngāti Kahu: Portrait of a Sovereign Nation – a book detailing an in-depth history of Ngāti Kahu through the traditions of each of the sixteen hapū of that rohe.

“Teachers were asking for resources to teach about the rohe they were in,” Mutu said. “It was there, in the book. But they didn’t know how to teach from it.”

To fill that gap, Mutu created a 10-week postgraduate course showing educators how to use Ngāti Kahu’s histories in the classroom. The response, she said, was “stunning”.

“The first course was funded for 20 people – I had 50 enrol. The second had 70, and around 100 observers.”

The course gave teachers confidence to weave He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi into lessons in a way that connected with their ākonga, she said.

“Over half the students in many of our schools are Ngāti Kahu, and teachers now understand how to relate to those tamariki.

“Principals came back and said it’s made a huge difference to how they teach.”

This approach could easily be replicated across Aotearoa, Mutu said, if the Ministry supported hapū and iwi to develop local resources and lead courses for teachers.

“This kind of teaching enables them to connect to every child in their classroom.”

Associate Minister of Education and ACT Party leader David Seymour celebrated the draft curriculum as a way to “restore balance” to the teaching of history in schools.

He described the current Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum as “highly political” and said it drove a “simplistic victims-and-villains narrative.”

“The Marxist ‘big ideas’ such as ‘Māori history is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand.’ and ‘The course of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories has been shaped by the use of power’ are GONE,” Seymour posted to social media.

“In their place is a new and balanced History Curriculum. In line with the ACT coalition commitment to ‘Restore balance to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum.'”

However, Mutu believes Seymour’s comments reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of place, belonging, and tikanga.

“It makes me sad, because it means David is not familiar with his own background or doesn’t understand the underpinnings of his own hapū.

“Those sorts of comments are totally inappropriate. A Marxist analysis doesn’t belong in te ao Māori. We don’t operate like that, we operate on tikanga.”

Mutu said if people truly understood Aotearoa’s history, race relations would look very different.

“If people knew the truth, we’d have a much kinder country. But they don’t, and they accept racist narratives that blame Māori.”

Mutu hoped future generations are not denied knowledge of their place and history.

“Every person here has a right to understand the country they live in. That knowledge comes from each hapū’s rohe, not from the government.”

She said its “very sad” that most people in Aotearoa don’t understand “its true history”.

“That’s a human rights violation.

“Please stop depriving future generations of the knowledge of whose rohe they live in, who they are, and why this country is the way it is.

“Build a better place for everyone by helping us understand each other.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand