New Zealand. Home to extreme sports, picturesque landscapes, and the Maori people.
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and trace their ancestry back to the Polynesians and make up an integral part of New Zealand’s history and unique culture.
But recently, they’ve also played an integral part in a debate that has been a contentious point for New Zealanders for countless years: the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. Signed by both Maori chiefs and the British government at the time, this treaty has guided not only interactions between the Maori and the New Zealand government, but also the way the island nation governs itself, especially in the absence of a formal constitution.
Yet, much like many other imperialist treaties, both versions of this treaty were violated countless times, as the treaty was originally written in English and later published in Maori, which has led to a plethora of debates revolving around the interpretation of the bill due to the discrepancies between the two versions.
In order to remedy these issues surrounding the treatment of Maori people, the New Zealand government established a permanent committee, the Waitangi Tribunal, to address disputes regarding the treaty. But even after the establishment of this tribunal, Maori still remain severely disenfranchised and are even reported to be more likely to be poor, suffer from premature death, or be imprisoned.
To rub salt in the wound, the Maori people – and New Zealanders as a whole – must contend with a new bill that has the potential to strip the Maori of crucial protections enshrined in this treaty.
This bill, known as the Treaty Principles Bill and introduced by leader of the ACT party, Minister of Regulation, and member of Parliament David Seymour (who is also Maori), follows the ACT party position that the (aforementioned) treaty allocates different rights to New Zealanders and Maori individuals, perpetuating the special treatment of Maori, and seeks to end race-based divisions and promote equality through a wide variety of provisions, including adding specific definitions to the treaty that would essentially extend the treaty’s provisions to all New Zealanders, not just Maori.
While supporters of this bill view it as a way to cut back on special treatment afforded to the Maori over the past few decades, opponents posit that the bill threatens the rights of the Maori, who, as mentioned earlier, still grapple with the loss of rights under the British crown.
New Zealanders – both Maori and not – have come out in full force to protest against this bill, which is not expected to actually pass the vote necessary to become a law.
Over 42,000 New Zealanders flooded the nation’s capital, Wellington, on Tuesday and worked their way towards the Parliament building, protesting the bill. The protest comes at the tail end of a 9 day long march, or hikoi in Maori, by thousands across the island nation that concluded in Tuesday’s march and saw countless rallies in other cities on the way to Wellington.
In addition to sights seen at normal protests, like picket signs and Maori flags, Tuesday’s protest also saw several demonstrations by Maori individuals: traditional Maori songs, Maori men dressed in traditional feather cloaks, horse riders, ceremonial Maori wooden weapons, seashell blowing, and much more.
But perhaps the most forceful demonstration was the one that unfolded on the very floor of Parliament on Nov. 14, when 22-year-old Maori Party member of Parliament (MP) Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ripped a copy of the contentious bill in half before leading her fellow Te Pati Maori MPs in a rousing haka (see here), which is a traditional Maori dance.
Despite the fact that the bill is unlikely to pass, it is still vital to acknowledge the challenges faced by the Maori people – and indigenous people as a whole, most especially in light of this bill.
The discrimination and disenfranchisement faced by Indigenous people all across the globe has long been disregarded and too little has been done by modern governments to repair the destruction wrought by imperialism and colonization in previous centuries.
As we gear up to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that celebrates the supposed camaraderie between Native Americans and the pilgrims, it is crucial that we – now, more than ever before – continue to consider the experience of Indigenous people across the world and actively advocate for policies that insure their rights.
Instead of settling for giving thanks for the Native Americans – and Indigenous people as a whole, this year, let’s work towards forging our gratitude into something meaningful, something that makes a difference.
