What’s behind New Zealand’s Māori protests, the country’s largest in recent years?

New Zealand is witnessing one of its largest protests ever. Hundreds and thousands of protesters gathered outside the Parliament on Tuesday (November 19) to raise their voices against a proposed law that could redefine the country’s founding treaty between the British colonisers and the Indigenous Māori.

More than 35,000 people protested against the controversial bill in Wellington . The demonstration followed a nine-day hikoi, a Māori tradition of walking across the country. On Tuesday, the crowds swelled and marched through the streets of the capital to Parliament with many donning colours of the Māori flag.

What is the 180-year-old treaty?

The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, signed by representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs during colonisation, is considered New Zealand’s founding document. The 180-year-old treaty outlines the principles governing the relationship between the Crown and the Māori and is available in both English and Māori.

While the treaty promised the Māori people all the rights and privileges of British citizens, it failed to highlight the extent of power that the chiefs were ceding over their affairs, lands and autonomy. The English and Māori versions of the treaty differ on the point of power given to the chiefs.

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Over decades, the Crown breached both versions. By the mid-20th century, Māori language and culture had dwindled as indigenous people were often barred from practising it. Further, tribal land was seized and the Māori community faced significant disadvantages across various areas.

What led to the revival of treaty rights?

Several differences have been rectified between the two versions of the treaty by lawmakers and the Waitangi Tribunal after various Māori protests were staged over the last 50 years. The Waitangi Tribunal is a permanent body set up to adjudicate treaty matters. These principles are meant to be adaptable but are often described as a partnership with the Crown, safeguarding Māori interests and ensuring Māori participation in decision-making.

While Māori remain disenfranchised in many ways, the weaving of treaty recognition through law and attempts at redress have changed the fabric of society since then. The Māori language has experienced a renaissance and everyday words are now commonplace, even among non-Māori. Policies have been enacted to target disparities Māori commonly face.

Billions of dollars in settlements have been negotiated between the Crown and tribes for breaches of the treaty, particularly the widespread expropriation of Maori land and natural resources.

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Why are fresh protests being held?

The recent protests are against the controversial bill, seeking to reinterpret the founding document. While the bill is not expected to become a law, it has become a flashpoint between race relations and a critical moment in the fraught 180-year-old conversation about how New Zealand should honour its promises to Indigenous people when the country was colonised – and what those promises are.

The bill was introduced by the Act political party, which believes that New Zealand should reinterpret and legally define the principles of the treaty. According to David Seymour, the leader of the party, the treaty’s core values have led to racial divisions, not unity, reports the BBC.

Seymour‘s proposed law would set specific definitions of the treaty’s principles and would apply them to all New Zealanders, not only to Māori. He says piecemeal construction of the treaty’s meaning has left a vacuum and has given Māori special treatment.

The bill is widely opposed by left- and right-wing former prime ministers, 40 of the country’s most senior lawyers and thousands of Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders, who are protesting across New Zealand.

Seymour’s bill is not expected to pass its final reading. It cleared a first vote on Thursday due to a political deal but most of those who endorsed it are not expected to do so again.

Detractors say the bill threatens constitutional upheaval and would remove rights promised in the treaty that are now enshrined in law. Critics have also lambasted Seymour, a Māori himself, for provoking backlash against Indigenous people.

Why did protesters walk across New Zealand?

Peaceful walking protests are a Māori tradition and have occurred before at crucial times during the national conversation about treaty rights. Police in the country of five million said more than 35,000 people thronged Parliament’s grounds on Tuesday after a march through the central city that shut down streets and drew thousands more onlookers, many holding signs in support of the protesters.

As those outside Parliament waved flags, sang Māori songs and listened to speeches, crowds who could not squeeze onto the grounds spilt onto the surrounding streets which remained closed to traffic.

Many are marching to oppose Seymour’s bill. But others are protesting a range of policies from the centre-right government on Māori affairs, including an order prompted by Seymour, that public agencies should no longer target policies to specifically redress Maori inequities.

What has been the impact of the walking march?

The New Zealand Parliament was suspended on Thursday (November 14). MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke along with others performed the traditional Māori haka and tore up a copy of the controversial bill during the parliamentary session. The 22-year-old is the youngest sitting MP to serve in New Zealand’s Parliament in nearly 200 years.

During her recent dance, she was joined by several supporters in the public gallery, which led to Speaker Gerry Brownlee suspending proceedings for a while. She performed the traditional dance when asked about her party’s voting stance on the controversial bill. A video of the incident went viral on social media.

With inputs from agencies