If New Zealand’s coalition government had prepared for political fireworks from Indigenous leaders on the eve of the country’s national day, they were met with something arguably even louder: turned backs and silence.
Under a blazing hot sun on Wednesday, political leaders gathered at the Waitangi treaty grounds in New Zealand’s far north to celebrate Waitangi Day, which marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. The treaty, signed by Māori chiefs and the British Crown is considered New Zealand’s founding document and is instrumental in upholding Māori rights.
Hundreds of protesters from the Toitū te Tiriti movement, which led the largest ever protest over Māori rights in 2024, departed the grounds as the government delegation arrived, leaving behind a largely empty peninsula.
“We are sick of talking to ears that will not listen, and to minds that will not change,” leader Eru Kapa-Kingi told the crowd, before they left.
Later, when ministers stood to speak in front of the marae (meeting house), prominent Māori leaders and a group of women from Ngāpuhi iwi (tribes) turned their backs.
“[We] are turning our backs on them, we don’t want to listen, we have had enough,” Hinerangi Himiona told the Guardian, adding this was the first time in 80 years that this form of protest had been used at the grounds.
The women, cloaked in red blankets stitched with messages and symbols of Māori sovereignty, wept quietly as they stood shoulder to shoulder – tears, Himiona explained, for the hundreds of Indigenous children in state care, for the significant population of Māori in prison and for the endless battle for Māori rights.
“There is a lot to cry about, and there is a lot to be angry about – we hope that we represented the mamaetanga [hurt] of our people well,” Himiona said.
The signing New Zealand’s founding document has been commemorated as a public holiday on 6 February since 1974, with events around the country, and a formal multi-day celebration held at the Waitangi grounds. It is as much a festive time of music, food and community as it is a forum for political discussion about sovereignty, equality and history and has often been the scene of demonstrations, with Māori protesting against the lack of progress made in tackling inequality and ongoing breaches of the treaty.
Last year, prime minister Christopher Luxon and his coalition partners faced protest and boos over its policies, which many fear are rolling back Māori rights. This year, Luxon was absent, choosing instead to attend a Waitangi event in the South Island – a decision that sparked accusations of cowardice from opposition parties and some Indigenous leaders.
With a missing prime minister and no discernible change in his government’s policy direction for Māori, the reception at Waitangi turned ice-cold.
Since taking office, the coalition government’s broader policy direction for Māori – including sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to improve Māori health and wellbeing – has prompted strident criticism.
Few policies have angered Māori as much as the rightwing minor Act party’s treaty principles bill, which proposes to radically alter the way the treaty is interpreted. The bill, which is moving through parliament’s select committee process, does not have widespread support and is unlikely to become law. However, its introduction has prompted anger from many who believe it is creating division and undermining the treaty.
The bill’s architect, Act party leader David Seymour, received the frostiest reception on Wednesday – not only were backs turned, his microphone was twice taken away from him during his speech.
“Here are some problems that you can’t turn your back on because the numbers do not lie,” he said in response to the protest. “Māori home ownership. Māori school attendance. Māori victimisation by criminals … none of it is getting better,” he said.
“If this is what a treaty partnership looks like, how is it working out for Māori?”
Speaking to reporters after the event, Seymour said his microphone could be taken away but not his ideas.
“You can try and suppress ideas, but actually, people have an ability to decide what they think for themselves … I think it’s important that the message gets out, regardless of people trying to interfere with your ability.”
Coalition ministers expressed their concerns over the day’s interactions. National party minister Paul Goldsmith said it was “disappointing” the microphone had been taken away, while minister Shane Jones, from New Zealand First, described the event as a “circus” and threatened to pull funding from the Waitangi National Trust unless it decided to “buck up its ideas”.
Opposition politicians voiced their support for those airing their concerns to the government, while opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Seymour was attempting to provoke a reaction through his attendance and that is what he got.
The Ngāti Wai leader responsible for removing the microphone, Aperahama Edwards, told the NZ Herald that Seymour had been asked not to speak at Waitangi and that his presence caused discomfort.
“When he didn’t listen, I took the microphone,” Edwards said.
Ngāpuhi leader Waihoroi Shortland returned it to Seymour but hoped protesters turning their backs delivered a powerful message.
“Everything we have wanted to say about the [treaty principles] bill has been said, everything he has had to say has been said,” Shortland said.
“We’re not going to hear anything new, so let’s try silence.”
