Hours went by as the Protesters’ March from the Northland to Wellington, which lasted seven days, reached the Parliament, Wellington, as part of a traditional Maori “hīkoi” at the Parliament.
A hīkoi is a walk or march in New Zealand, especially a protest march. The word comes from the Māori language and often implies a long journey taking many days or weeks. [1][2]
“It seems the only way to gain attention today is to organise a march and protest something.
Note the original significant history of the famous hīkoi – Māori land march led by Dame Whina Cooper from Te Hāpua, Northland, to Wellington at the age of seventy-five in 1975. The march aimed to protest the loss of Māori rights and land through Pākehā (Europeans) actions. Over the 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) course of the march, it grew from 50 to approximately 5,000 people. [1][2] I was eleven years old, and I remember watching Dame Cooper walking with her people on television and saw a bit in the article in the newspaper. I was unsure what it was all about until I learnt Te Tiriti o Waitangi (known in English as the Treaty of Waitangi) at the WINTEC and University of Waikato, where I took papers for my BA in Arts. “Te Tiriti o Waitangi (known in English as the Treaty of Waitangi), is an agreement made in 1840 between representatives of the British Crown and (ultimately) more than 500 rangatira Māori. It resulted in the declaration of British sovereignty over New Zealand by Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson in May 1840. Most Māori signed the te reo tiriti.” from https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-the-treaty-of-waitangi/print
“March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns or the sharp stones on life’s path.
https://www.waitangi.org.nz/about/history
https://tikatangata.org.nz/human-rights-in-aotearoa/human-rights-and-te-tiriti-o-waitangi
The hīkoi was organized in response to a significant political development. David Seymour, an MP from the Act political party, proposed the Treaty Principles Bill. This bill aims to reinterpret and legally define the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, a document that holds immense importance in New Zealand’s race relations. The hīkoi was a powerful demonstration of the Māori community’s concern and engagement with this proposed legislation.
See the copy of the principles here
“The principles set out in the bill as introduced are:
- Principle 1: The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws (a) in the best interests of everyone; and (b) in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.
- Principle 2: (1) The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it. (2) However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, subclause (1) applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975
- Principle 3: (1) Everyone is equal before the law. (2) Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to (a) the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and (b) the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.
The bill also states that principles of the Treaty “other than those set out” by the Treaty Principles Bill “must not be used to interpret an enactment”, and clarifies that the Treaty Principles Bill does not apply to the interpretation of a Treaty settlement Act or the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 in relation to historical treaty claims.” https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/533115/the-treaty-principles-bill-has-been-released-here-s-what-s-in-it
It’s important to note that not everyone fully understood the Te Tiriti o Waitangi here, and Māori History was not taught in education from Primary to High School until recently. However, recent initiatives, such as the Deaf Aotearoa’s workshop called Te Tiriti o Waitangi, funded by Adult Continuing Education, are changing this. These efforts are crucial in ensuring that everyone is aware of the history and structure of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how important it is to Māori and their human rights.
https://pharmac.govt.nz/te-tiriti-o-waitangi/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-policy
https://e-tangata.co.nz/history/waitangi-an-oral-covenant/
Life in Eureka 
