Toitū Te Tiriti (Uphold the Treaty) Second National Day of Action

A united call has gone out across the motu for all New Zealanders to take to the streets this Thursday 30 May 2024 at peak rush hour in a hikoī porotēhi walk of protest.

The purpose of the nationwide action is to show visible solidarity of support by the public for the Crown to honour its obligations to iwi under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The hikoī banners advocate for keeping Māori Wards and Te Aka Whai Ora the Māori Health Authority, treasuring te reo Māori, protecting the environment and tamariki and retaining Aotearoa as smokefree.

The significance of Toitū Te Tiriti on Budget Day is because the coalition government has disregarded Māori from day one according to leadership of the Urban Māori Authorities involved.

Organisers of the Hamilton hikoī say the cumulative actions of the coalition government capturing the powers of the State to irradicate tangata whenua rights is a total transgression of the Treaty covenant.

“It is clear this government has neglected its legal obligation to consult meaningfully with Māori on Treaty issues despite having a mandate to do so,” says Lady Tureiti Moxon, Chair of the National Urban Māori Authority.

This failure to uphold its duty to the Treaty relationship revealed in repeated breaches and side-stepping Waitangi Tribunal recommendations – the most recent being in the Māori Wards and Constituents urgent inquiry, was the final straw she said.

“We’re inviting everyone to join our hikoi at 7.30am leaving Kirikiriroa Marae bound for University of Waikato where there will be speakers after mihi whakatau at the Pā. The hikoī will disburse by 10am.”

Local Police have been consulted and will be on the route as pedestrians walk from Kirikiriroa Marae at 951 Wairere Drive down to Clyde Street and then on to the university campus to the Pā at gate 1 on Knighton Road.

“At the heart of the matter is the fundamental importance of the relationship between iwi and the Crown under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and what those rights and obligations mean.”

“The government should take heed that a lot of people in our country, from all walks of life and not just Māori, are very upset and very disturbed by how this government is choosing to behave.”

“It has proceeded in an undemocratic way without consultation pushing through policy impacting the rights of tangata whenua that is seeking to decimate decades of progress in Treaty relations.”

“In less than 100 days the government has purposely dismantled and disestablished strategic initiatives and governing structures that were addressing inequity for Maori to level the playing field.

Lady Tureiti believes the regression in indigenous relations has taken Aotearoa back over 50 years.

The first National Day of Action held in Kirikiriroa Hamilton back on 5 December 2023 to coincide with the opening of the 54th Parliament, attracted huge local support.

Migrants, Pākehā service providers, the Anglican church and diverse citizens stood with whānau Māori in force, all voicing similar concerns about the actions of the coalition government.

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