The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi has made its way from Huntly all the way through Kirikiriroa on its fourth day.
Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was in Hamilton with the crowds of people ready to support the kaupapa.
“Ko te rongo i tōku iwi, i tōku waka o Waikato, o Tainui i mua rā anō i taku taenga atu ki te whare pāremata ki te whawhai i tēnei pire tāmi i tō tātou ao Māori."
“(I’m here) to feel the strength and presence of my people, of my waka of Waikato, of Tainui, before I go to Parliament to fight this bill of oppression against our Māori society."
“Tēnei o ngā whīkoi, ehakē i te mea mō te kāwanatanga, mō tātou te iwi Māori. All I wanna make sure is that we know that whatever bill legislation gets passed, kei te ora mātou, kei te hīkoi mātou, kei te oma mātou and nothing like walking it out to relieve the stress of the government, trust me."
“This particular march isn’t about the government — it’s about us, the Māori nation. All I want to make sure of is that we know, whatever bill or legislation gets passed, we are alive, we are marching, we are running. And nothing relieves the stress of the government like walking it out, trust me.”
Norman Tokotoko Kiingi (Tainui Waka, Ngāti Māhanga) was there with his whānau, saying he showed up for their “existence”.
“For what our tūpuna gave to us and left behind for us, to be suddenly just taken away for everything, all our kotahitanga, rights, everything."
He believes with past hīkoi like the 1975 Land March changing the course of history, this one will too.
“[This hīkoi] also says we’re not going to stand here and do nothing about it and be stood over like a doormat."
Tangata Tiriti Karen Britton, was there to support her Māori whānau in the kaupapa.
“[I‘m here] to support them in their rights under te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga, it‘s never been upheld and the Treaty Principles Bill brings that down further and just wipes their rights, so that’s why I’m here.”
David Seymour‘s Treaty Principles Bill is expected to have its first reading in Parliament today. Britton hopes the hīkoi helps get rid of the controversial bill.
“[This hīkoi] united has united Māori and tangata whenua but the bill has to go.
“We [also] stand in support of Te Taiao and Māori ability to work in this land sustainably [and to] guide us all.”