Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is a descendant of a signatory of Te Tiriti of Waitangi.
Waititi won the Waiariki seat in 2020 to lead Te Pāti Māori back to Parliament.
He believes Te Tiriti is a unifying document protecting natural resources and cultural identity for all New Zealanders.
As a descendant of one of the signatories of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed in Te Kaha on June 14, 1840, I have always been crystal clear about what it promised.
I grew up in a very Māori community, steeped in my reo and tikanga, raised on my marae, livingoff the land and sea, and attending a school that was 98% Māori but taught in a curriculum that was 98% Pākehā.
Waitangi Day, for many who call Aotearoa home, is often perceived as an opportunity for Māori to air their concerns about the many years of Tiriti breaches by the government of the day and successive governments.
Hīkoi members march in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) on day four of their journey to Wellington, rallying against the Act Party’s Treaty Principles Bill. File photo / Alex Cairns
This Waitangi Day, it won’t just be Māori airing their concerns, but also the many tangata Tiriti who have taken it upon themselves to educate themselves and others about the promise of Te Tiriti.
I remember when Waitangi Day was met with many protests – whether it was Hone Harawira going head-to-head with then-chief executive of TPK Sir Wira Gardiner or when Titewhai Harawira stood strongly against her own people in protest to allow the then-Prime Minister Helen Clark to speak on the pae.
Then-National Party leader Don Brash leaves Te Tii Marae at Waitangi in 2004 after he had dirt thrown at him. Photo / File
Or when Don Brash had mud thrown at him at the waharoa after his anti-Māori speech in Ōrewa, and when John Key was confronted by the Wikatana brothers.
Such widespread angst continues to be driven by a Government agenda that so viciously breaches our founding document.
This year will be met with a different resistance but with a flavour of kotahitanga by tangata whenua, tangata Tiriti, and tangata Moana.
The unifying of our country through the marginalisation and blatant disregard of the rights of tangata whenua has created a new era of Tiriti competence and social and cultural justice.
On February 6, politicians will be part way through oral hearings for a Bill that attempts to rewrite Te Tiriti o Waitangi in law. We will begin to realise the impact of New Zealand First’s agenda to erase its principles from 28 pieces of law.
We will have a new Waitangi Tribunal appointed. We will also have a Prime Minister who will foolishly no-show at perhaps the most contentious time in modern history, created by the Government he leads.
This is a sad state of affairs, yet perhaps a pivotal moment and an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
It is unfathomable that a mere 13% of New Zealanders have read the Māori text of our founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Yet it is from this premise of naivety and ignorance that some politicians think a referendum should be held to determine its principles in law.
The Hīkoi mo te Tiriti crosses the Auckland Harbour Bridge into Auckland CBD last November. Photo / Michael Craig
Now, more than ever, Waitangi Day 2025 must be a time to reflect on the meaning of Te Tiriti, honour its legacy, and commit to its promise.
When we understand that Te Tiriti is a document of unity, not division, we move closer to realising its true potential.
Te Tiriti has been a bastion against corporate exploitation and international greed, protecting our natural resources and cultural identity. The Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, legislated by Matiu Rata, established the Waitangi Tribunal and introduced Treaty principles into law.
These principles, though diluted from the original intent of Te Tiriti, have safeguarded the interests of all New Zealanders.
We would be a poorer nation without Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and that is nothing but fact.
The natural serenity of our maunga, moana, and whenua would be far from the prestige it is widely known for.
Our favourite hobbies – like diving for kina and crayfish, gathering kōura from creeks, skiing, trekking, and spending time outdoors with whānau – would become a thing of the past.
The haka and other aspects that create our national cultural identity as New Zealanders would be diminished.
But most critically, state assets such as health, housing, and education could have been privatised, serving international interests instead of our nation’s own.
Waitangi Day this year must be a time to honour and embody Te Tiriti. Simply understanding Te Tiriti is not enough – we must turn understanding into action.
The Treaty belongs to, and protects, all New Zealanders.
It has always been about the collective – a celebration of our shared future – and must be the vow we make to one another to commit to its promise.
Te Tiriti remains a beacon of hope – a reminder that unity and respect are possible even in the face of adversity.
As we gather this Waitangi Day, let us remember that Te Tiriti is not just a historical artefact made by Māori but that it belongs to all of us.
