Assignment: New Zealand: What counts as Maori equality?

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Maori have been protesting in large numbers, in a 9-day hikoi or march of defiance, walking from the top of New Zealand down to the capital Wellington, joined by non-Maori supporters too. They’re demonstrating against the current right-of-centre New Zealand government’s moves to abolish certain Maori-specific rights and privileges, that the previous centre-left government had set up to help combat Maori disadvantage. For example, a Maori Health Authority had tried to tackle health inequalities that mean Maori live seven years less than other New Zealanders. Maori also come bottom in statistics for employment, housing and education, but are overrepresented in prison.

Now a law proposal about the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, would do away with what has been a form of affirmative action, and instead treat everyone the same, regardless of heritage.

Some feel this is necessary to achieve proper equality. Others feel that Maori progress will be undone and inequality entrenched.

Transcript

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0:00.0	A raw energy is felt through the heart of Wellington, New Zealand's capital.
0:12.4	Māori warriors, Karaka, come in waves, wooden tayaha or clubs raised, lost in the Haka, their ceremonial dance.
0:24.8	Following them, a mass of supporters waving flags on this Hicoy, this march of defiance.
0:32.9	After walking for nine days across the country, they're now moving towards Parliament,
0:38.5	driven by what they see as a promise in a treaty signed 185 years ago, broken again by a proposed new
0:46.1	laws seeking to weaken their rights. Behind the warriors are tens of thousands of marches, people from across New Zealand and actually all different ethnicities who have come together to display a joint sentiment about the bill and what it means for New Zealand.
1:22.9	My name is Erin Matariki Kha.
1:25.4	I'm Naehuoy and Natiawa and I'm Pakeha.
1:28.3	One of our chance was what do we want?
1:30.7	Kotahitanga.
1:31.9	Kothahitanga means unity.
1:34.2	When do we want it?
1:35.2	Now.
1:36.2	And that's what you'll feel here.
1:37.7	You just feel peace.
1:39.2	You feel strength.
1:40.9	And it feels like our tipuna, our ancestors are with us.
1:47.7	Well, strength and it feels like our teapuna, our ancestors are with us. Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Van Vell with assignment.
1:54.2	I followed this huge protest march over Maori rights to understand New Zealand's reckoning
2:00.1	with affirmative action
2:01.3	and why it suddenly shattered the Wellington Khan and got global attention.
2:07.3	My name is Mary and I'm here to support the protest.
	...

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