Assignment: New Zealand - what counts as Māori 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

Māori in New Zealand have been resisting moves by the current right-of-centre government to abolish certain indigenous-specific rights aimed at combatting disadvantage.

In a 9-day hikoi or march of defiance they walked from the top of New Zealand down to the capital Wellington, joined by non-Māori supporters - all opposed to the changes.

A separate Māori Health Authority has been dismantled, for example. It was set up by the previous centre-left government to tackle health inequalities that mean indigenous people live seven years less than other New Zealanders. Māori also come bottom in statistics for employment, housing and education, and are highly overrepresented in prison.

Most divisive though, a new law proposal about the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi - New Zealand’s founding document, sought to do away with what has been a form of affirmative action, and instead treat everyone the same, regardless of heritage.

Some feel this is all necessary to achieve proper equality. Others feel that Māori progress will be undone and inequality or inequity 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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