Riding for Treaty principles: 'We will take our horses to the steps of Parliament'

A Hawke’s Bay iwi fuming about what it perceives as Government disregard for Treaty of Waitangi principles is taking a protest to Parliament on horseback.

Ngāti Kahungunu has started a petition “Do not remove or amend Te Tiriti Principles or references in legislation”.

Over the next week, the iwi will deliver it on an epic horse ride from Hawke’s Bay to Parliament steps in Wellington, where it will be presented to Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel.

Iwi chair Bayden Barber said the petition asked the House of Representatives to reject proposals to amend, weaken or remove Treaty clauses in statutes.

He said Kahungunu had counted 28 pieces of legislation put forward by the Government that were doing this.

“We want to send a message to this Government that we are serious about protecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding agreement of this country. Not only to this Government, but whoever is there come November 7.”

In response, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said 19 pieces of legislation had been amended by the Government to ensure references to the principles of the Treaty were clear and consistent.

Goldsmith said 28 acts were originally in scope for the review, but this was reduced to 19.

“Over the last 30 or 40 years, Parliament has made all sorts of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Sometimes it’s ‘honour’, or ‘have regard to’, or ‘give effect to’, or ‘take into account’.

“We do not agree or accept that this legislation weakens Treaty obligations.”

The Kahungunu trek leaves Waimārama Marae early Friday, September 11 – the home of treaty signatory Harawira Mahikai Te Tātere, Ngāti Kurukuru chief and ancestor of Barber.

From Waimārama, riders from Heretaunga Hastings, Ahuriri Napier and Wairoa planned to meet at the Tukituki River before riding through Havelock North, where Barber said former National Party leader Don Brash and now Act MP Casey Costello had first promoted the Hobson’s Pledge movement in March 2017.

The iwi would then visit the Ngā Pou o Heretaunga at the Hastings Civic Centre before moving south through Pakipaki, on to Kahurānaki Marae in Te Hauke, the home of Treaty signatory and ancestor of kaumātua Jerry Hapuku, Te Hapuku Te Ika nui o Te Moana.

From there, riders would continue through Ngāti Kahungunu heartland, past Pukehou Marae, home of Treaty signatory Hoani Waikato, on to Waipawa, Waipukurau, Rākautātahi, Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Dannevirke, then Te Whakaoriori Masterton.

The trek would then cross the Remutaka Range into Te Awakairangi and Waiwhetū on Tuesday, September 15, culminating at Parliament’s steps to meet Tangaere-Manuel at noon before she planned to present it to the House that afternoon.

Ngati Kahungunu iwi chair Bayden Barber, left, atop his horse during a 10-day hikoi supporting the iwi's purchase of Kahuranaki Station in 2025.

Barber said the trek was an action to “drive the petition home” and signal to those opposing Treaty legislation that the iwi was not going to sit by.

He said the trek would travel through 75% of Ngāti Kahungunu’s takiwā or district and was an opportunity to connect with whānau while drumming up support for the petition.

It also coincided with Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori or Māori Language Week, when in 1972 the Petition for Te Reo Māori gathered more than 30,000 signatures.

About 30 from Hawke’s Bay horses were expected to take part, Barber said, but he also expected more to join along the journey.

Barber said the convoy would ride through town centres and along state highway verges.

He said when farmers were unhappy with the Government, they took their tractors to Parliament.

“We, as tangata whenua – the people of the land – will take our horses to the steps of Parliament so that our message is crystal clear: protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

A petition link was available on the Ngāti Kahungunu Facebook page and Barber encouraged anyone to ride with the iwi or provide support with traffic management or kai on their way to Wellington.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany and New Zealand.