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Harawira may protest at Waitangi

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Harawira may protest at Waitangi

3News NZ

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira (file)

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira (file)

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira is not ruling out protesting when Prime Minister John Key arrives at Waitangi, saying it's one of a number of opportunities Maori have on the day to get their views across.

Mr Harawira's family are local to the area and his mother, veteran Maori activist Titewhai Harawira, and nephews Wi and John Popata, have regularly been part of the drama at Te Tii Marae in recent years.

Ms Harawira has for years been responsible for leading guests on to Te Tii, a role she developed herself.

But the marae's trustees say it is time another kuia has a turn during Tuesday's ceremony.

"These kuia have been working in the marae, cooking food, washing toilets, and all those kind of jobs, so they need to be rewarded," Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua told TVNZ's Breakfast on Monday.

He added it was likely a different kuia would be chosen each year in future.

Mr Harawira would not comment on the scrap but hinted that Mr Key will again be greeted by protests this year, despite a "silly" attempt by Te Tii's board to ban protesters.

"Should I choose, I will voice my protest at what I see to be the Crown's continued denial of the status of the Treaty, and I would expect support from the tangata whenua for that stand," he told NZ Newswire.

Mr Harawira says the Maori Council's water rights claim, which is currently before the Supreme Court and affects the Government's asset sales programme, is "probably the biggest protest going on in Maoridom at the moment".

"There is much to protest about and little to celebrate," he said.

Mr Key has kept tight security at Waitangi after being shoved around by Mr Harawira's nephews Wi and John Popata in 2009, while in 2012, protests over deep sea oil drilling meant he was unable to speak on the marae.

NZN

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Comments

5/02/2013 1:59:46 p.m.

boom wrote:

@JOHN perhaps the white Americans should have signed a treaty with the native americans, cause that would have worked out really great...right hahahah

5/02/2013 8:19:31 a.m.

John wrote:

I wonder if Native American Indians celebrate the 4th of July? And if the fact that they were almost wiped from the face of the earth by white Americans is the reason why there are no protests on the 4th of July. Oh and we all know that the 4th of July is the day the Native Americans and the English came together and had a feast etc. Beautiful day. But as I recall from history there is nothing beautiful about American history after that point. So if you are in a glass house do not throw stones please.

4/02/2013 9:51:29 a.m.

Ben wrote:

Coming from the States I must admit that I miss our national holiday on the 4th of July. It's a day of celebration, family get-togethers, fireworks (now outlawed in NZ), and a time to come together as a nation. In New Zealand there is no joy or celebration of nationhood. It is a holiday of animosity, protests, and a time to renew old hatreds. I used to hope that someday NZ would grow up, dump an old outdated treaty that benefits only a select few and draw up a constitution that gives everyone equal rights and does away with New Zealand's own style of apartheid. But I don't think that will ever happen as long as we have stirrers like Hone and mother and family and the rest of the cuzzy-bros that have come out on top using the system.

4/02/2013 9:39:46 a.m.

Greg wrote:

Is Maori protests at Waitangi now just like a 100 year old wife protesting about losing her virginity far to cheaply. Is it actually news anymore or just infotainment, since the Treaty means relatively nothing to most none Maori. We cant invoke it in a court of law to protect any rights.