A global collective of Indigenous leaders has voiced its disapproval of the New Zealand government’s handling of Māori rights, particularly concerning a proposed Treaty principles bill that has recently gained attention.

The collective, comprising leaders from influential organisations such as the Indigenous Environmental Network expressed serious concerns about the bill’s implications on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, New Zealand’s foundational document for Māori and Pākehā relations.

During the 18th Protecting Mother Earth Conference (held in the Eastern Cherokee Nation last month) these leaders issued a unified statement denouncing the Treaty principles bill, which they claim undermines the democratic rights of Māori and violates the core principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi that has long been recognised as a living agreement that upholds the rights of Māori as a sovereign people.

In addition to concerns about the bill, the statement accused the New Zealand government of using Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a political tool to sidestep fully endorsing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples… and the bill’s most vocal proponent (ACT leader David Seymour) recently presented a draft version to the cabinet.

But while it has yet to be introduced in Parliament, the bill has sparked heated debate with Māori leaders urging the government to reconsider and honor their obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi… However, Seymour has indicated that revisions are ongoing with further context being added to acknowledge the roles of iwi and hapū in New Zealand’s political landscape.

Hence, the international leaders’ collective along with prominent Māori figures such as Dame Naida Glavish have warned of the dangers of the proposed legislation and called on the New Zealand government to protect Māori from the continuing harms of colonialism.

Additionally, they further cautioned against exacerbating racial tensions in Aotearoa, urging the government to act in good faith and uphold the commitments made under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

So as the debate continues, global Indigenous leaders remain steadfast in their support of Māori, signaling that the fight for Indigenous rights is far from over.