Flame Newsletter
Hīkoi mō te Tiriti
By Jazz, Individual Giving Coordinator
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
13 November 2024 was a day I’ll never forget.
The skies gathered in knowing, my tīpuna bearing witness to what was unfolding, and the air hummed with mauri. That day, I hīkoi’d shoulder to shoulder with over 30,000 people across Auckland Harbour Bridge. One day in what became arguably Aotearoa’s largest protest in history, the nine-day Hīkoi mō te Tiriti.
As a Māori wāhine, a human rights advocate, and a representative of Amnesty International, taking part in that hīkoi was a profound act of aroha, solidarity and responsibility. It was about protecting the dignity of my tīpuna, the rights of Māori, and the future of every generation that will inherit this whenua. I hīkoi’d from Auckland Harbour Bridge to Bastion Point, a 3-hour journey. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.
We moved as one, unified in kotahitanga against the Treaty Principles Bill. A bill that not only threatened to entrench Māori into further cycles of harm, but jeopardise the integrity of Aotearoa’s founding document. This bill was born of division, not connection.
I had the privilege of leading hundreds of people alongside Amnesty International in waiata. We moved with purpose and our voices were beacons of hope. The beating sound of our footsteps pierced the air, flags danced in the wind under Tāwhirimātea’s guiding hand, and although the ground beneath our feet tried to shake us (the bridge was really swaying!), we stood firm. Each step forward carried a promise to those who walked before us and those yet to come. I felt elated. I felt the mana. I am proud to be Māori.
The crowd was an inspiring show of diversity. Some were seasoned activists, some had never protested before. Many were Māori, many were Pākehā and Tauiwi. Yet we all shared the same kaupapa – to fight for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Tiriti is a living, breathing covenant that promises partnership, protection and participation. When that is dishonoured, the integrity of human rights in this country is fractured for everyone. Honouring te Tiriti has always been about kotahitanga, about inclusivity, and making good on the promises that shape the heart of Aotearoa. This is our taonga.
What I saw that day was kaumātua steadying mokopuna’s hands, strangers linking elbows to support each other to walk, and faces lit with hope. It wasn’t division. It was unity. It was humanity.
I’m proud I walked that bridge. And I’ll keep walking. Because my hope is that one day, honouring te Tiriti won’t be something we’re still marching for – it’ll be the foundation we all finally stand on.
E tū tāngata
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This article was originally published in the July 2025 issue of Flame, Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand's supporter newsletter. To request a digital copy of Flame, please email us at info@amnesty.org.nz.
In this 60th Anniversary issue of Flame, we highlighted stories of courage that showcased the incredible power that we have when people come together to demand justice in the fight for human rights. You can help Amnesty International continue this work for another 60 years with a one-off donation today.