December 04, 2023
Oath hits Waititi in gut
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi is facing one of his toughest challenges this week.
He says his second term in parliament is going to be hard, with the new Government trying to erase Māori history, language and culture.
It starts with an oath of allegiance to King Charles and his heirs.
“That always makes me sick to my gut, that tangata whenua are forced to make those allegiances to the oath. I had disdain with it the last time I had to do it – I have disdain with it now, because the consent of our ancestors for kāwanatanga, governance, was through Te Tiriti o Waitangi which is not mentioned,” Mr Waititi says.
He’d rather swear an oath to his mokopuna.