WELLINGTON, New Zealand— As tens of thousands of protesters jammed the streets of New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Tuesday, the scene resembled a festival or parade more than a protest. The group arrived to fight a proposal that would alter the county’s founding treaty between Indigenous Māori and the British Crown. But for many, it was about much more: a celebration of a resurgent Indigenous language and identity, which colonization had nearly destroyed. “Just fighting for the rights that our tūpuna, or ancestors, fought for,” Shanell Bob remarked as she waited for the march to start. “We’re fighting for our tamariki, for our mokopuna, so they can have what we haven’t been able to have,” she told me. using the Māori words for children and grandchildren

“We are going for a walk!” One organizer declared from the podium as throngs gathered at the opposite end of the city from the country’s Parliament. Some had travelled across the country in nine days. Non-Māori showed increased support for Indigenous rights, as seen by the high participation. At bus stations during the morning commute, people of all ages and races waited with Māori sovereignty flags. Some local schools stated that they would not register children as absent. The city’s mayor joined the protest. The bill that the protestors were protesting is unpopular and unlikely to become law. However, there has been a surge in resistance, indicating that New Zealanders are becoming more aware of the Treaty of Waitangi’s pledges to Māori.

Māori have historically marched for their treaty rights. However, the crowds were greater than in previous treaty marches, and the attitude had altered, according to Indigenous people.

Bob added, “It’s different than when I was a child.” “We’re stronger now, our tamariki are stronger now, they know who they are, they’re proud of who they are.”

Thousands of people lined the streets of Wellington to support the marchers, who chanted Māori haka and waiata. Some signs mocked MPs responsible for the measure, which would change the meaning of the values of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi and prohibit them from just applying to Māori, the chiefs who signed the agreement when New Zealand was colonized. Others read “proud to be Māori” or acknowledged the bearer’s origins as a non-Māori supporting the protest. The confiscation of Māori land during colonization was one of the key issues raised by the treaty.

“The treaty is a document that allows us to be here in Aotearoa, so holding it up and respecting it is really important,” said Ben Ogilvie, who is of Pākehā or New Zealand European origin and uses the Māori term for the country. “I hate what this government is doing to tear it down.”

Police estimated 42,000 people attempted to crowd Parliament’s grounds, with some spilling into the neighbouring streets. People crowded onto the children’s slide on the lawn for a vantage point, while others perched in trees. As many waited to escape the confined location, several sang Māori songs, which most New Zealanders learn in school.

Māori sovereignty flags in red, black, and white lined the lawn and streets. However, marchers also carried Samoan, Tongan, Indigenous Australian, American, Palestinian, and Israeli flags. Speeches by political leaders in Parliament brought attention to the reason for the protest: a proposed bill that would change the meaning of words in the country’s founding treaty, enshrine them in law, and apply to everyone.

The author, Māori libertarian congressman David Seymour, claims that the restitution procedure for Crown violations of treaty with Māori has resulted in special treatment for Indigenous people, which he opposes. Detractors of the bill argue that it will cause constitutional upheaval, weaken Indigenous rights, and further divide Māori, who continue to face social and economic disadvantages due to treaty breaches. It is unlikely to become legislation, but Seymour struck a political agreement that allowed it to pass a preliminary vote last Thursday. In a statement Tuesday, he said the public could now submit suggestions to the measure It is unlikely to become legislation, but Seymour struck a political agreement that allowed it to pass a preliminary vote last Thursday. In a statement released Tuesday, he stated that the public can now submit comments on the measure, which he expects would reverse its popularity and experience a surge of support.

Seymour briefly came out onto Parliament’s forecourt to observe the protest, but he was not one of the lawmakers called to speak. Some in the crowd booed him. One of the protesters, Papa Heta, described the demonstration as “a long time coming,” stating that Māori were seeking recognition and respect. “We hope that we can unite with our Pākehā friends, Europeans,” the politician stated. “Unfortunately there are those that make decisions that put us in a difficult place.”