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RNZ News
10-07-2025
- RNZ News
Ngāti Tukorehe to fly more flags after 'racist attack' on its whenua
Kuku has been described as the "Māori Flag Highway" by some whānau, with the vibrant displays of Tino Rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga and Toitū Te Tiriti flags now stretching along both sides of the road. Photo: Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana Ngāti Tukorehe members are flying their flags even higher following what they call a "racist" and targeted act of vandalism. The Horowhenua-based iwi say they're angered after multiple Tino rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga and Toitū Te Tiriti flags were torn down from their marae and whenua in Kuku over the weekend. The flags, which line both sides of State Highway 1 between Ōtaki and Levin, were originally erected in November 2024 to support the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti - a march to Parliament opposing ACT's Treaty Principles Bill. They've since stood as a visible symbol of mana motuhake and identity for whānau within that rohe. However, over the weekend, multiple flags were torn down in what a spokesperson for the iwi said was a "racist attack." "We had someone that was racially motivated to tear down our flags at the front of our marae," Tipi Wehipeihana said, speaking on behalf of Ngāti Tukorehe. Outside Tukorehe marae, just south of Levin, Tino Rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga, and Toitū Te Tiriti flags were ripped down in what a spokesperson says was a "blatant and violent act of racism". Photo: Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana Wehipeihana said the vandalism first occurred on Saturday night, when five of the 40 to 50 flags were pulled down. Whānau re-erected them on Sunday. But the attack escalated on Monday afternoon when an unknown man returned and began ripping down more flags "in a fit of rage and anger, motivated by racism", Wehipeihana said. Unlike the Saturday incident, whānau witnessed the attack, confronted the man and recorded his number plate. "Our iwi are angered by this act of racism. Some would call it an act of aggression. Some would even call it an act of terrorism. But at the very least, it's vandalism of our belongings on our land and our property." Wehipeihana believed it was the same person responsible for both incidents. "We also believe it was the same person that pulled the flags down on Saturday night because, unlike Saturday night, we have witnesses to his behaviour and his actions." He said a full description of the individual and the car have been given to police in Levin. The flags, which line both sides of State Highway 1 between Ōtaki and Levin, were originally erected in November 2024 to support the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti - a march to Parliament opposing ACT's Treaty Principles Bill. Photo: Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana Ngāti Tukorehe first installed the flags ahead of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti as a show of support for those travelling south to protest government policies affecting Māori rights. Located on State Highway 1, Ngāti Tukorehe Marae sits in Kuku, Horowhenua, between Levin and Ōtaki. "You can't go north or south without going through Kuku," Wehipeihana said. As the hīkoi passed through, the iwi gathered outside the marae to wave their flags and tautoko the kaupapa. Since then, the flags have remained standing as a visible expression of their identity. "All the flags that fly on our whenua in Kuku are on Māori land, whenua Māori, Māori-owned properties," Wehipeihana said. "It's just a show of, firstly, who we are as Ngāti Tukorehe in our own whenua of Kuku. It was also a show of our support from our iwi to the hīkoi, which we were a part of, to voice our opinion about the Treaty Principles Bill that we were dead against. "Since then, it's been our way of restaking our mana whenua in Kuku." A Horowhenua-based iwi, Ngāti Tukorehe are angered after multiple tino rangatiratanga and other Māori flags were torn down from their marae and whenua in Kuku. Photo: Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana While Wehipeihana acknowledged the flags "might be triggering one way or another", he said many people have supported them. "Regardless of that, if I don't like the colour of that individual's house or their letterbox per se, I'm not going to stop, get out of my car, rip the letterbox off the stand and chuck it on the ground just because I don't like the colour of it. "That is not tika," he said. The incident has not deterred the iwi, Wehipeihana said, as members plan to fly even more flags in response. "We won't take a backward step to anybody, and particularly not this individual," he said. "What he's done has spurred on our people to put more flags up. "Of the 40-plus that are already standing at the moment, that number will increase exponentially over the coming weeks." Kuku has been described as the "Māori Flag Highway" by some whānau, with the vibrant displays now stretching along both sides of the road. "We've heard growing up all our lives, 'Kuku is just a blip on the map, don't blink because you'll miss it.' Well, I tell you what, people aren't blinking and missing it now." To those who felt uncomfortable, Wehipeihana said the door was open. "Call into any one of those houses where those flags stand and have a kōrero with any one of those homeowners, because you'll be surprised at the conversation that you have. "It's not one of hate. We're not about that. We don't hate people. We love people. "We are Ngāti Tukorehe, we love our people, we love our whenua, and this is one way of showing that for us. "These blatant and violent acts of racism that were performed by this one particular individual taint all of that for us." He said what mattered most was being able to stand proud as tangata whenua on their own whenua. "We live in a democratic society. We have the rights. And we are free to do these things, to erect our flagpoles and show our support of our tino rangatiratanga, our Tukorehetanga, on our whenua in Kuku. "We may be a small iwi. We may be a small rohe in a small area, but we hold our own." In a statement to RNZ, the police said they had received a report of "wilful damage" at a property on SH1, Kuku on 7 July. "Enquiries into the incident are ongoing to locate the persons responsible." They encouraged anyone with information who could assist in their enquiries to contact them. Police could be contacted online or by calling 105, using the reference number 250708/4661. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Dunne's Weekly: When Symbolism Trumps Substance
Symbolism over substance is a well-established political art. Sometimes symbolism is a substitute for decisive action, sometimes it is a way of signalling a future policy intent that for various reasons cannot yet be achieved. On other occasions, it is a simple diversionary tactic, designed to distract attention from policy failure elsewhere. A recent good example of symbolism over substance is New Zealand First's proposed Bill to ban the display of any flag or emblem other than the New Zealand flag on government buildings. This is all part of New Zealand First's 'war on woke' and is obviously aimed at prohibiting the display of Tino Rangatiratanga and LGTBQ flags on public buildings, something its anti-woke constituency would likely approve of. But whatever one thinks of that policy, it hardly requires an Act of Parliament to achieve it. A directive to relevant chief executives would do just as well, but that would remove the drama of dealing with such a non-issue by legislation, which would in turn detract from the public attention the policy is seeking to gain. It is reminiscent of the early 1980s when the then Education Minister Merv Wellington became obsessed with every school having a flagpole and flying the New Zealand flag daily. He even went as far as promulgating Regulations setting out the dimensions and material of the flag and specific rules about its display. Rather than being seen as an assertion of national spirit and patriotism, as the Minister hoped, the policy quickly became an object of ridicule, detracting from the many more serious educational issues around at the time. Once he was no longer Minister, the policy disappeared. If history is any guide, New Zealand First's flag policy, should it even make it to legislation, will not survive either. But it will reinforce New Zealand First's credentials with the 'anti-woke' brigade it is seeking to appeal to, in just the same way its earlier, but never implemented, policy on gender-specific toilet access was designed to. But New Zealand First are not the only party playing the symbolism over substance card. Earlier this week National announced plans for an instant fines approach to dealing with shoplifters. The rhetoric was strong, but the details and the timing remain vague. Not surprisingly though, the plan has been widely welcomed by small businesses who have been adversely affected by increasing shoplifting levels in recent years. For many, the symbolic effect was enough – at last the government was recognising there was a problem to be resolved. However, it is still far from clear how the instant fines system being suggested will work (a correspondent to Wellington's Post asked how people who resorted to shoplifting because they could not afford to pay could cope with an instant fine), or what level of Police resources will be dedicated to it. And nor it is clear when the necessary legislation will be introduced and passed. Still, it all looks like strong government, even if the details are still uncertain. And so, it serves its political point, which was, after all, the primary objective. The government has put its stake in the ground, and, even better from its point of view, entrapped the Opposition into opposing it. It has won the symbolism battle on shoplifting, but it remains to be seen whether it will be as successful with the substance. The other side of this coin is when politicians refuse to acknowledge the substance of an issue and wallow instead in the symbolism surrounding it. In an extraordinary outburst this week, the normally considered Chris Hipkins told a radio host that the reason ram raids were no longer a media issue was because 'your Tory owners at NZME have just decided not to put it on the front page anymore. It's still happening, it's just NZME have decided that it's not in the Government's best interests and they do the National Party's singing for them and so they're not covering it as much anymore.' Unfortunately for Hipkins the facts tell a different story. In 2022, there were 714 ram raids reported. The following year – when Hipkins was Prime Minister – that figure dropped to 495. However so far this year it sits at just 45, a more than 90% fall on the figure of Hipkins' time. That, not media ownership prejudice, is the reason they are not getting the coverage they used to, but Hipkins will be hoping his media bashing will resonate with his die-hard supporters and so detract attention from the facts. The danger here is not so much that politicians favour symbolism over substance from time to time. That is part and parcel of the political game which every politician engages in when it suits them. The problem is when the politician is revealed to have no other modus operandi than symbolism over substance, and when that becomes their sole end. Voters quickly spot such cant and discount those politicians accordingly.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Wellington Museum defends flying Toitū Te Tiriti branded flag to mark Treaty anniversary
Asked why the flag was chosen, Experience Wellington chief executive Diana Marsh told the Herald it 'is not a political statement'. 'We always fly the New Zealand flag, the Tino Rangatiratanga flag and the United Tribes of New Zealand flag on the roof of the Museum. 'We added the Toitū te Tiriti flag as a direct reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to commemorate the Wellington signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 29 April 1840″, Marsh said. She said the museum flies 'a variety of flags to represent communities across Wellington'. The flag was put up on Tuesday but remained up longer than planned due to weather. The museum, which is part funded by Wellington City Council, confirmed it paid $55 for the flag. The Toitū Te Tiriti website states all proceeds from its site will be used 'to help with the costs that a movement of this large nature will need during the next 3 years - for example koha for wānanga, kai, printing, travel costs and stickers and banners etc'. A Facebook post by the museum about the flying of the flag saw a number of comments criticising the flag choice. The museum turned off comments on the post, saying 'some of the discussion hasn't met the respectful standard we expect'. Act Party leader David Seymour told the Herald the museum shouldn't be flying the flag and should 'get back to preserving history'. 'A museum is an institution that should seek to preserve the past so all people can feel welcome to make up their own mind. It shouldn't be hijacked by unprofessional staff trying to make a political point instead of doing their job', Seymour said in a statement. Mayor Tory Whanau supported the museum flying the flag, saying it 'acknowledges the ongoing significance of Te Tiriti as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand'. 'It also serves as a reminder of the enduring mana of Te Tiriti, particularly in light of the recent and fortunately failed attempt to challenge and redefine its principles through the Treaty Principles Bill', Whanau said.
