MPs today acknowledged the death of the Queen in Parliament, with Te Pāti Māori and Green Party co-leaders also highlighting the impact colonisation has had on Māori.
In part of his address aimed at King Charles III, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi spoke about the "continuous utu in the honouring of a partnership".
"I see a lot written on social media. The righteous anger of indigenous people all over the world. I take those stories as stories I carry with me, and my tikanga," he said.
He also acknowledged the Queen's passing.
"There is tikanga in our people that says we (mourn the dead). Our tikanga is clear, we must give time for whānau to grieve their loss," Waititi said.
He quoted the Queen in saying Te Titiri between the Crown and Māori had been "imperfectly observed".
The Queen attended the Waitangi events during the 150th year since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1990.
"Today, we are strong enough and honest enough to learn the lessons of the last 150 years and to admit that the Treaty has been imperfectly observed," she said at the time.
Waititi then took aim at the impact colonialisation and the 'imperfect' observation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi had on Māori.
He said Te Tiriti, "confirmed the pre-existing rights of tangata whenua to be undisturbed of our full and exclusive rights to our whenua, to our moana, to our ngahere (forest), to our awa, to our taonga".
"It also promised to be treated as equals. This is the imperfectly observed part of her speech she was talking about.
"We must always speak our authentic truth. The British Empire and the power of the monarchy was built off stolen whenua, stolen resources, stolen taonga."
In te reo, Waititi ended his speech saying: "We need to lay out all the discussion so we can all talk about it."
Green co-leader Marama Davidson paid her respect to the Queen, also saying many Māori leaders "while holding a rightful space of aroha, have also been very clear that we cannot ignore the oppression of Māori as very real and continuing".
"Queen Elizabeth herself was smart and aware. I dare say she would not be surprised in the least about any peoples raising the role of the monarchy in oppressing the power of others including here and around the world.
"She knew what she was a part of."
Davidson also spoke about Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, celebrating the language "that was at risk of being completely wiped out by a colonial plan that was linked to Queen Elizabeth's father, King George".
"I am today still doing the work to reclaim my own native tongue as the result of violence towards my grandmother when she was but a child," Davidson said.
"I know this legacy would have surely horrified the Queen.
"I stand by a human acknowledgement of a kuia who I will pay some basic respect that should be accorded to all of our elders."
Communication
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke of the Queen being in regular communication with countries in her realm during Covid lockdowns.
"She called me twice, to check in on New Zealand and to reflect on the challenges the whole world faced. In those calls I was reminded of her stoicism, I suspect born from her experience of World War II.
"I was reflecting on those calls recently, and it occurred to me how much they summed up her as a person. She asked after others. In the same way she did every time I met her, including in a call to pass on condolences for the loss of her husband."
Ardern confirmed the New Zealanders going to London to attend the Queen's funeral on Monday.
Kiingi Tūheitia, former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Victoria Cross for New Zealand recipient Willie Apiata, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Sir Don McKinnon, Sir Tipene O'Regan, Aivale Cole, Whaea Esther Jessop and Jacqueline Gilbert are among those attending.
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