New Zealand’s parliament was temporarily halted by MPs performing a haka amid anger over a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country’s founding treaty with its Māori people.

Opposition party member Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke began the traditional ceremonial group dance after being asked whether her party supported the bill, which was voted on for the first time on Thursday.

At the same time, a hīkoi – or peaceful protest march – organized by a Māori rights group continues to make its way to the capital Wellington.

Thousands have already joined the 10-day march against the bill, which reached Auckland on Wednesday and started in New Zealand’s far north on Monday.

The country is often considered a leader in indigenous rights, but opponents of the bill fear that the bill would endanger those same rights.

Act, the political party that introduced the bill, argues there is a need for a legal definition of the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which has been fundamental to race relations in New Zealand.

The treaty’s core values ​​have been woven into New Zealand’s laws over time in an effort to undo the injustices done to Māori during colonization.

But Act – a small party in the ruling centre-right coalition – says this has left the country divided by race, and the bill will allow the treaty to be interpreted more fairly by parliament, rather than the courts . The party’s leader, David Seymour, has slammed opponents for wanting to stoke fear and division.

However, critics say the legislation will divide the country and lead to the loss of much-needed support for many Māori.

The first reading was adopted on Thursday after a 30-minute break, supported by all parties of the ruling coalition. Maipi-Clarke was suspended from the house.

It is unlikely that there will be a second reading as the Act’s coalition partners have indicated they will not support it.

But this has not reassured those concerned about the bill and its impact, as the hikoi is still making progress along its 1,000 km (621 mi) route.

In Auckland, an estimated 5,000 protesters took two hours to cross the harbor bridge. Officers closed two lanes reported the New Zealand Heraldso they can continue the route.

Danielle Moreau, who is Māori, walked across the Harbor Bridge with her two sons, Bobby and Teddy, and told the BBC she “hoped it (the hīkoi) would be big, but it was much more epic than I expected”.

“I marched to make it clear that Te Tiriti (the Treaty of Waitangi) is very important to our national identity,” said Winston Pond, who also took part in the march on Wednesday.

“We are a multicultural society built on a bicultural foundation – something that cannot be changed.”

Juliet Tainui-Hernández, from the Māori tribe of Ngāi Tahu, and her Puerto Rican partner Javier Hernández, brought their daughter Paloma to the hīkoi.

Ms Tainui-Hernández said those who showed their support did so “for the respectful and inclusive nation we want Aotearoa (New Zealand) to be for our tamariki mokopuna – our children and grandchildren”.

Kiriana O’Connell, who is also Māori, said the current treaty principles were already a compromise for her people, and she would not support a “rewrite”.

Under the proposed legislation, the treaty principles that would be enshrined in the law are:

• that the government has the right to rule and that parliament has the full right to make laws
• that Māori rights are respected by the Crown
• that everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to equal protection under the law.

Law leader Seymour – who is also New Zealand’s Minister of Justice – argues that because the principles have never been properly legally defined, the courts have been able to “develop principles that have been used to justify actions contrary to the principle of equal rights. “.

He says this includes “ethnic quotas in public institutions” that go against the spirit of fairness for all New Zealanders.

However, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called the bill “divisive” despite being part of the same coalition.

Meanwhile, the Waitangi Tribunal, which was established in 1975 to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, notes that the bill “deliberately excluded any consultation with Māori, which was contrary to the principle of partnership, the obligations of the Crown to good faith and the duty of the Crown. to actively protect the rights and interests of Māori”.

It also said the principles of the bill misinterpreted the Treaty of Waitangi and this “caused significant prejudice to Māori”.

The introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill follows a series of measures introduced by the government that have impacted Māori.

These include closing the Māori Health Authority, which was established under Jacinda Ardern’s Labor government to help create equity in healthcare, and reprioritizing English over Māori when it comes to the official naming of government organizations .

Although around 18% of New Zealand’s population considers themselves Māori, many remain disadvantaged compared to the general population, according to the most recent census, as measured by indicators such as health outcomes, household income, educational attainment and incarceration and death rates. There remains a seven-year difference in life expectancy.

The Treaty of Waitangi is an agreement between the British and many, but not all, Māori tribes, signed in 1840.

It is controversial because it was written in both English and Māori – which was only a spoken language until colonization – and the two versions contain fundamental differences when it comes to issues of sovereignty.

Although the Convention itself has not been codified into law, its principles have been incorporated into various pieces of legislation over time.

The bill will now be sent to a select committee for a six-month public hearing.

Additional reporting by Amanda McGregor