One of the country’s largest iwi will attend national Waitangi events in the Bay of Islands for the first time in more than two decades as a show of unity with Northland tribes. 

Ngāi Tahu leader Edward Ellison said the iwi would forgo the annual tradition of hosting Waitangi festivities at significant sites around the South Island. 

The decision was inspired by calls from the late Māori King Tūheitia to show kotahitanga (unity), particularly amid contentious Government policies impacting Māori. 

“It became clear to us that, perhaps, this was something we should do ... it was a big decision not to host it here this year,” he told the Herald. 

“The circumstances unveiled that thinking for us which we had not thought of before. It was the events of this particular term of government, I suppose, that caused us to think about this.” 

Ellison said the Government’s “lack of communication and engagement with their treaty partner (Māori)” during policy development was “undermining” the treaty partnership. 

He cited changes to fast track legislation, an impending review of treaty clauses in legislation and the now defunct Treaty Principles Bill. 

Meanwhile, with an election looming, politicians will be hyper aware when they speak at Waitangi of the large constituency of voters they are addressing. 

One of Labour’s most senior Māori MPs, Peeni Henare, who frequently speaks on behalf of the party at Waitangi and other pōwhiri, has not put his hand up to be a candidate for the Auckland Māori seat of Tāmaki Makaurau. Nominations for the party’s candidacy in the seat closed recently. 

Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison, University of Otago Chancellor Stephen Higgs and University Council mana whenua representative Suzanne Ellison sign new versions of the University of Otago tohu. 

With the deadline for candidate nominations passed, this means the long-time Auckland politician will not contest the seat. 

The Herald understands Henare is weighing up his options regarding his future in politics. 

Henare held the Auckland Māori seat for almost a decade before losing it to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Tarsh Kemp, who passed away last year. 

Henare lost the seat again to Te Pāti Māori’s Oriini Kaipara in the byelection triggered by Kemp’s death. 

Last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attended Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi celebrations at Ōnuku Marae near Akaroa in Canterbury alongside revered rangatira Tā (Sir) Tipene O’Regan, instead of following the tradition of other Prime Ministers and going to the Waitangi grounds. 

This year Luxon is visiting the Waitangi grounds where he will face the Iwi Chairs Forum in a private meeting to discuss his Government’s past year in power. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attended a Waitangi Day ceremony at Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula in 2025. Photo / George Heard 

Ellison, who was a treaty negotiator for the iwi in the late 1990s, said the tribe had been reflecting on their connections to others across the country and to Waitangi, the site where the treaty was first signed on February 6, 1840. 

“It caused us to think more deeply beyond our own area, about the importance of that kotahitanga (unity) movement and really looking at the treaty in the way that we should – as building relationships," he said. 

“It really takes us out of our comfort zone down here, to be there, which we haven’t done before, not formally – so we thought this is probably overdue." 

A Ngāi Tahu delegation will be welcomed onto Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae on Thursday morning. Thousands of people are expected at the events this week. 

Powhiri for the Government and other MPs at the Treaty House Marae at Waitangi 2025 - From left: Gerry Brownlee, Tama Potaka, David Seymour, Winston Peters and Shane Jones. Photo / Dean Purcell 

A key talking point among Māori leaders and other leaders from national, regional and political factions is expected to be environmental resilience amid a changing climate after the devastating landslides and floods during last month’s storms. 

Debates over the country’s resilience (particularly of rural or smaller communities) hung over the recent Rātana celebrations held soon after six people died in the Mt Maunganui landslide last month. 

Bouquets and tributes at the Mount Maunganui landslide cordon in late January. Photo / Corey Fleming 

The presence of these tragic events is expected to be equally strong at Waitangi with debates expected to cover whether New Zealand is prepared for such destructive weather events to become more common. 

The Government’s record of improving (or not) Māori outcomes and adhering (or not) to its obligations afforded under the Treaty of Waitangi will almost certainly be addressed as the public’s focus starts to turn to who could form the next government at the November 7 general election. 

The months-long feud between Te Pāti Māori and two recently ousted MPs (Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Te Tao Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris) will also be in the minds of some Māori constituents as they toss up their voting options. 

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.