Story: Ngā rōpū tautohetohe – Māori protest movements

Apirana Ngata at Waitangi

Apirana Ngata at Waitangi

This iconic image shows politician Sir Apirana Ngata leading the haka at the centennial celebrations at Waitangi in 1940. Ngata was forthright in his comments at the time, saying, ‘I do not know of any year the Maori people have approached with so much misgiving as this Centennial Year ... In retrospect what does the Maori see? Lands gone, the power of chiefs humbled in the dust, Maori culture scattered and broken.’ He also observed that some Māori had worn red blankets at Waitangi as a reminder of land injustices.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: MNZ-2746-1/2-F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Basil Keane, 'Ngā rōpū tautohetohe – Māori protest movements - Waitangi Day protests', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/35933/apirana-ngata-at-waitangi (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 11 Jan 2023