Abseiler defaces Treaty exhibition at Te Papa in protest from National Iwi Chairs Forum. Video / Supplied
Twelve people have been arrested in protests today at Wellington’s Te Papa in which a man abseiled from the roof of the museum and defaced the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition using a power tool and spray paint.
A police spokesperson told the Herald the protester used an angle grinder and spray paint to black out parts of the exhibition.
He is one of several people arrested for vandalising the Treaty exhibition inside the museum, three of whom have been charged with breaching bail.
A group of protesters entered Te Papa level 4 at midday and began defacing parts of the exhibition.
A protest at Te Papa Museum involving spray paint and the defacement of text using an angle grinder on the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition.
“Police will provide an update on the number of those arrested and charges faced later this afternoon.”
The protesters are part of a group called Te Waka Hourua, which has previously called for Te Papa to take down the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi which hangs across from Te Tiriti O Waitangi on level 4 of Te Papa.
Following the protest, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon weighed in, saying protests should not include defacing property at the national museum. He didn’t give his view on whether the English version should be taken down.
A police spokesman said a 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with intentional damage, obstructing police and breach of bail. A 53-year-old woman was charged with intentional damage.
A 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman were also charged with breach of bail, while eight other protesters were arrested for tresspass after they refused to leave the museum.
Meanwhile, video posted on social media showed a protester speaking over a megaphone to those gathered at Te Papa.
He said the English version of the Treaty said “our tupuna ceded sovereignty to the Crown”.
“That’s a lie,” he said.
”We are here to tell Te Papa to tell the truth. Perpetuating these lies, the destruction of indigenous communities, that is what is destroying our planet.”
He said people were being held in a “colonial trance”, “keeping us from being able to imagine any other way of existence”.
Today’s action follows this and Haimana Hirini, a spokesperson for the group, said the English version “misleads visitors” by making them think it is a translation of Te Tiriti.
“It most certainly is not. While Te Tiriti affirms Māori sovereignty, the English document says it was ceded,” said Hirini.
“While the English document holds a distinct place in our nation’s history, it is not a translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and holds no legal standing. Te Tiriti, in te reo Māori, is the only legitimate, legally binding agreement.”
“The miseducation around Te Tiriti has resulted in a population who are ignorant of the promises made to Māori, leading to fearfulness and division. This is why it is so important that our national museum provides clarity and displays an accurate translation for all New Zealanders to be able to read and understand,” said Hirini.
In response to the protest, Te Papa would “think about what this means in terms of how the display appears in the future”, spokeswoman Kate Camp said.
She said the museum would review the incident and the response to it, including security measures in place.
Museum supports expression - ‘but not in this way’
The cost of repairs was yet unclear, Camp said, “but I would expect that the display won’t be closed for too long”.
Responding to questions about museum security given someone was able to abseil in the building, she said: “At Te Papa, we’re always balancing the safety of people and the safety of the museum with the ability for people to move freely through the space.
“We belong to New Zealand. We’re open to New Zealand. That’s a balancing act that we always have in mind,” she said.
The museum had spoken with the protest group, she said - “a number of times over the last couple of years” - where the issue had been discussed.
“Listening to what people have to say is what Te Papa does all the time [with] all sorts of different forums. We’re also somewhere where people can come to debate and discuss and have those really meaningful, important conversations.
“But this is not the way, obviously, that we would hope people to engage with us.”
She said the wooden display panel showing the English translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi was damaged with spray paint and some kind of power tool.
No museum collection items were damaged, she said.
The museum’s fourth floor would remain closed for the rest of the day and the Signs of a Nation display where the protest occurred was closed until further notice.
Some of the damage to the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition.
“Our focus is on the safety of everyone in our museum, and on the protection of the taonga in our care,” Camp said.
”We respect the right of people to express their views and to protest but we are disappointed that the group has damaged this museum display.”
Camp said the display shows English and te reo Māori versions of the Treaty and the information panels highlighted the differences.
Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.
