‘Message of unity’: New Zealand divided over All Blacks’ haka detail in TJ Perenara’s final Test

All Blacks legend TJ Perenara has come clean on his decision to use his final haka for New Zealand to make a big statement on the nation’s controversial Treaty Principles Bill.

The 89-cap player, who represented New Zealand for the final time in the match after signing a three-year deal with Japanese rugby team Black Rams Tokyo, led the haka for the 64th time before the All Blacks’ 29-11 win over Italy on the weekend.

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Perenara launched into an impassioned haka, stating: “toitū te mana o te whenua, toitū te mana motuhake, toitū te tiriti o Waitangi.”

That translates to “forever the strength of the land, forever the strength of independence, forever the Treaty of Waitangi.”

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and brought peace between the Maori and European settlers and established New Zealand as a colony.

February 6, the anniversary of the signing, is known as Waitangi Day and is New Zealand’s national day.

But the right-libertarian ACT Party, who are part of a coalition with the National Party and New Zealand First to form government, have tabled the Treaty Principles Bill, which aims to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The bill aims to offer New Zealanders a binding referendum seeking to more narrowly define the treaty’s principles in legal documents, with ACT leader David Seymour telling parliament it would address a situation where Maori are “afforded different rights than other New Zealanders”.

Critics say the real aim is to unravel education and other programs for Maori citizens.

Mr Seymour said the bill was a good thing and would be a “democratisation of the Treaty”.

Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi previously accused the government of “waging war on our existence as Maori and on the fabric of this nation” and compared ACT Party to the KKK.

The bill has been controversial to say the least with an estimated 42,000 demonstrators marching on the nation’s capital of Wellington to protest the bill.

The bill is expected to fail, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon allowing the bill to come to parliament as part of the parties’ coalition deal, but his party is believed to be unlikely to vote for its passage.

Mr Luxon recently called the bill “divisive” and there was “no need for it”, while the opposition Labour Party called it “a waste of money” with “no support from any other party in parliament”.

Speaking after the match against Italy, Perenara said the first line he had spoken had meant “this haka is for everyone in Aotearoa”, revealing his intent was to unite the country back home.

“We’ve been away from home and seen the unity and the unification of our people back home, all people of Aotearoa and paying homage to us as people, and showing unification together as one,” Perenara said.

“And like we, countries go through tough times. People go through tough times, families go through tough times.

“And for us to pay homage to the unification of all of us is something that wanted to do and that we wanted to do, which was important.”

However, questions were also asked after the Waitangi chant was kept off the All Blacks social media accounts.

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The Aoteroa Liberation League tweeted: “All Blacks are erasing the beginning of this haka where TJ says “toitū te mana o te whenua, toitū te mana motuhake, toitū Te Tiriti o Waitangi” – a great example of how corporations are happy to commercialise te ao Māori while erasing Māori political aspirations.”

Perenara said he didn’t intend the haka to be political or divisive.

“Stand and pay respect to our whenua (country), which is our whenua, mana motuhake, which is our sovereignty, everyone’s sovereignty,” Perenara explained.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi, stand tall, stand proud and stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. So uniting us all as people.

“I know some people might see or try and make it political or divisive, but for us, unity and being together is important, especially as Maori.”

All Blacks skipper Scott Barrett said the team were aware and supportive of Perenara’s plan.

“As the leader, they get the opportunity to say something,” Barrett explained. “He said he was going to lead, and say a wee mihi. It was a message of unity, and that’s what he said.”

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said Perenara had discussed his haka plan before the match.

“TJ when he got the right to call (the haka), there’s a part of it at the start he gets in his own words to call it,” Robertson told reporters.

“And he’s decided to say that and he has done it with the aspect of unity. It’s his right to say that.”

“He said it’s sign of unity. Everyone is across it. He gets his chance to call that and the rest of the team gets to do the haka.”

But the move has been criticised as well with Mr Seymour questioning why Perenara was against the bill.

“I congratulate TJ on his long All Blacks career and wish him well in Japan,” Mr Seymour said.

“I hope he reads the bill at treaty.nz. It says that we all have nga tikanga katoa rite tahi – the same rights and duties. And all New Zealanders have tino rangatiratanga, the right to self-determine, not only Māori.

“The challenge for people who oppose this bill is to explain why they are so opposed to those basic principles of equal rights.”