Indigenous "Haka" chants boomed across New Zealand's capital Wellington, as tens of thousands of people rallied against a bill that critics say would alter the core of the nation's founding treaty and dilute the rights of Maori people.

One of the biggest protests in New Zealand history, led by Maori and with the support of diverse ethnicities and cultures, presented a petition signed by more than 200,000 people to parliament to “kill the bill”. Among those protesting was the Maori Queen Nga wai hono i te po.

The marchers oppose a law that would reshape the county’s founding treaty between the nation’s Maori people and the British Crown.

The haka, often associated with New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team, is much more than a pre-game ritual; it is a cornerstone of Maori culture, embodying history, identity, and emotion.

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders confronted parliament to protest a law to redefine a treaty between the Maori and Britain.

The protests have evolved into “a celebration of a resurging Indigenous language and identity that colonization had once almost destroyed,” the Associated Press wrote.

Booming Indigenous Maori "haka" chants rang out across New Zealand's capital on Tuesday, as tens of thousands rallied against a conservative push to redefine the nation's founding treaty.

A controversial bill has ignited a 'flashpoint in race relations' as opponents claim it will undermine the rights of Indigenous people