February 20, 2024
Protest a benefit to Te Papa
A member of the protest group Waka Hourua says they did Te Papa a favour with their attack on a wall display reproducing the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi.
53-year-old Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn from Ngāti Kuri and Te Rarawa, pleaded not guilty in the Whāngārei District Court yesterday and opted for a jury trial.
She says she can argue about whether the damage was with the intent to destroy.
“You just look at all the traffic now that’s increased through that exhibit and people are hanging in that space, they’re loving it, they’re doing waiata – obviously they appreciate it. Whereas before, there were actually people said ‘I am not going into that space,'” Murupaenga-Ikenn says.
She says Te Papa is still trying to side-step the concerns raised by Waka Hourua, so a future action is almost inevitable – although not necessarily by her group.