March 12, 2026

#national: Charges Dropped Against Te Waka Hourua Member After Te Papa Protest

Matthew Tukaki Posted On March 12, 2026

Supporters of Māori activist group Te Waka Hourua say a recent court decision dismissing charges against one of its members marks an important moment in an ongoing debate about how Aotearoa presents and understands the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Waka Hourua has welcomed the decision to dismiss all charges against Te Wehi Ratana following his involvement in a 2023 protest at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

The incident occurred in December 2023 when members of the activist collective targeted the museum’s “Signs of a Nation” exhibition. During the protest, a display panel featuring the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi was altered as part of a direct-action protest intended to challenge what activists believed was a misleading representation of the country’s founding agreement.

Police arrested multiple protesters following the action, with Ratana facing charges including intentional damage and obstruction after being accused of altering the exhibition panel during the protest.

Te Waka Hourua said the action was part of a broader campaign highlighting concerns about the way Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been interpreted and presented in public institutions. Members of the group argued that the English draft displayed in the exhibition created confusion about the status of the Treaty and its relationship to Te Tiriti, which Māori rangatira signed in 1840.

Following the court decision, the organisation said the dismissal of the charges represents an acknowledgement of the context surrounding the protest and the wider debate about historical narratives and Māori sovereignty.

The protest itself sparked national discussion at the time, drawing both criticism and support. Some political leaders and museum officials condemned the damage to the exhibition, while others said the incident had reignited important conversations about the interpretation of Te Tiriti and how the country’s history is told.

The exhibition targeted during the protest had long been part of Te Papa’s permanent display exploring the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the complex relationship between the Māori-language text and the English draft prepared by the Crown.

The museum later signalled plans to renew the exhibition to incorporate a broader range of perspectives and historical context.

Te Waka Hourua says the decision to drop the charges closes a chapter in the legal proceedings but not the wider conversation about how Aotearoa confronts its colonial past.

For members of the group, the protest was intended to provoke reflection about the meaning of Te Tiriti and the responsibilities that flow from it for modern-day New Zealand.