Kōrero: Parliament

Rakiihia Tau (centre back) leads a haka in Parliament's public gallery as a bill returning control of the South Island's pounamu (greenstone) to the Ngāi Tahu iwi is passed in September 1997. Ngāi Tahu's chief negotiator, Sir Tipene O'Regan, is seated at centre front. Since the 1990s it has been common for visiting iwi to sing waiata or perform haka on occasions of significance.