Activists are protesting proposed changes to New Zealand's foundational document, the Treaty of Waitangi. But is the bill more bark than bite?

New Zealand’s parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Maori members staged a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori.

The Treaty Principles Bill seeks to revise New Zealand’s foundational agreement with Maori people and is hugely unpopular, with even the prime minister deriding it.

The Treaty of Waitangi, which is the focus of the proposed bill, dates back to 1840 and is considered New Zealand's founding document. The agreement was signed by Māori chiefs and the British monarchy and focused on rectifying wrongs done to the indigenous people when the country was colonized.

Indigenous Maori lawmakers disrupted New Zealand's parliament with a stirring "haka" dance, voicing opposition to a race relations bill that has ignited protests across the country. Thousands have joined a "hikoi" protest march travelling the country to drum up opposition,

Nearly ten thousand people took to the streets in New Zealand to protest the introduction of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill in Parliament. Critics said the bill, if passed, could reverse the rights and other protection mechanisms for the Indigenous Māori people.

Parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Māori MPs performed a haka to disrupt a vote on a controversial bill that has ignited protests across New Zealand. The bill proposes to change the way in which the Treaty of Waitangi - a 184-year-old treaty between the British Crown and Māori people - is interpreted.