An urgent claim has been lodged in the Waitangi Tribunal over the Coalition Government's actions and policies
Ngāi Te Rangi claims the Government is attacking its language, culture and mana.
"A lot of our people feel like we're being sent back to those days when being Māori was seen as a handicap," said the iwi's chairman Charlie Tawhiao.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said "that's not at all how I want anyone to feel", but they do because while Luxon may be happy to open his press conference with a mihi, he wants Government departments to use English first.
"This Government is proposing to introduce legislation which is totally denigrating of te reo Māori and in denigrating te reo Māori they're also denigrating us," said Tawhiao.
Ngāi Te Rangi on Monday morning lodged an urgent claim with the Waitangi Tribunal about the Coalition's instruction for Government departments to use English names, communicate primarily in English and possibly cut salary allowances for proficient Te Reo speakers.
"Apparently without any thought or any consultation with Māori themselves, given that these are Treaty-based privileges and rights," said Tawhiao.
They claim the moves breach Article 2 of the Treaty - which deals with self-determination - by failing to protect the taonga of Te Reo Māori, their actions are contrary to the Māori Language Act, and that the plans to review the principles of the Treaty breach the Bill of Rights Act.
"That's where the Bill of Rights comes into it, the right to be who we are," Tawhiao said.
Luxon said he believes Te Reo should be celebrated as it's a "fantastic language".
"I've been wanting to learn for some time, as you well know. I've been finding it very difficult."
The Government is coming under increasing pressure from Māori.
At the weekend the Waitangi Tribunal's 2000-page final report into the injustices suffered by Ngāpuhi was handed over to the country's largest iwi.
The report found Ngapuhi never agreed to be ruled by the New Zealand Government and recommended all Crown-owned land in Northland be returned to Māori, along with economic compensation, and an apology from the Crown.
It also recommended the Crown enter discussions with the hapu and iwi about constitutional processes.
"We're not really up for relitigating that the Government has the right to govern and the Crown has the right to govern," said Luxon.
Ruling out a recommendation before they've got back to the settlement negotiation table.
