Ties have fallen out of favor in many parts of the world in recent years. Now the New Zealand parliament has removed them from their dress code after Maori lawmaker Rawiri Waititi took a stand against ties, calling them “a colonial tie”.
Waititi, co-leader of the Māori Party, was expelled from the legislature earlier this week after appearing without a tie. Instead, he wore a traditional pendant called hei-tiki, which he said Chamber speaker Trevor Mallard was “Maori business attire”.
Mr. Mallard, who says he doesn’t like ties very much, did not accept the argument at first. “I do not recognize the member, he will now leave the chamber,” he said as Waititi stood up to speak.
“It’s not about ties, it’s about cultural identity,” countered Waititi as he left, adding a wave of discussions about the legacy of colonialism in New Zealand and a # no2tie trend on Twitter, before a House committee dropped the tie. jacket rule and on Wednesday night.
The overnight standoff came amid a broader resurgence in the Maori language and culture in recent years. The country’s indigenous peoples, who represent about 17% of the 5 million inhabitants, have become more active in preserving their heritage after it has been shunned for decades in some places, with the renaissance inspiring indigenous movements in Canada and elsewhere places.