Ties have fallen in 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 the ties and called them “a colonial tie”.
Waititi, co-leader of the Maori party, was ousted from the legislature earlier this week after running without a tie. Instead, she wore a traditional pendant called hei-tiki, which she told the house’s speaker, Trevor Mallard, that it was “a Maori business suit.”
Mr. Mallard, who says he doesn’t like ties much, didn’t accept the argument at first. “I don’t recognize the member, he will now leave the room,” he said as Waititi stood up to speak.
“It’s not about ties, it’s about cultural identity,” Waititi replied as he left, adding to a barrage of debates about the legacy of colonialism in New Zealand and the # no2tie trend on Twitter, before a committee of the Chamber stopped tying. and jacket rule on Wednesday night.
The confrontation of activation or deactivation has occurred in the midst of a broader resurgence of the Maori language and culture in recent years. The country’s indigenous people, who represent approximately 17% of the 5 million population, have become more active in preserving their heritage after being shunned for decades in some neighborhoods, with the revival that inspired indigenous movements in Canada and elsewhere.