Before European contact, Māori had no flags or symbols representing a single nation or tribe. Identity and authority were expressed through iwi, hapū, and hapū-based networks, not emblems. Yet today New Zealand naively — and without public mandate — flies flags from public buildings that are not the flag of New Zealand. We are told this reflects history, respect, and recognition. In reality, it reflects the modern imposition of symbols to advance political claims they were never designed to carry.
