Booming Indigenous Maori "haka" chants rang out across New Zealand's capital on Tuesday, as tens of thousands rallied against a conservative push to redefine the nation's founding treaty.

One of the biggest protests in New Zealand history, led by Maori and with the support of diverse ethnicities and cultures, presented a petition signed by more than 200,000 people to parliament to “kill the bill”. Among those protesting was the Maori Queen Nga wai hono i te po.

Although the bill is unlikely to pass, opponents say bid to reverse progress for Maori threatens to divide society.