As New Zealand competes against Great Britain in their defense of the America's Cup, the Kiwis have a secret weapon, a Māori waka (canoe), that will take them into the competition.

The race began on October 12th and is scheduled to end a week later. Each race day, the waka will lead Team New Zealand out of Barcelona harbor as a “Māori guard of honour,” says Graham Tipene, co-ordinator of the waka, whose crew is almost entirely made up of members of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei iwi (tribe).

There will also be a haka on the water and some of the crew will go in with the team to perform karakia (prayers and incantations) before leaving for the race.

“What sets us apart from the other teams … is our deep connection to the sea and the land and our responsibility to it,” says Tipene.

It was Grant Dalton, the doyen of New Zealand sailing and managing director of Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), who invited the Māori crew to Barcelona.

“We are very proud to have Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei and their waka here in Barcelona,” says Dalton. “We are a New Zealand team that represents our country, our culture and our innovation with great pride on the world stage, and for us the stage comes no bigger than the America's Cup.

“The inclusion of the waka in this year’s America’s Cup is a testament to our deep respect for Aotearoa’s roots.”

The waka is carved from the trunk of a kauri tree. The name Te Kawau comes from a species of cormorant known for its endurance and was made by a master carver in Whangarei on New Zealand's North Island.

It is the first time in 25 years that the tribe has had a waka, and as Tipene says: “Having a waka means being present on the ocean, it means that we uphold the value systems we talk about at all times “You can’t just paddle a waka and not do everything that comes with it.”

This comes amid rising tensions in New Zealand over an attempt to roll back Māori rights, experts say.

Various New Zealand governments had introduced policies and programs to address the imbalance that results in Māori being over-represented in negative social metrics. However, the Conservative coalition led by Christopher Luxon, who was elected last year, has begun changing and reviewing a number of policies targeting Māori, arguing that services should be provided based on need rather than race .

It abolished the Māori Health Authority and changed the use of Māori language in government departments. There is also an overview of the Treaty of Waitangi, the country's founding document, signed by Māori chiefs and the Crown in 1840, upholding Māori rights.

“Some people felt displaced because Māori were treated equally and not given preferential treatment,” says Tipene.

But the culture and language are thriving and the number of people identifying as Māori continues to grow, says Tipene, which he says is “the absolute opposite of what happened in the 1970s and 1980s”.

“What we are doing here in Barcelona is part of curbing what the New Zealand government is trying to do and part of the nationality we should strive for,” says Tipene.

“We are here to celebrate Māori culture and show the people of Spain and the world who we are and how beautiful we are.”

In the meantime, there is a race to be won. Tipene says that in the runoff between the Italian and British boats he gave the British the chance to deal with the old colonial power.

“I really wanted them to win, so now it's up to our team to do their best and remind them that we are a powerhouse too,” he said.

“It will be beautiful.”