Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson marked her return to politics at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Monday afternoon.
It comes just two days after Davidson announced her return to politics after more than six months following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Davidson said following two operations for the cancer she was doing well and getting better each day.
Waitangi was both the perfect time and place for a return to politics, she said, and criticised the prime minister for not attending.
"When the prime minister doesn't even want to show up to Waitangi he's showing us he's not the person for the job, he's showing us he doesn't want to govern for the people of this nation."
Davidson said she had never felt such a huge surge of support from people wanting to protect the Treaty before.
Standing on the sidelines watching people taking part in last November's hīkoi was one of the toughest parts of being out of Parliament, she said.
"I ran out of my backyard and grabbed my flag and took a photo to try and desperately feel a part of this energy, something I don't think we have seen... Did we even bank on that, did we know that we were going to see such an uprising around the country? It was hard but really vibrant to see the diverse voices."
Davidson was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram last year, she had a part mastectomy followed by cancer treatment.
In an interview with RNZ's Saturday Morning programme, she said the past few months had been both "challenging and humbling".
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