In 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Waitangi for five days, the longest any prime minister has stayed. Titewhai Harawira, a Māori activist, greeted Ardern and escorted her onto the Treaty grounds holding hands, a significant change from her response to then-Leader of the Opposition Helen Clark's visit in 1998, which brought Clark to tears. Ardern is also the first female prime minister to be given speaking rights on the marae by Ngāpuhi, who also offered to bury her child's placenta on the Treaty Grounds. Ardern was praised for her speech during her visit where she said "one day I want to be able to tell my child that I earned the right to stand here, and only you can tell me when I have done that".