An Aotearoan is a person from New Zealand, originally used to refer to people from the North Island only.
Hone Heke ordered the cutting down of The British Imperial Flag at "Kororareka", not the now New Zealand - Aotearoan Flag. The British Imperial Flag was never flown again, and does not represent Aotearoan or New Zealander interests.
The Maori Cultures are Community based, and laws that are often introduced without adhering to Maori Authorities often end up in public debate adding to misc. statistics that raise false bars on Maori Crime Rates, but not taken seriously by Aotearoan residents.