The sovereignist landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand, while fringe, has long been fragmented, fluid, performative, and typically reactionary. Although it re-emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, some adherents have been present for decades. From refusing financial obligations and confronting authorities over traffic stops or parking tickets, to claiming land or filing reams of pseudolegal documents in court, these actions function both as political statements, social theatre, and vexatious or venegful acvitivies. Rooted in anti-government, anti-authority, and broader anti-establishment sentiment, and extending to extremism, sovereign expression can at times involve reactive hostility, harrassment and violence.

The Sovereign Files documents sovereignist figures and incidents. It shows how people try to resist or reject the authority of the Crown, the courts, and the state; and increasingly, how they push back against financial obligations, mainstream media, and intellectual authority. Contrary to what many might expect, sovereign beliefs are not confined to one ideology or community. They cut across political divides and demographics and can be rooted in various motivations, from deeply held belief systems to opportunistic tools. This project doesn’t sensationalise. It simply provides a record , for the public, journalists, and researchers, of how “sovereignty” is being performed in real spaces, and how the New Zealand public and justice system has responded in various cases.

This archive is a living project and is continually being edited and updated. Care is taken to mitigate amplification but retain documentary records.