Description: Having always heard about Waitangi Day I decided to head up to Waitangi and see it for myself. What I saw encouraged me and enlightened me. Waitangi Day is a significant day for all New Zealanders as it identifies the anniversary of the signing of the Waitangi Treaty by the Maoris and the English Settlers. This treaty was intended to put differences aside between the two groups and provide them with a workable solution for living together in the one land.
Although started with great intentions, there have been some hotly disputed aspects of the treaty which as yet have been unresolved. The most notable one involves a significant difference between the Maori translation and the English translation. The Maoris thought they were getting sovereignty over the country because of this. They didn't, and this is where most disputes start. The other most commonly contested aspect of the treaty is that only some of the many Maori tribes around New Zealand signed the treaty. There is normally some form of protest on the day to signify dissatisfaction with the current Treaty.
After living in New Zealand for four years, I had heard enough about the Waitangi Treaty to want to find out more. So I headed off to Waitangi in the Bay of Islands to witness Waitangi Day and learn more about it.
The program for the day involved a dawn service, then launching of the Wakas (Maori war canoes) at 9am. After this we moved to another location nearby where the rest of the ceremonies took place. Here we saw the Waka crews coming ashore and the performing of a Haka. This was then followed by a short church service and official proceedings. Afterwards was an array of activities and traditional dances to occupy the crowd until that evening when the raising of the flag occurred.
Unfortunately I was unable to stay for that final part of the day, but the parts that I did see were great. Talking with some of the members of the local Maori tribe revealed a gentle and kind spirited people who just wanted to be sure things worked out. It was an amazing day. Something well worth seeing should you ever get the chance.
