Previous Waitangi Day Dawn Service Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak
Tomorrow marks the 184th anniversary of the first signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi).
To commemorate Aotearoa New Zealand’s national day, several events will be held throughout the region.
Connection and community are themes that run through all the events, with each bringing its own unique kaupapa to the day.
Tauranga City Council’s annual Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day dawn service will again be held at Hopukiore (Mount Drury Reserve).
Tangata whenua will offer a welcome at 6.30am, followed by hymns and kapa haka.
Local kaumātua (elders), clergy from community church groups, civic leaders and rangatahi (youth) will then speak, and the ceremony will close at 8am with karakia.
Initiated in the late 1970s by members of the Tauranga District Māori Council and local elders, the service moved to its current site from Mauao 10 years ago.
Due to poor weather in 2023 and Covid restrictions in 2022, the service was unable to be held at Hopukiore.
Council’s manager of Māori strategic engagement, Carlo Ellis, said they were looking forward to welcoming the community back this year.
“We are always humbled and grateful to see the turnout and hear from many voices from across the community, so please come along to share your reflections on Waitangi Day together.”
The Historic Village at 17th Ave will host its fifth Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Festival on Tuesday, with the aim of creating unity among the people of New Zealand.
Māori art workshops, craft stalls, and performances from local musicians and cultural groups will be on offer, as will food trucks and a Treaty Storyboard Trail.
“The storyboards feature fascinating facts about the history of Tauranga, Treaty of Waitangi, and the era of battles in Tauranga, as well as how the guiding principles of the Treaty are central to the bicultural future of New Zealand,” said Richard Cameron, chairman of He Iwi Kotahi Tauranga Moana Charitable Trust, the organisation behind the event.
Children will be able to pick up a Treaty Storyboard Trail workbook from the He Iwi Kotahi stand and scan it to win prizes.
Free health and wellbeing checks and testing for diabetes and blood pressure will be available, as will informational talks by Te Aronga Toi Whenua Peka (The Māori Women’s Welfare League) about mana wāhine, healthy homes, and immunisations.
He Iwi Kotahi trustee and professional historian Buddy Mikaere said the event is designed for everyone and wants the festival to be a day of unity, fun and celebration.
“Tauranga is continually growing as a place that’s highly desirable to live in. We need to embrace the vibrancy, multicultural and multi-ethnic make-up that comes with that.
“We can do that by commemorating the signing of the Treaty on Waitangi Day at this festival, which acknowledges the importance of belonging and wellbeing for all.”
Katikati’s Western Bay Museum will host its second Te Rā o Waitangi: A Katikati Commemoration of Waitangi Day.
Karakia and the raising of the Tino Rangatiratanga and New Zealand flags at 6.30am will be followed by the national anthem led by the Tongan Brass Band.
“It’s a day of togetherness and unity,” Māori lead for the museum Hone Winder-Murray said.
Following the official service and a time for kai, two free movies will play at the Arts Junction Theatre - Whina and Boy.
“Te Tiriti is a partnership worth acknowledging and it helps us to understand the past. Through understanding the past, we can navigate the present to create a prosperous future together,” Winder-Murray said.
“Last year’s event was a first for our community, with such a great, diverse turnout, and desire to commemorate this occasion.”
The museum has received funding from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage for this year’s event.
Local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi are hosting a celebration of Māoritanga at Whareroa Reserve from 9am to 3pm.
Deputy chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi Trust Roimata Ah Sam said, “The day is intended to give people an opportunity to rewrite the negative connotations of Waitangi Day and celebrate as whānau by showing off some of the superpowers of Te Ao Māori.”
Some of the activities include hāngi and poi making, and the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of kapa haka, she said.
There will be a free barbecue on site as well as whānau health checks.
Everyone is welcome to share the day and a meal.
“It’s about our mokopuna growing up with positive whānau memories of Waitangi Day and learning about some of our history in the process,’ Ah Sam said.
