Woodville community comes together for Waitangi commemoration

The Woodville Waitangi Day event included an obstacle course which was the perfect size to be enjoyed by little kids and big kids alike.

Organisers of the Waitangi Day commemoration in Woodville were pleased with the response from locals and visitors.

Laura O’Shea of the Woodville Community Collective says the community came out in droves on the day, which included perfect summer weather.

There were plenty of locals and visitors, including one group of German tourists who felt it was a “fantastic opportunity” to experience Waitangi Day and learn about New Zealand culture.

The commemoration, centred around a theme of cohesion, was the result of a collaboration between Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne, and the Woodville Community Collective.

Woodville fire brigade was raising funds for the Sky Tower Challenge at the Waitangi Day commemorations.

Andrea Alexander of Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne, says that the commemoration is crucial for promoting unity and understanding.

“We’ve never come together as a whole community for Waitangi Day before.”

She says she wanted the event to build on the kaupapa of Te Ahu A Tūranga Marae, the desire to bring people together, to understand and learn from each other.

Woodville local Rhonda and her harakeke flowers which she made to commemorate Waitangi Day, and her kawakawa balms.

Alexander was one of the artists with work on display and interviewed members of the community to understand how Te Tiriti is operating in every day life.

“A common theme emerged in these interviews - while many workplaces were reflecting Te Tiriti - people felt that Te Tiriti didn’t translate across to their day-to-day lives. It’s time to shift from just talking about it to actually listening to one another, understanding and collaborating - building a nation where everyone’s voice is not just heard but valued.”

The Waitangi Day event at Woodville included an interactive activity where people could try their hand at artwork.

The day included exhibitions, kai, performances, market stalls, games, puzzles, Māori art display, inflatables and kōrero.

O’Shea says the commemoration was aimed at bringing together people from all walks of life and honoured the joint history of the area.

She says the collective hopes to build on the success of the event with a number of projects planned for the coming year.