Ngāpuhi leaders are signalling the potential return of Waitangi’s pōwhiri for Parliamentarians to the newly renovated Te Tii Marae after yesterday’s politically charged display.
It comes as this morning’s Waitangi Day dawn service featured a strong political tone with one speaker referencing division caused by the Treaty Principles Bill as its architect, Act leader David Seymour, sat listening alongside the thousands that travelled to the Treaty Grounds before daybreak.
Normally the Prime Minister would participate but Christopher Luxon is this year spending the day at Ōnuku Marae near Akaroa. Live updates of his movements can be found below.
One of the first engagements in this year’s Waitangi celebrations was another dawn ceremony to mark the completion of significant renovations to the 101-year-old wharenui on the Lower Treaty Grounds, its full name Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840.
Situated by land where He Whakaputanga (Declaration of Independence) was signed in 1835 and where chiefs debated whether to sign Te Tiriti five years later, Te Tii Marae was home of discourse between politicians and manawhenua during the annual Waitangi celebrations.
In 2018, it was decided the official pōwhiri for Parliament MPs should move to the meeting house, Te Whare Rūnanga, on the Upper Treaty Grounds following clashes between local hapū members, politicians and journalists.
Story continues after live blog
Story continues
It led to an end of some Prime Ministers refusing to attend Waitangi celebrations in Waitangi - until Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this year - and a more settled pōwhiri that was traditionally held the day before Waitangi Day.
At Monday’s dawn service, the prospect of formal events moving back to Te Tii was raised and later endorsed by Ngāpuhi NZ First Minister Shane Jones as he condemned what believed had been a “circus” pōwhiri yesterday.
Chief among Jones’ concerns were the actions of Ngātiwai leader Aperahama Edwards who twice removed Seymour’s microphone as the Act leader gave a strongly-worded address to a crowd that protested his kōrero by turning their backs to the future Deputy Prime Minister as he spoke.
It could have been much worse, it’s understood Ngāpuhi leaders discussed whether the Parliamentarians should be welcomed on before immediately being walked off, which would have caused significant reaction. The proposal was not acted on.
Amid threats of pulling future funding for the Waitangi National Trust, Jones said he believed the pōwhiri proved it should return to Te Tii Marae.
“If you want a circus, we need to move it back down to the bottom marae.”
Far North mayor Moko Tepania, who is of Ngāpuhi, thought returning the pōwhiri to Te Tii would probably occur, leaving Te Whare Rūnanga for events such as the dawn service.
“But that’s up to our people to decide,” he clarified.
Waitangi National Trust board chairman Pita Tipene was one of the people central to discussions about moving the pōwhiri from Te Tii but today said it should return as early as next year.
“Now that the refurbishments have been had, I think we’re ready to have the conversations to move, certainly some aspects, [to Te Tii].
“On February 5, 1840, that’s where all the discussion and debate was held.”
His comments came after the conclusion of the dawn service marking the 185th year since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The service was typically marked with prayer and readings from members of various churches, political leaders, public service leaders, Defence Force officials and representatives of other groups like Fire and Emergency and St John.
Despite a crowd of thousands waking early for the 5am start, there were noticeably fewer people than was observed last year, falling well short of expectations 50,000 might converge on the Treaty Grounds.
Some speakers involved in the traditionally a-political event did wade into the politics of the day, namely Methodist Church President Te Aroha Rountree who made clear references to Seymour’s Treaty bill.
A sympathetic audience welcomed Rountree’s assessment that the bill represented the Crown filing for divorce from a “blissfully unaware” Māori.
Her kōrero also featured condemnation of Luxon’s speech at last year’s service.
Seymour, who sat without showing any obvious reaction during Rountree’s address, gave a short speech but focused on New Zealand’s potential without direct reference to his bill.
After the service, Seymour told reporters Rountree’s comments were akin to a “backbencher’s speech from a left-wing politician”.
“I heard it all but there wasn’t anything new there,” he said.
“Ultimately people will be judged on what they say and if they wonder why church attendance is in free-fall ... it’s because people try to politicise things like that.”
Tepania recalled how Ngāpuhi elder Hone Sadler, who he was seated next to during the service, had made mention of how the kōrero seemed more political this year.
However, Tepania maintained it had been incorporated in a respectful manner.
Tipene acknowledged the political kōrero was “a bit more explicit” in today’s service but he endorsed Rountree’s divorce analogy.
“Certainly one of the main partners just wasn’t here at all and as I’ve said, the Prime Minister needs to be here.”
This year’s Waitangi was Tipene’s last as trust board chairman and he admitted he was “somewhat relieved” 2025′s celebrations had concluded without excessive disruption.
“We’ve been able to reflect on Waitangi 185 years [on], we were able to hear each other and have the conversations that are necessary for nation-building.”
Asked if both Māori and the Crown’s representatives heard each other, Tipene responded: “I think people listened to each other, but maybe they didn’t hear.”
Two notable absences from this morning’s service were Jones and his party leader Winston Peters.
In the programme for the service, one of the people listed as set to speak was Deputy Prime Minister Peters, who would be the most senior Government representative in Luxon’s absence.
The Herald understands Peters had already left Waitangi but Jones was expected to visit the Treaty Grounds later today.
Tipene confirmed Peters had been supposed to attend and chairs had been reserved for the pair on Te Whare Rūnanga’s mahau [verandah].
He said he didn’t know why Peters hadn’t attended the service.
The Herald has requested comment from Peters’ office.
Live coverage of Waitangi’s Dawn Service provided by Whakaata Māori
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
