Today Andrew and I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. The treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and was first signed in Waitangi in 1840. It was written in both Maori and English, making an agreement between the Maori chiefs (rangatira) and the British Crown. It was meant to secure British sovereignty over New Zealand, while still allowing the local chiefs power over their land.
Treaty of Waitangi
Especially for someone who is foreign to the country, it was interesting to learn about this important piece of history. In Canada, the rights and lands of the Native Americans were largely ignored until relatively recently, whereas in New Zealand the British Crown recognized right away that it was important for the natives to maintain their lands and rights.
The first stop at the Treaty grounds is the main building, where there were copies of the treaty, an interesting video, and lots of information. We then wandered through a nice forest down to the coast where the Waka (war canoe) was. It is the largest Waka in the world! It was beautifully carved. I would love to see it in the water on Waitangi day!
We then walked up to the flag where the treaty was actually signed. There was a nice big open field where a bunch of school kids were playing a game of tag.
Roses at the Treaty House
We then wandered around the treaty house, which was neat to see. It was pre-fabricated in Sydney, then shipped here and assembled. Talk about the ultimate Ikea assembly! I could also see quite clearly where the original house stood and then where it had things added to it over the years. The original house is now almost completely enclosed. I also took some time to admire the beautiful gardens by the house before we went into the meeting house for the cultural performance.
Waka
Waka War Canoe
Meeting House
Haka
Before we could enter Te Whare Runanga (the House of Assembly), we had to be invited in by the local tribe. This involved a challenge by the local tribe (the performers), followed by the laying down of a token of trust, which our tribe leader then had to accept. If the visiting tribe kicked the token away or refused to pick it up, then they were essentially declaring war. Thankfully our elected tribe leader picked up the token and we were allowed to enter! We then passed under the legs of the goddess into the womb of peace and tranquility (so we were told). Once inside we sat down and saw a fun cultural performance including singing, dancing, poi, weapon's demonstrations, and the famous haka. It was really cool to see!
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