Members of Hakatere Marae are ready to welcome the community this week at Waitangi at the Pa for Waitangi Day.
Marae chairperson Michelle Brett said everyone is welcome to the marae on Friday, February 6, which begins at 8am.
It is a day to commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Aotearoa’s founding document – and have a relaxed event where the community can gather and connect with each other.
‘‘We are beginning the day with a powhiri (welcoming visitors to the marae) followed by a korero (talk) on what Waitangi Day is about, including the relevance today. They will be delivered by kaumatua and kuia (older men and women),’’ Brett said.
After a light breakfast there will be entertainment from nine groups, including singers, Kapa Haka Roopu: Te Whanau o Hakatere and Te Wairua o Maata Waka.
The day will conclude at 12pm, when pre-ordered fundraiser hangi can be collected.
‘‘For us here at Hakatere Marae, Waitangi at the Pa is an opportunity to reconnect, come together to acknowledge te Tiriti o Waitangi, to korero, to listen, to share, to eat, to watch and to learn,’’ Brett said.
She said Waitangi Day had become just another public holiday for many, with a break from work and a day to spend with whanau (family) and friends.
‘‘While a holiday is great, it is important to acknowledge Waitangi Day and every year people of all communities and backgrounds gather at Waitangi and around New Zealand to commemorate the first signing of New Zealand’s founding document the Te Tiriti o Waitangi on 6 February 1840,’’ Brett said.
The Tiriti o Waitangi is a contract between two nations with significant differences between the English and Maori versions, and the articles within the document set out the basis of relationships between Maori and the Crown and affirms that Maori are tangata whenua (people of the land).
‘‘Acknowledging and commemorating Waitangi Day is important for all people and all organisations as it shows a commitment to Tiriti o Waitangi and gives us time to reflect on and consider our country’s history, where we are today and where we plan to be in the future,’’ she said.
‘‘The principles of the day and the intention of Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be with us throughout the year and be considered in what we do from day to day. As Waitangi Day is a time to reflect and consider the future for our mokopuna. This is why Toitu Te Tiriti is important, it is about standing up, being heard and protecting the rights of all New Zealanders,’’ Brett said.
– Waitangi Day at the Pa starts with a welcoming, assemble by 7.50am on February 6 at Hakatere Marae, 439 Rakaia Highway Fairton. Free event, but koha (donation) welcome.
