Waitangi on Sunday: Quietness is 'surreal', time for honest reflection

Sunday, 6 February 2022

Jacinda Ardern could not give her Waitangi Day speech from Waitangi because of Covid restrictions, instead opting to address the nation from Parliament.

The lack of people at Waitangi on Sunday maybe strangely surreal, but one leader believes it has been a time for clear and honest reflection on New Zealand’s founding document.

Up to 40,000 people usually flock to Waitangi for events to mark the first signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840.

But face-to-face events have been canned this year due to the risk of Covid-19, with Northland District Health Board urging against any large gatherings.

Te Tii Marae, the lower marae at Waitangi, was very quiet with entrance blocked off to the general public.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds cancelled its schedule in December, and the lower grounds, Te Tii Marae, cancelled late last month, with hui held online and speeches televised.

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Pita Tipene, Waitangi Treaty Grounds chairman, says 2022's Waitangi Day has been one of quiet reflection.

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Police blocked off roads to Te Tii Marae and Waitangi Treaty Grounds but said there were no problems.

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Closed roads and spread out people were the themes for this year’s Covid-impacted Waitangi Day.

Pita Tipene, chairman of Waitangi Treaty Grounds and secretary general of Ngāti Hine, said this year's events have been “very surreal”.

Tipene went to Waitangi’s Te Whare Rūnanga [meeting house] – where the dawn ceremony is normally held – on Sunday morning.

A small hui of about 100 just outside Te Tii Marae was one of the few activities at Waitangi this year.

“Normally, there are thousands of people sitting or standing, looking at the whare rūnanga – instead, we sat there, looked out and all we saw was rain falling down.”

Tipene was pleased the Covid-19 protocols have been respected without issue or protest.

While there was a heavy police presence, including police blocking road access to Te Tii and Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a police spokesperson said there were no problems reported.

Tipene said stepping away from the usual buzz of events at Waitangi has allowed for quiet reflection.

“I see it was a good thing, that while Covid-19 has not allowed us to carry on with in-person events, it has allowed us to reflect on the promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi from a totally different angle,” he said.

Tipene said to him, the promise of the treaty was about New Zealand being one nation of two people, not Māori having to assimilate Pākehā culture.

“We had our language taken away, we had our culture eroded, and after several generations Māori had lost their heritage and had nothing to cling to.

'In 2022, that shows itself in many people being lost and not having a solid foundation in which to stand upon.”

Tipene said while the quiet reflection had been good, he did not want the ban on events to continue, and hoped Waitangi Day next year would be back to normal.

He is also looking ahead to the 200th celebrations in 2040, saying the 18 years until it comes up was not a long time to plan.

In 1940, the Government built Te Whare Rununga at Waitangi and waka Ngā Toki Matawhaorua as tangible symbols of the treaty's 100 years, he said.

To mark 200 years, the Government could replace Waitangi’s one-lane bridge with a two-lane one, to symbolise two people, one nation, Tipene suggested.