Waitangi Day
Friday was Waitangi Day. The comemoration of 169 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi - at Waitangi, of course. Following that day, 169 years ago, copies of the treaty circulated among the chiefs of New Zealand, in search of more signatures, more moko patterns.
Even before Close Up began their story about nationalism, patriotism, I had been thinking about the subject. This is Waitangi Day, perhaps the most New Zealand of holidays - certainly more so than ANZAC Day (and not just because we share it with the Aussies) and the regional anniversaries that spread throughout the calendar. But what does it mean to us? How do we celebrate it?
19 years ago, I was at Waitangi for the 150 year celebrations - I was part of the choir, I sang before the queen. I still remember the heat, the red and white "uniform," the visors, the place I stood in that stylised kotuku formation that day. I still remember the lyrics to the songs - not all of them, but most - and I have the tape of songs. I recall hearing that the queen did not stay for all our items, the heat sending her to seek refuge in the Treaty House.
But 19 years seems like a very long time. Waitangi since then has had its show downs, its politician headlines, its struggle to determine how to keep protocol and yet honor female leaders of government and opposition. Mud has been thrown, tears shed, words spoken in anger and demand, high profile people jostled and shaken and roughed up. Headlines, for all the wrong reasons. The nine year old I was, way back then, knew nothing of such a world.
When they talk of renaming the day, the holiday "New Zealand Day" - I disagree. If they want a New Zealand Day, it should be Dominion Day, as some suggest. Don't take away this one - even if we don't quite know what to make of it.
They ran ads on TV including presenters giving a message for the holiday. We've begun wishing "Happy Waitangi Day", yet we talk more of summer drawing to a close, of school starting for the year, of barbeques and family time and other quintessential kiwi summer things - but not of nationhood. Should we?
Or is it not yet the time to celebrate, with all these grievances yet unheard, unresolved?
Even before Close Up began their story about nationalism, patriotism, I had been thinking about the subject. This is Waitangi Day, perhaps the most New Zealand of holidays - certainly more so than ANZAC Day (and not just because we share it with the Aussies) and the regional anniversaries that spread throughout the calendar. But what does it mean to us? How do we celebrate it?
19 years ago, I was at Waitangi for the 150 year celebrations - I was part of the choir, I sang before the queen. I still remember the heat, the red and white "uniform," the visors, the place I stood in that stylised kotuku formation that day. I still remember the lyrics to the songs - not all of them, but most - and I have the tape of songs. I recall hearing that the queen did not stay for all our items, the heat sending her to seek refuge in the Treaty House.
But 19 years seems like a very long time. Waitangi since then has had its show downs, its politician headlines, its struggle to determine how to keep protocol and yet honor female leaders of government and opposition. Mud has been thrown, tears shed, words spoken in anger and demand, high profile people jostled and shaken and roughed up. Headlines, for all the wrong reasons. The nine year old I was, way back then, knew nothing of such a world.
When they talk of renaming the day, the holiday "New Zealand Day" - I disagree. If they want a New Zealand Day, it should be Dominion Day, as some suggest. Don't take away this one - even if we don't quite know what to make of it.
They ran ads on TV including presenters giving a message for the holiday. We've begun wishing "Happy Waitangi Day", yet we talk more of summer drawing to a close, of school starting for the year, of barbeques and family time and other quintessential kiwi summer things - but not of nationhood. Should we?
Or is it not yet the time to celebrate, with all these grievances yet unheard, unresolved?