Waitangi kaitiaki and the enduring promise of Te Tiriti

Thursday, 2 February 2023

Waitangi National Trust Board chairperson and Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene listens to the kōrero at the pōwhiri for Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro at Waitangi on Friday morning.

“Waiho kia kakati te namu i te whārangi o te pukapuka, ko reira, ka tahuri atu ai,” Pita Tipene recites.

“Wait until the sandfly nips at the pages of the book, and at that time you must act”.

These words, first spoken by Tipene’s tupuna Kawiti, were a reminder for Ngāti Hine in the 1840s, and for those who would come after, that they must uphold the promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Every February as the anniversary of the signing of Waitangi approaches, Tipene reflects on his ancestor’s words.

February 6 acknowledges the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840.

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“He left a whole lot of words and actions that very much drive us in 2023 and beyond. That legacy pushes us and motivates us to do what we do.”

Waitangi National Trust Board chairperson Pita Tipene is the man who has to organise Waitangi Day.

Kawiti’s message drove Tipene to take on the role as chairperson of the Waitangi National Trust Board in 2018.

The board is made up of representatives from across the country, Government, and descendants of key Māori and Pākehā signatories, and they are the kaitiaki of Te Tiriti’s promise in Waitangi.

Together, they oversee the physical and spiritual essence of Waitangi, which includes organising the yearly commemorations for Te Tiriti.

It’s a huge feat that draws in up to 40,000 people a year, and it’s only getting bigger, Tipene says.

People who gather at Waitangi for the commemoration have many activities they can engage in.

“We have a goal that every single New Zealander will come to Waitangi at some point in their life. That’s Waitangi the place, but we really encourage people to come to Waitangi the commemoration and feel the vibe.”

Literally “thousands” of volunteers are needed to make Waitangi festivities possible, Tipene says.

“Quite often these commemorations are seen as Māori kaupapa, but it’s not. The community comes together, whether they be Māori or Pākehā.

“Some people are pleasantly surprised when they come and see what kind of environment it is. It’s very fun, it’s very bubbly, and everybody’s working towards a common cause.”

Tipene says many narratives from the commemorations focus on conflict, and he’s right. The most dominant headlines from past Waitangi Day festivities have focused on protests.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that was a cornerstone of the commemoration, but the reality of Waitangi is very different for those who make the pilgrimage to experience it for themselves, Tipene says.

Waitangi Day dawn ceremony sees kids cuddle up to stay warm as they watch the sun rise. (File photo)

“There’s those who organise the waka and part of the waka crews.

“Then there’s those who run all the activities and put up stalls because there are hundreds of stalls.

“There is the entertainment and the stages that are around the grounds where they go about their craft and really give it the quality time and attention that’s required, because people turn up in their droves to listen to the entertainment on the stage.”

The commemorations span several days in the small Bay of Islands town which sees its population swell monumentally with thousands of people from across the motu representing a multitude of cultures making the pilgrimage.

The logistics of ensuring everyone is kept safe and enjoying themselves keeps Tipene on his toes, and he struggles to find time to experience the wairua himself.

“In the hubbub of the activities and everything that’s going on, I don’t feel the emotions, but I do feel them when I get the solitude,” Tipene says.

“For instance, I walk around the grounds, walk in the bush and reflect, and only then does it start hitting me the importance of it all and that it needs to be a part of our nation’s thinking and conversations that we need to have if we want to move forward even further than we have at this point.”

The wero (challenge) is laid as government ministers arrive at Te Tii Marae in Waitangi in 2011.

Everyone goes for different reasons, Tipene says.

Tamariki are happy running about, taking in all the excitement, some want to see the live acts that serenade the Treaty Grounds, but the goal of Waitangi is to ensure the conversations of nationhood and the promise of Te Tiriti endure, Tipene says.

“We provide the conditions and the environment to have discourse on nationhood.

“I’d encourage people to think about what was the promise of Waitangi – sorry – what is the promise.”

However, Tipene recalls one first-time visitor to Waitangi, who voiced his opinion, linking the haka to domestic violence.

He said that experience taught him a lesson, that people can show up to Waitangi, but it doesn’t mean they will develop an understanding of Te Tiriti, te ao Māori or of nationhood.

Tipene hopes that people come away from Waitangi with an understanding that more in-depth discussions are needed.

“So we understand why people do things differently to others.”

He’s hopeful that with the new New Zealand history curriculum in schools, more people will learn about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, what it meant in 1840, what it means today, and how it will shape the future of Aotearoa.

“We’re 17 years away from the bicentennial of the signing of Te Tiriti, so things will change over time through that education and understanding,” Tipene says.

“I think what’s not helpful, though, is political scaremongering where race and race relations is used as a tool to attack a political doctrine.”