The other dawn ceremony at Waitangi not many know about
Saturday, 4 February 2023
At 5am on Waitangi Day, hapū representatives from across the Ngāpuhi rohe will gather at Te Tou Rangatira, next to Te Tii Marae.
At the same time, crowds, cameras, and leaders from across the nation will converge on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, up the hill and a small distance away, to begin the national ceremony.
Those gathered at Te Tou Rangatira will bow their heads in karakia as the United Tribes flag is raised.
Two ceremonies in close proximity to the spot where Aotearoa was born.
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As Te Tii Marae chairman Ngāti Kawa Taituha explains, Tou Rangatira is where the big decisions were made to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1835 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840 before the rangatira added their sacred marks to the document itself in front of James Busby’s residence at what is now known as the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The Waitangi Day ceremony at Tou Rangatira began 20 years ago, Taituha said, a natural extension of the Declaration of Independence ceremony held annually on October 28.
Paying tribute to his kaumātua Pita Apiata, along with Taumata Kāumātua o Ngāpuhi spokesman Nuku Aldridge and Te Tii Marae kaumātua Kingi Taurua, Taituha acknowledged how instrumental they were in preserving the history of Ngāpuhi and ensuring the historic days were remembered and commemorated.
“These two kaumātua [Apiata and Aldridge] were exponents on the Ngāpuhi world view and we're deep into whakapapa.
“But joining them in the revitalisation of the movement was Kingi Taurua and many others, they all elevated Titewhai Harawira to her position of guiding the Crown representatives on to Te Tii Marae. They obviously had a plan to ensure Ngāpuhi would continuously engage with the Crown and keep them accountable for their actions, especially when it came to breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840.”
Taituha said it was important that tūpuna were remembered on Waitangi Day and the dawn ceremony paid tribute to them.
“The purpose is to uplift the wairua of the people so karakia are recited while the United Tribes Flag is raised. In doing so, we evoke the spirit of our ancestors and remember their legacy behind signing the two sacred covenants, He Whakaputanga, 1835 and Te Tiriti, 1840.
“In essence we are reaffirming our commitment to their dreams and aspirations of keeping our culture alive and striving for a better future, building the greatest nation on Earth. That's what our ancestors had in mind for us as their direct descendants, which is why we gather in Waitangi every year on two special occasions, 28th October and 6th of February.”
Taituha said once the flag is raised, the reading of the Treaty of Waitangi will commence in te reo Māori and English before the names of their ancestors who signed the Treaty are read out.
“There were many tūpuna who signed the two documents, so it's important to announce the names of each signatory. We usually just acknowledge the Waitangi documents and not all the ones that signed in other parts of the country.
“After the names of each tūpuna signatory is read out, which is why we call it the roll call, we then encourage all the hapū reps to acknowledge their tupuna when the names are read aloud – so they can simply raise their hand in the air, say ‘kia ora’, sing a waiata, do a haka or speak freely about their tupuna, as well as elaborating on what the history means to them personally, like what are they doing in this day and age to enhance the mana of the kaupapa?”
For Taituha, who has been master of ceremonies at Tou Rangatira since 2010, it’s an occasion he enjoys and looks forward to.
“It’s interesting because it's a very organic process where freedom of speech is fully acceptable, the good, the bad and the ugly. I like it when the hapū talk about how they are exercising their tino rangatiratanga and educating their respective communities about this history.”
Taituha said at the conclusion of the ceremony, which usually lasts an hour-and-a-half, people are asked to sign a register before heading to the wharekai, Te Ngākau Aroha, for a hearty breakfast.