Waitangi Day 2021: Aotearoa s unity, diversity, blessed place in the world celebrated
6 Feb, 2021 04:30 AM
5 minutes to read There is a feeling of unity now and diversity I have never seen.
Juliana James and her sister Susan Ngamane first came to commemorate Waitangi Day at the Treaty Grounds about 15 years ago, soon after the Foreshore and Seabed debacle.
They returned this year, travelling together from the Coromandel, and say things this time could not be more different. Back then you d struggle to fill a school hall at the dawn service, and it was very divided, a feeling of us and them. Now it is us, us, us.
Up to 25,000 people crowd Waitangi, treated to spine-tingling mass haka
6 Feb, 2021 02:04 AM
6 minutes to read
About 300 kaihoe (waka paddlers) delivered a spine-tingling mass haka on the shores of Tii Beach, watched by up to 1000 people on Waitangi Day. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northern Advocate
As many as 25,000 people travelled to Waitangi today to celebrate the 181st anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi).
Hundreds made the early pilgrimage up to Te Whare Rūnanga on the upper grounds to witness the dawn ceremony, which was held outside in its entirety - a break from tradition which dictated a portion of the ceremony be held inside the wharenui.
New era for Kerikeri hapū as living cultural centre opens
4 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
3 minutes to read
Ngāti Rēhia leader Kipa Munro takes Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan on a tour of Te Ahurea, the revamped and rebranded Rewa’s Village in Kerikeri, with Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Peter de Graaf is a reporter for the Northern Advocatepeter.degraaf@northernadvocate.co.nznorthernadvocat
A living cultural centre in the historic Kerikeri Basin will help restore pride in a Bay of Islands hapū, the project s leader says.
More than 100 people gathered before dawn on Thursday as Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan officially opened Te Ahurea, formerly a replica Māori fishing settlement called Rewa s Village.
Waka, episode 2: Moment of truth for NZ waka carver Billy Harrison
31 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
By: Simone Kaho
The Herald, E-Tangata and Tawera Productions have joined forces to bring you Waka, a six-part online video series which traces the cultural revival of traditional canoe building skills through four teams from across the Pacific. Today Simone Kaho meets the Aotearoa team leader, Billy Harrison.
Click on the video above to watch episode 2
It s the second week of the Rātā carving symposium in Whangārei which has brought together waka carvers from Aotearoa and the Pacific.
I m watching as the Aotearoa team levers the body of their waka from the trunk of the poplar tree they ve been working on.