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-look Waitangi dawn ceremony celebrations a hit
5 Feb, 2021 11:04 PM
3 minutes to read
Hundreds gathered for the Waitangi Day dawn service outside Te Whare Runanga. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A Covid-influenced Waitangi Day dawn ceremony may have started a new tradition on New Zealand s national day.
The ceremony, which started at 5am and was attended by hundreds of people, was done completely outside - a significant shift from previous years when a portion of the ceremony was done inside Te Whare Rūnanga marae.
The change was largely made thanks to Covid-19, as organisers were advised against gatherings in small, confined areas.
One-hundred-and-fifty-four people from a variety of sectors including education, sport, health, and science have been honoured.
Former Children’s Commissioner Professor Cindy Kiro says being recognised for services to child wellbeing and education shows the importance of the work she has done. She was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2021 New Year Honours, for her work improving outcomes for marginalised children. Kiro, who was born in Whangārei, Northland, and raised by her grandparents, who were manual labourers, said she was motivated by the enormous potential of children and young people.
National Hauora Coalition/Supplied