I went to Waitangi on Waitangi Day for the first time this year. I heartily recommend it to everybody – I don’t think enough (especially non-Maori) folk go and experience it, and it’s worth doing.
I went up (camping) with my whanau on Friday night, so was there for the full weekend – the political day on the 5th of Feb and the actual celebration of the 6th.
The political day was interesting. National were received in the morning into the Te Tii Marae. John Key got called out by the Hone’s nephew on “stealing the foreshore”, but he didn’t get called out by the media on what the source of additional “tensions” compared to previous years were. He ascribed them to the schism in the Maori Party, and from what I’ve seen the media agreed with him. Those people on the ground that I talked to however saw much more of the unease to do with the issues and matters of policy. They’d save the Maori Party tensions for the Maori Party; why they were “tense” with National was over the Marine and Coastal Areas Bill – which there’s a lot of unhappiness with – along with a healthy dose of displeasure at cost of living and how National’s policies are impoverishing most Maori.
Matters were made much worse by National and John Key’s trampling on protocol.
After the formal speeches on the marae there was to be a cup of tea (and kai) followed by questions for the PM from the locals. John Key and crew scarpered. The provision of hospitality that’s so important was ignored, and the facing up to the hard questions dodged. There was little respect.
There was also little sign of the Maori Party other than Hone’s posse (who were in abundance). Pita fronted for the cameras (where’s Tariana these days? Other than her pixie interview about her weight loss she’s been AWOL for months), but the wider party was more notable by their absence.
Labour and the Greens were received together in the afternoon. It was the friendliest it’s been for Labour for 9 or 10 years – “like old friends coming home” was how one from the marae described it. Parekura Horomia gave what was described by some as his best-ever speech, and, despite some disagreement over policies, there was much laughter between chums.
Russel Norman spoke well in an environment he didn’t look entirely relaxed in, showing how well the Green’s principles match with Maoridom. Metiria would obviously have been at home there, but as a woman, didn’t speak on the marae.
Phil Goff’s speech struck a chord, with him saying that on this day when we celebrate becoming two peoples in one nation, we are instead seeing two nations emerge – as the wealthy and privileged gain ever more advantage, leaving the rest of us behind. His calls for a Labour-Green government to bridge that gap after the election had him hitting some very traditional Labour notes – siding with the majority who aren’t benefiting from National’s policies by wanting fairer wealth distribution.
The celebration day was excellent too, even if I didn’t make the 5am dawn service… For those who haven’t been there’s quite a festival. A remarkable number of stalls, with good kai and a surprisingly large number offering massages. A good concert, sport, mass waiata and haka, to say nothing of the mass waka arrival in the morning.
The polluted water meaning no swimming or shell-fish retrieval was a bit of a downer. The point was made that we need the foreshore and seabed to be in good enough shape for anybody to use as a first step before we resolve that issue. Our country was probably looking more polluted than clean and green to the tourists who happened by.
It is also all a little difficult to find out what’s happening when, and some things are, in good traditional Kiwi way, a bit hap-hazard. So I’ll enjoy it even more next year when I go, as I’ll have more of an idea what’s going on. Perhaps y’all can join me – particularly the Pakeha amongst us, as I felt very under-represented at a supposed meeting of two peoples.
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