Time Again To Head North

It's that time of the year again to head north for Waitangi Day on February 6th. I can't for the life of me - getting old(er) - remember the last time I stepped on to the soil at Waitangi. Some friends are going north but it all depends on the hour that the celebrations finish as it is work as usual on the 7th.

Waitangi Day

Conflict in the early 1800's between European settlers & Maori people arose because of the exploitation of land by some colonists. In 1839, the British Government sent Captain William Hobson (who is burried in the Symonds St Cemetery, which I mentioned in Morbid & Murder) to NZ to secure British sovereignty. In order to do this, Captain Hobson drafted the Treaty of Waitangi with advice from his secretary James Freeman & James Busby who had lived in NZ since 1833 as the British resident. Missionary Henry Williams, then translated the Treaty into Maori. On February, 6th 1840, at Waitangi, the Treaty was signed by 40 Maori chiefs, before travelling to other parts of the country. Copies were made and more than 500 Maori chiefs signed them.

The Treaty Of Waitangi

This website provides a concise account of the Treaty of Waitangi and the events surrounding it. Many historians and specialists have contributed to the material on this site to ensure it is as accurate and balanced as possible. Their contribution is gratefully acknowledged.

King To Open Whare Kai

The Maori King , Tuheitia will open the new whare kai (dining room) at the Oturei Marae in Dargaville on Feb 4th. He is then expected to attend the Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi on February 6th. It will be the King's first visit to Oturei. A wero (challenge) will take place around 11am and the King will unveil a plaque naming the whare kai. It has been callled Atarangi Te Reo Aroha O Te Whanau. Atarangi Te Tuhi is the name of a respected kuia , wife of a local Maori Methodist minister, while Te Reo Aroha O Te Whanau loosely translates as looking after manuhiri (visitors) by the people of Oturei Marae.

North Will Get Their Own Fulltime Coroner

A fulltime coroner to be appointed for the North should be filled by someone familiar with Nortland maori and the significance of tangihanga. The coroner who will be Whangarei based will also hold hearings and inquests in other smaller Northland towns. This appointment will be valued particular by the Maori community given the importance of the coroner in relation to tangihanga - death related procedure and protocol. In some parts of Northland, especially in the far North, maori make up 75% of the population.