Waitangi Day 2024: A Complex Blend of Reverence and Resistance

ANALYSIS: The crowd was notably smaller, the Prime Minister’s absence noticeable, and one year after the jubilation of 2023, the atmosphere at Waitangi felt strikingly different.

Words and photographs: John Campbell

Early on Waitangi Day, after the dawn ceremony, I wandered across the famous Waitangi Treaty Grounds, contemplating how to encapsulate the day’s nuanced story and its pressing need for context. That’s when I encountered Pou and Donna Te Rongomau.

Conversation with Pou and Donna quickly turned to the contentious political pōwhiri hosted on Wednesday and the divisive Treaty Principles Bill introduced by David Seymour. Many attendees felt betrayed by the bill, viewing it as a slap in the face to generations of Māori past, present, and future.

Pou Te Rongomau offered a perspective that resonated deeply:

“As I look across the ocean, we see people coming and we gotta manaaki them… lead them in, guide them. Manaaki is when you see lights bringing people in. And I think that’s what we need to do. Even in support of ideas we don’t like.”

Manaakitanga, a concept of hospitality and respect, became a focal point for the day’s discussions. It was a theme echoed by various attendees, who felt pressure to respond to Seymour’s bill in a way consistent with this principle.

Love in the Time of the Treaty Principles Bill

The waitangi celebrations felt divided into two distinct events. Wednesday felt like a day of mourning after last year’s joyful and purposeful commemorations. The crowd was notably smaller, and the Prime Minister was elsewhere, choosing to observe in the Canterbury town of Akaroa.

“Where the hell is everyone, John?” one attendee asked, acknowledging the decreased turnout. People were tired of the political discourse, feeling weary and disillusioned.

Hōne Sadler, a respected Ngāpuhi leader, expressed how the process of strategizing their response to politicians became a game of sorts. They sought to ensure a strong position while adhering to manaakitanga.

The event felt like a chess match, with participants trying to navigate the political landscape. David Seymour, who welcomed his own equipment for live social media coverage, faced criticism. Shane Jones talked about acceptable protest limits, while Chris Hipkins expressed hope for unity rather than division.

More Light Than Heat

Reflecting on the political pōwhiri, Pita Tipene, Chair of the Waitangi National Trust, voiced the balancing act between showing hospitality to guests like Seymour and opposing his bill. The trust aims to foster debate alongside honoring tradition.