Opinion: Celebrating Waitangi Day

A Waitangi Day dawn service at Mount Maunganui. Photo/File

Ko Tahi Aroha or one love is what February 6 is all about to a lot of left-leaning, holly herb consuming Kiwis and it seems thus far the rest of the country is catching on to the Katchafire buzz, none more so than those gathering up at Waitangi for tomorrow's 177th commemoration of the signing of our Treaty.

With no boohoo juice falling from the face of Aunty Helen or flying phalluses and missiles of mud hurtled at Captain Key Ora and his tauiwi ministers, some say Waitangi thus far has been as peaceful as a one love concert and given it is Uncle Bob's birthday on the same day, perhaps we have turned a cultural corner and heading toward calmer waters up at Waitangi to commemorate what Henry Williams described to Bishop Selwyn as the Magna Carta of the Aboriginals of New Zealand.

For many there is a beacon of hope burning brighter than the new lights at Bay Oval that we have not seen for many a blue moon and finally we are starting to look at all the right stuff instead of giving far too much oxygen to the wrong stuff on Waitangi Day.

Like any iwi or marae a political party is only as strong as their rangatira (leader) and the golden slipper of Jacindarella has found favour with Ngapuhi, by walking her talk and taking the time to korero kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) over a five-day hikoi.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reedy, who many Maori here in Tauranga have walked with over our three year Treaty settlement journey when she represented the Crown, was greeted with Kotahi Aroha yesterday and welcomed at the Treaty Grounds' Te Whare Runanga upper marae by 100 warriors - the first time in decades the powhiri (official welcome) had not been held at Te Tii Marae.

The real colour of the Treaty tea bag will come tomorrow when the country will see if there is any hot water applied to the Prime Minister's korero, who it must be said has been enjoying the full flavour of a choice cup of Treaty tea with her Ngapuhi hosts.

Some say the Sheriff Shane Jones has been busier than a Cape Town water tanker, pouring out the pinot gris and shelling out for a tini full of crays, all in the name of his new portfolio as local development Minister. Others have been asking "Where's Winnie?" these last five or so days?

He has made plenty of political capital as New Zealand First leader over the years bagging Maori elite or what he called "the Brown Table" and now he is at that very table he may have to eat a bit of humble pie which will be easier to swallow with a couple of Shane Jones' crays.

The taniwha in the Waitangi whare could well be Winston given he holds the title of Deputy Prime Minister and clearly has a higher duty to work closely with iwi leaders who have made it clearer than a water bottling royalty cheque they will not be bullied by any political party, as they play an increasingly important role in the social and economic life of New Zealand.

One thing is for sure, Winston works the media like a seasoned news reader and like the consummate performer he is in front of the country's cameras, his Kolynos smile will be beaming in brightly on tomorrow's 6 o'clock news.

No reira - in fact, has there ever been a quinella of Prime Ministerial Kolynos smiles as we now have with our laughing Leaders?

No wonder Wiremu Ingarihi (Bill English) has taken his toothbrush and headed south to spend Waitangi Day with Ngai Tahu, who will go about their business as they always do on Waitangi and the other 351 days of the year, somewhat under the radar and far from any controversial headlines - other than an ever-increasing bottom line.

Has the tide turned on our Treaty day where we can now truly say we are heading in the right direction, and we start listening to - not talking at each other, about the colour of our cultural cloth?

With Jacinda steering the waka we have a better shot than ever.

Back home here in our towns and cities and up and down the land of the talking to each other crowd we need to do the same.

When our wahine toa Prime Minister can stand and speak at Waitangi and it feels right for the rest of us, especially tangata whenua, then that is well worth celebrating.

Who knows, next time she walks on to the Treaty grounds she will hopefully have her baby on her hip and more words of hope coming from her lips.

Ko Tahi Aroha – One love on Waitangi Day.
tommykapai@gmail.co.nz

Tommy is a best-selling local writer and author.