Waitangi Day 2005: Peace, not politics, for our day, please

The decisions on what happens on Waitangi Day at the Treaty Grounds rest with the commemorations committee.

This diverse group includes representatives of the Waitangi National Trust Board, some of them descendants of those involved with the original treaty, the Navy, police, Maori wardens and waka commanders.

* Lr Cmdr Frank Rands Waitangi Day Navy co-ordinator

Q: What are you hoping to see on Waitangi Day?

A: I'd really like to think there would be no protest, but that's pie in the sky. For me it's a family event, and there's enough entertainment going on to commemorate Waitangi Day as it should be, by the people.

Q: What does Waitangi Day mean to you?

A: Waitangi Day means to me the birth of this country. I think we should just get with it.

I'm saddened it gets marred by the protesters, but they have a right to protest. But whether they have a right to go as far as they do, I don't think they do. That divides us. Henare Hape Delegate of the Te Tai Tokerau Maori Council, and spokesman for Waitangi Maori wardens

• What I hope is that Sunday will be a happy day. Peace instead of politics. I've been coming for 16 years but I'm not keen on protests. It's better they [the protesters] sit down and talk, rather than yelling. Last year, us wardens got criticised [for not better protecting the Prime Minister at Te Tii marae] but we nearly broke our arms. We're not Dad's Army.

• Waitangi Day means a lot to me - it's a birthday. But I have mixed feelings about the treaty - about what our tupuna [ancestors] were told when they signed it. The treaty is the Pakeha system. We lost a lot. But I still attend commemorations.

* Liz Makene Committee secretary, Te Puni Kokiri administration officer

• I'm hoping for a fine day, which it generally is, and to see families enjoying the entertainment and the children's activities as well. And I hope they'll get some idea of what the treaty is.

• I consider Waitangi Day to be our national day and for me it's become a tradition. I've been coming here since I was a toddler. It's about the gathering together of New Zealanders, irrespective of nationality.

* Hec Busby Waka representative and a founding member of Ngaa Waka Federation

• Waitangi Day is a real get-together for our waka people from throughout the North Island. We'll have nine waka this year, that's the most since 1990. I built about three or four of the waka that are coming. The main thing about Waitangi Day is having all the family - we hide away from all the politics. We go to the camping ground [where the waka crews are based], out of the way.

• The treaty was signed and our nation was born, although I'm not very happy with some of the things that came out of it. I'm a little bit worried about the foreshore and seabed.

Pita Paraone Trust Board member, New Zealand First MP

• I'm hoping those who come to Waitangi will enjoy the programme and the activities on the spot where our founding document as a nation was signed. I'm a direct descendant of father and son signatories to the treaty, Kawiti and his son Maihi Kawiti. I don't think it should be a day to focus on politics, but a day to celebrate how fortunate we are, living in a country such as ours.
  
• Waitangi Day means to me a sense of duty to ensure that our birthday as a nation is commemorated. There have been disappointments. We must be one of the few countries of the free world which commemorates our day of nationhood in conflict rather than celebration.

* Kaye Taylor Co-ordinator of Waitangi Day children's and sports activities

• What I'm hoping for Sunday is that it turns out the way it has done all the years we've been here. We run the kids' activities and we've never had any disruptions.

The media tends to report all of the negative stuff but there are positives.

I'm a realist, I know most of those people who protest and have a lot of respect for them. The troublemakers are often from out of town and aren't even Ngapuhi but they mar Ngapuhi's reputation.

• Waitangi day for me is a day of whanau and whanaungatanga [family togetherness]. I enjoy getting down to the bottom marae [Te Tii marae, a Ngapuhi marae separate from the Treaty Grounds] where there is debate. But I don't like confrontation.
  
• The treaty is about the two races, Maori and Pakeha, not multicultural things. And any agreement should be adhered to.

* Mike Rusbatch Police inspector, northern area police commander

• What I'm hoping to see is a peaceful day.
  
• One of the core focuses is a team of iwi liaison officers from all over the North Island to open up lines of communication and try and mitigate any problems.
  
• We hope that people stay within expectations and don't behave unlawfully towards other people.
  
• I recognise it as our national day and a day in which robust discussion takes place on a variety of present, past and, more importantly, future issues.