Waitangi Day Tells Us, What Exactly?

Radio New Zealand, a tax-payer funded network, this year sent 11 staff to cover Waitangi day events on the marae and treaty grounds. On the Monday prior, one producer revealed that news coverage was going to 'concentrate on protests'. He was right. As early as Tuesday their news bulletin began with a story on the hikoi even if, at that stage, the protestors had another 30 kilometres or so to reach the marae.

Still, and almost predictably, it took a Harawira to provide copy fodder for media by being ejected from the marae until a lone protestor tossed a bag of pilchards at dignitaries but which didn't actually hit anyone. The NZ Herald used this as a lead story and carried the shocking news that protestors "held their banners high" which, one supposes, is what banner-wavers are supposed to do.

Meanwhile, on the same day on Yahoo NZ, headlines were a little more strident. "Protestors Call For MP's Sacking" we were told before being informed that while the hikoi delayed the PM's arrival on to Te Tii Marae they were "largely peaceful and goodnatured", a fairly important fact (one would think) but not reflected in the headlines.

In fact, what did those banners and flags "carried high" by protestors tell us? On Waitangi Day protestors marching to the meeting house held a "no deep sea drilling" banner (as expected), one lonely New Zealand flag, Tino Rangatiratanga and the United Tribes flags (as expected), a flag showing combinations of all three and (curiously) one flag each from Fiji and Tonga. Two men held a sign showing the date of Samoan Independence from New Zealand and why, wasn't made clear.

This year crowd numbers were down considerably over previous years so what does that tell us? Probably that people don't like outdoor events in the wet but a Yahoo NZ poll on the 7th gave other clues. Of the 2929 respondents (at the time of viewing) 94% said they didn't celebrate the day but liked the time off, 5 percent said they celebrated the occasion and 1% weren't sure at all.

On Waitangi Day proper, a multi denominational church service reminded the congregation this is the 200th anniversary of the first church service held in New Zealand, in the Far North. John Key couldn't attend because he had left for Australia but Labour's Shane Jones and David Cunliffe both gave readings. Green MP, David Clendon, was protesting with the hikoi. Mike Sabin and Hone Harawira didn't attend. This literally more reverent aspect of Waitangi Day was barely reported as The Right Reverend Te Kitohi Pikaahu, Bishop of Tai Tokerau spoke of the treaty's principle of...."an enduring, respectful and honest partnership between two peoples."

Is this 'honest partnership' reflected in the funding available to celebrate our national day? The Ministry for Culture and Heritage gave $288,000 to various cultural groups and councils for the occasion with the majority going to Maori organizations. $105,000 went to the Waitangi Day Commemoration Committee for transporting waka to the Far North and hosting visitors to Waitangi marae and $20,000 was given to the Waitangi National Trust to meet expenses.

Most media reported that history was made on Te Tii marae as two women (Annette Sykes and Metiria Turei) were allowed to speak on the paepae for the first time. None of the media mentioned Meri Te Tai Mangakahia, born near Panguru on the Hokianga, who was the first woman known to have addressed what was then the Maori Parliament in 1893, if only to bring the female-and-Maori participation into the same sort of historical context as the signing of the treaty.

Could we look to other horizons to celebrate Waitangi Day? A few days after our national day The Northern Advocate pointed out the third signing of the treaty in the grounds of Mangungu Mission Station by the Hokianga Harbour six days after the signing at Waitangi was, in fact, bigger than Waitangi. Around 70 rangatira signed the treaty that day compared to around 40 northern chiefs signing in the Bay of Islands.

So what messages do we derive from Waitangi Day? One Maori woman joked that anyone from outside the Bay of Islands contemplating experiencing our national day in person "might think they'd be put in a pot and boiled."Yet as most who have attended Waitangi Day celebrations in person will attest, the day is largely one of camaraderie - and generally unmentioned by media.

By the end of the week the prize for the most authentic headline for Waitangi 2014 derived from a most unlikely source. Winston Peters (NZ First and born in Northland) took the very rare step of supporting the Prime Minister, saying those who use the occasion to disrupt the ministerial attendance are "crapping on their own heritage". Realism finally outbalanced sensationalism.