KEY POINTS:
Identity takes time to build. Waitangi Day is 34 years old and isn't looking near finished. The notion of celebrating the signing of the various versions of the Treaty of Waitangi floated up during the late 50s Nash Labour Government. It took till 1974 to be formalised, with
its slight hedging of bets; having it fall on a weekend means no holiday.
With the focus on the Te Tii marae at Waitangi it began as something uniquely New Zealand. By the 1990s and into this century it was a television event, an annual, and ugly, wrestle between police, Maori wardens and protesters. With television thriving on speed, colour and movement, this, accompanied by the required hand wringing, made for wild viewing.
Now that peace has broken out, Waitangi Day is caught in more subtle politics, an extension of the parliamentary battleground, wins and losses measured in images and symbols rather than the bruises and arrest counts of recent past.
Both TVNZ and TV3 dedicated their breakfast shows to Waitangi Day, with reporters on the ground. TVNZ split its hosting team between Auckland and the marae. Both sets of producers surely knew, or had it explained to them, political parties would watch this carefully. Complaints over balance loomed. While this is everyday business at the Press Gallery, breakfast shows inhabit a lighter world.
They were forced to tiptoe through dangerous and heavily mined ground. Prime Minister Helen Clark had been targeted for what was painted as a 'no show'. She deflected this with a well-covered attendance at a breakfast, followed by a walk-around. Her line, for all interviewers, was this was about all New Zealand and not just Waitangi.
Opposition leader John Key, who seemed to be at everything, kept attention on Waitangi. His bonding with Tame Iti and Titewhai Harawira produced pictures likely to be seen again before this year's election is over.
Both shows tapped politicians, academics and activists, all articulate and clear about their point of view. It made for interesting, if not particularly exciting, television. At 8.30am for TV3 and 9am at TVNZ the shows wrapped up. Both networks kept camera crews there all day for pick-ups on news bulletins.
Maori Television came in at 9am. Once in action it let the clutch slip, taking off after anything and everything either Waitangi or related to New Zealand identity, racing across the politics, doing backgrounders, including a fascinating documentary on Judge Edward Durie, throwing in a slyly satirical turn from comedian Andre King, all amidst live coverage that missed nothing.
Even for someone having his struggles with te reo this was superb viewing, as well as being something needed and which could do us all no harm, and possibly much good.