New Zealand celebrates Waitangi day every year on the 6th of February. The day marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the local Maori (NZ’s indigenous people) and the British Crown.
Over the years the Treaty has been hailed and celebrated as a symbol of New Zealand’s nationhood. This is proudly acknowledged and embraced. On the other hand the Treaty is also condemned by those who seek to ignore and dismiss its provisions and obligations on the Crown to safeguard Maori rights to their language, culture, land and resources.
This has meant that Waitangi Day is both a celebration of nationhood, and at times a flash point between the differing cultural values of Maori, as Tangata Whenua, the people of the land, and some of the descendants from the dominant colonising settlers and migrants from other parts of the world. Historically these settlers have come predominantly from Britain and Europe. However nowadays, new migrants are increasingly coming from Asia adding to New Zealand’s already diverse population. (The speed with which this demographic change is happening has created a phenomenon referred to as Superdiversity.)
The Tangata Whenua, are the guardians of the land, including its numerous resources above and below the earth, forests and sea.…
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