Waitangi Day 2015

One hundred and seventy five years

ago a man hurriedly put on his

hat and urgently rowed ashore, all

were ready to sign his new treaty.

Those waiting were arikinui, men

of mana and cunning who

knew the deceptive ways of the English.

They did not trust this man under the

hat but saw a wave coming and

sought a way to preserve what was theirs;

their tino rangatiratanga and a

way to live with these new white invaders.

Today they gift us this land and this

treaty, this hope that

two peoples can live together each

honouring and learning the way of

the other. Are we brave

enough this year to celebrate this

promise and live the way of

Te Tiriti?