Waitangi Day

Sat on the porch of the meeting are Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Alongside them are Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, ...

There was a special prayer for today’s events at Waitangi and a call for the unity of all peoples. Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and the Chief Justice departed the whare nui with other leaders, dignitaries and the congregation in their wake. To which the speaker on stage advised him it was going to be sung later. Shane Reti, speaking for National leader Chris Luxon, followed as he read from the Book of Mormon a passage that also urged unity. Sat on the porch of the meeting are Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. The pre-dawn silence was broken only by prayer from those leading the service at the whare - and an early rising tui sounding off.

An elderly man has been removed from a morning service at Waitangi after interrupting official proceedings. Shortly after a number of prayers were said in ...

The law of gravity was not made by man...there’s three groups of people assembled here today. “There is the elected public servants and there is the appointed public servants - with the emphasis on public servant - and there is the public.” Law is made by the atua (god/ancestors).

Mataki, the founder of Ariki Creative, has developed the artwork, which will be seen nationally on Waitangi Day on New Zealand's Google homepage. The Google ...

"My mother, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was the first reigning Sovereign to visit New Zealand and the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi, and attended the ...

"It is a taonga that represents a deep connection, which has meant so much to me throughout my life, to New Zealand and the Maori people. "It has allowed me humbly to reaffirm my commitment, and that of my children and grandchildren, to this bond between us, and to ensuring that it endures for future generations." King Charles has sent his "warmest greetings to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand" in a Waitangi Day message.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described this morning's Waitangi dawn service as moving and says he welcomes the shift away from a focus on politics.

Last year Covid forced the cancellation of the dawn service and other official Waitangi events. "I think there's been a trend in the last five and a half years or so ... the means by which I do that may be different." Hipkins said the Ngāpuhi settlement was likely to be one of the most complex and difficult to achieve, but it was important to continue to approach it "with good faith and good will". "But when it comes to the provision of national public services, from a government that's accountable to all New Zealanders, and those services are designed to deliver to people in need, we think the better way is to have a single system of delivery." "I think the government can be a better partner, we can have a better relationship, we can work together better when it comes to all things Māori." But the goal was a very noble one and the ongoing importance of the treaty recognises that it was a goal that was worth striving for, Hipkins said. Asked about the concept of rangatiratanga, or the right of Māori to rule themselves, Hipkins said he was comfortable with the notion of "by Māori for Māori". The goal of the treaty was to try to avoid the conquest and conflict that occurred during settlement of some other countries during the mid-1800s, he said. ["I didn't mean to say the treaty is an experiment" - Christopher Luxon duration 14:04](/national/programmes/waitangiday/audio/2018876551/national-leader-christopher-luxon) ["I didn't mean to say the treaty is an experiment" - Christopher Luxon](/national/programmes/waitangiday/audio/2018876551/national-leader-christopher-luxon) "I think Māori have often been used as a way for politicians to whip up votes in other parts of the population and that's something that I find abhorrent." The criticism that politicians had come to Waitangi in the past and used Māori as a way to increase their votes was a fair one, he said.

Seated on the porch of the meeting are Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Alongside them are Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, ...

There was a special prayer for today’s events at Waitangi and a call for the unity of all peoples. To which the speaker on stage advised him it was going to be sung later. Speaking to media after the ceremony, Hipkins said he has found Waitangi Day to be a “positive experience” during his political career. Shane Reti, speaking for National leader Chris Luxon, followed as he read from the Book of Mormon a passage that also urged unity. The pre-dawn silence was broken only by prayer from those leading the service at the whare - and an early rising tui sounding off. Seated on the porch of the meeting are Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

His message has been published in both English and te reo Maori, celebrating a connection between Aotearoa and the royal family the King is “honoured” to ...

A flotilla of nine waka participated in the ceremony in front of large crowds. Hundreds of people lined up on a bridge to watch the parade of waka. The ceremony ...

The ceremony was followed by a 21-gun salute at midday. The waka was built in 1940 for the centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. A flotilla of nine waka participated in the ceremony in front of large crowds.

But Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi reminded those who attended the special gathering at Ōhinemutu, it shouldn't just happen on February 6. For the more than 5000 ...

Waitangi is a part of us and today was about celebrating all cultures. We are a magnificent blend of cultures working together and the manaakitanga is just gold. Even now, that might not be significant to all but by holding this occasion here people will realise the significance. This event could grow so people knew to come to Rotorua for a great time at Waitangi Weekend.” So tangata whenua, all rise together and let’s create the future centric Aotearoa our tipuna (ancestors) intended it to be.” On the main stage performers showed off what makes their culture special.