Today for us is national Waitangi Day which remembers the day the treaty was signed between the Europeans and the Maoris.
This marae located in Paihia was opened in 1922 replacing the original 1881 building, I'm not sure what happened to the earlier one. The land next to it was where the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand (treaty) was signed on 28 October 1835. 5 years later 300 more chiefs sat on the same spot to debate the treaty and signed it on 6 February 1840 at the home of British immigrant James Busby now known as the Waitangi Trust including the museum.
When I was going through the public school system in the 1970s and 1980s I remember being taught the basics of the treaty but when we visited this spot and the museum last Spring it was a truly eye opening experience. We walked out of there feeling quite humble - if you haven't visited the museum I urge you to as it really is well worth it. This year we are very thankful that NZ is the country it is today, we still have many improvements to make in the process of being more accepting of each other but it's good to be a Kiwi.
Linking up with Skywatch Friday.
10 comments:
Thanks for the history on this marae. I have seen it every time I head towards the treaty grounds but I didn't know of its significance .
A place of history, in a tranquil setting.
I know what you mean about the museum. I loved my visit to Waitangi at the end of last year, and came away with a whole new perspective on our country's history.
I've visited several times. The first time it was a real mind-opening experience.
Hello, the museum sounds nice. You live in a beautiful country! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend ahead!
Interesting history. It's something I would like to learn more about. I'll be going to the library soon!
I love history and learning how things started. I also love how interpretations change as time goes by and more data and information is discovered
It sounds like a good place to savor your countries history and learn more.
Next time I'm in the area I'll visit the museum. I learnt te reo Maori at our local marae in 2019, and this was a real education into Maoritanga as well.
Gosh that would have been quite a meeting Amy, 300 Maori chiefs would have been an impressive sight. It's always an eye opening experience when you see the facts of historical events and not in a good way. Australia has many many reasons not to be proud of the way they treated the Indigenous people.
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