Ngāti Manu Preparation for Te Rā o Pomare Waitangi Celebrations tomorrow at Karetu

The Bay of Islands subtribe of Ngāti Manu is busy preparing for the celebrations to commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by their ancestor Pomare ll 178 years ago at Opua .

This year Ngāti Manu is hosting a delegation from Taiwan, led by MP Ms Kola Yotaka who is a member of one of the 16 Indigenous tribal groups in Taiwan.

Ngāti Manu spokesperson, Mr Arapeta Hamilton says “It is an honour for Ngāti Manu to be able to host our whanaunga from Taiwan just as our Pomare ancestors entertained visitors from overseas, especially from Tahiti, America and France. We will be embarking on a journey of developing closer ties with our relatives from Taiwan . I envisage the development of a close relationship with our young people and theirs . The goal is to develop cultural exchanges in the future for our young people and their young people.”

Mr Hamilton explains that the Hawaiki legacy is the binding of this relationship. “It means that as we engage with our Taiwanese relatives it is done from a space of mutual respect and as a special relationship ie whanaungatanga. The similarity of language, traditions and customs as well as the social organisation are all strong indicators of our closeness. The evidence of how we share DNA is fundamental in reinforcing the Hawaiki legacy which is the Indigeneity of the Pacific. As our ancestors moved through Asia and into the Pacific they shared information, technology and DNA that make up who we are today.” Says Mr Hamilton.

“Pomare II didn’t sign Te Tiriti on the 6th of Feb. There is a simple explanation for this” says Mr Hamilton “In 1840 there were status issues being played out between the high chiefs of Ngāpuhi and this is evidenced by the fact that Te Tirarau , Kawiti and Pomare all signed later on but signed Te Tiriti at the top above all the other signatures”

Ngāti Manu meet every year on 17th February to celebrate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Pomare ll. This year’s celebrations will include a waka ride on the Taumarere River, acknowledging and sharing of history and the planting of native trees. Conservation of the coastal marine environment was hugely important to our ancestor Pomare ll, just as its very important to his descendants and the people of Ngāti Manu today.

Te Rā o Pomare II will begin tomorrow morning with a pōhiri at 9am at Karetū marae.

ENDS

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