Waitangi Day now seen by most as a day to commemorate the treaty

February 5, 2014

Waitangi Day is now perceived by most New Zealanders as a day to commemorate the Treaty of Waitangi, a University of Canterbury expert says.

Anthropology professor Patrick McAllister says in the past Waitangi day was seen by most Maori as a very important day, a day on which they could voice their opinions on Maori-Pakeha relations and on the state of the treaty, now 175 years old.

“Pakeha were more ambivalent about it and many dismissed it as just another holiday. I think this has changed over the past decade, as more and more local communities mark the day in some way as a day worth commemorating.

“The day was a fun day of relaxation and is now viewed as a day on which people think about the treaty, even if only through seeing what happens on television. The point to remember is that tomorrow (February 6) is marked in various ways as a day out of the ordinary.

“We’re used to February 6 being Waitangi Day. The concept of renaming it New Zealand Day is raised by politicians and commentators frequently. To do so would be to obscure the day as a day on which the founding document of New Zealand was signed.

“Renaming it would alienate Māori and a large number of non- Māori. Why would anyone except right wing politicians want to do this? The day should be understood in terms of the treaty.

“That seems obvious. What is not so obvious is that the treaty is not a cut and dried done deal, it is a living document that is continually being negotiated and debated, its provisions constantly evaluated. It is a process not a result, and this is how it will remain in the foreseeable future. This is one reason why marking the day is so important

“We do celebrate Waitangi Day better than Australia’s national day which is orchestrated by the Federal and state governments and ignores indigenous people as well as other minorities who have no say in how the day should be marked. It is a day on which the state tries to present a certain vision of reality and of the nation through its control of the Australia Day Council, which orchestrates the day’s activities.

“Australia Day echoes current concerns such as illegal migrants and refugees over the past 15 years or so and it mirrors concerns with terrorism today. It encourages a gross, unreflective nationalism, such as that seen on the Big Day Out and the Cronulla riots, rather than a careful consideration of the nation and its current state of affairs.”

Professor McAllister says Waitangi Day is unique in that it is not orchestrated by the state but is organised co-operatively by both the government of the day and Māori. The state cannot dictate how we ought to commemorate the day. New Zealanders should be proud of this, he says.

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