Case study: Waipureku Waitangi Trust 2021 Waitangi Day commemoration in Clive, Hawke’s BayThis event included a mass community hikoi (walk of unity), haka pōwhiri, whaikorero, waiata, refreshments, korero by local historians, free waka rides and re-enactments of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Remote video URL Case Study – Ngāti Kahungunu Waitangi Day Celebrations Image Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Promoting cultural diversityWhen organising their 2019 Waitangi Day celebrations Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated had some key objectives in mind. They wanted to celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi and, in doing so, create pride in all New Zealanders. They wanted to provide a space for a positive interaction between Ngāti Kahungungu and the wider community by promoting cultural diversity while recognising the role of mana whenua. And they wanted their event to create an opportunity for the many communities of Hawke’s Bay to come together in celebration of themselves and in commemoration of the Treaty.With these goals in mind Ngāti Kahungunu set about organising celebrations that would cater to the over 10,000 visitors who braved the rain to join them.Wide tribal reach from Wairoa to Wairarapa‘While our event is based in Hastings, our tribal rohe is from Wairoa to Wairarapa and we encourage as many of our Iwi members and wider community to attend. We promote our event as a celebration of our National Day and try to offer a range of entertainment that caters for everyone.’For those who couldn’t be there on the day, the event was livestreamed on Facebook to more than 6,000 viewers.‘We feel that the main reason why our event has great attendance is that it is a free to attend, the venue has lots of parking and there are a variety of activities available from the free show rides, onstage entertainment and a choice of sporting tournaments to participate in or watch.’Local talent on displayThe event had a focus on promoting and celebrating local talent. Musicians Aaron Edwards, Talitha Blake, Fraser MacKenzie and Blak Katz played and Te Aute College and Taikura Kaumatua Kapa Haka performed kapa haka. Speeches by local politicians addressed the theme of the opening ceremony: ‘What does the Treaty of Waitangi mean to me?’Planning for next yearNgāti Kahungunu believe that Waitangi Day commemorations are important, for they increase awareness of the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of our modern nation and enhance the mana and well-being of Kahungunu and the wider community. They plan to continue to bring Hawke’s Bay’s diverse communities together over kai, cultural performances, music and sports for many years to come, and planning is well underway for their 2020 celebrations.Case Study – Tu Tama Wahine o Taranaki Waitangi Day Celebrations Image Jeremy Taylor (Flickr). Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0). Mt Taranaki. Creating ConversationsThe 2019 Community Korero Workshop Series, organised by Tu Tama Wahine o Taranaki, aimed to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi by delivering a programme that invited the community to have ‘creative conversations’ about the Treaty.‘The opportunity for the community to have “creative conversations” in relation to the Treaty offers a flexibility and freedom to explore the kaupapa unrestricted by the fear of “getting it wrong”.’What was the event?122 people, ranging from rangatahi to kaumatua, engaged with the series of events, which included ‘Speed Date Your Way Through the Treaty: A practical way to meet and greet people who talk about how to honour the Treaty’ and ‘Workshop: 10 DIY Ways to Honour the Treaty in 2019’. The most popular event, ‘Popcorn and the Treaty’, included a screening of The Community Living Book: A film about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Taranaki. The film was developed and launched by Tu Tama Wahine o Taranaki in 2018, and features 19 local personalities discussing their personal reflections on Te Tiriti and how they honour it in their lives.Having worked across the Taranaki region for over 30 years, Tu Tama Wahine o Taranaki are sensitive to the specific needs of their community and were careful to cater their Waitangi Day commemorations to them.Meeting the needs of the community‘We have a collective experience that helps ensure we are always forward thinking and that we are committed to supporting the needs of whanau/community in all areas of our work, including community education projects like these. We are intergenerational and creative in our approach. We gather feedback from all of our events and programmes and use any criticism wisely. We continue to keep an ear to the ground in our community and where we see an opportunity to restore mātauranga we mobilise.’Planning for next yearTu Tama Wahine o Taranaki plan to develop another programme of Waitangi events for 2020. They see a desire in their community for the continued support of diverse, creative, and educational activities that generate discussion and support relationship building under the theme of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.Case Study – Chatham Islands Waitangi Day Celebrations Image Chatham Community Focus Trust Bringing the whole community togetherMore than 1000 kilometres from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the Chatham Community Focus Trust, in collaboration with Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekuri Trust, held their Waitangi Day celebrations at Plum Tree.What was the event?Waitangi Day has been celebrated as a community event on the Chatham Islands for many years now. For the last two years celebrations have taken place as an outdoor community picnic.‘The outdoor picnic works really well in this community and this is something that we will continue to do to make this day a success.’Sheree Gay, who has organised celebrations for the last three years, describes the Chatham Islands Waitangi Day Celebrations as ‘an event that the whole community is invited to and come together for a relaxing family fun day and time for conversation and reflection on Waitangi Day’.Over 70 community members gathered to commemorate the day at Plum Tree for celebrations complete with waiata, kōrero, kapa haka, activities—including a te reo Māori scavenger hunt and Waitangi Day quiz—and kai.‘It gave our community the chance to celebrate and commemorate Waitangi Day together with friends and family.’Tyranny of DistanceOrganising community events can throw up a number of obstacles. The Trust encountered a not entirely unexpected problem: their geographic distance.‘We had a few issues getting our supplies in from New Zealand but this is something that we on the island have to deal with all the time.’Eco-friendly initiative2018 marked the second year of the celebration’s eco-friendly initiative. Community members are asked to bring their own plates, cutlery and cups to reduce plastic waste.The Chatham Islands Waitangi Day Celebrations have been consistently growing for a number of years. The Trust looks forward to continuing to plan their Waitangi commemorations, which will only get bigger and better in the years to come.‘For me personally I have loved being a part of this event as it is very rewarding seeing the people in our community enjoying a day together and with purpose.’Case Study – Kaikōura Waitangi Day Celebrations Image Bernard Spragg (Flickr) Public Domain The Kaikōura Waitangi Celebrations 2019 were designed by Te Ahi Waitua ō Kaikōura after being inspired by the Waitangi Treaty Trails held in Cheviot in 2018. The day’s events began with the Kaikōura Treaty Trails and finished with food, music, and entertainment at Takahanga marae.What was the event?The 70 people who braved the rain to participate in the Treaty Trails visited six different stations around Kaikōura, where they learnt about the background to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, local history, and Māori culture. They were challenged to answer questions including ‘Who were the two men who translated the Treaty to te reo Māori?’ and ‘Who created the Hikurangi trench?’ as well as learn their pepeha and how to weave a harakeke putiputi. The final station of the trail was Takahanga marae, where the community was welcomed with a powhiri. Teams completed the race by signing a replica of te Tiriti o Waitangi on the marae.‘The Treaty trails and “mock” signing of the Treaty impacted community by promoting a deeper insight of the signing of the Treaty, its history over the years to now and the variance in how Māori view te Tititi o Waitangi to non-Māori.’Mātauranga for the communityTe Ahi Waitua ō Kaikōura designed their event with the intent of educating the community about the history of the Treaty of Waitangi, and hoped that it would promote an opportunity for people to think about what Waitangi Day means to them.‘The event benefitted a sense of pride and togetherness for whānau that have disengaged with their own knowledge of te Tiriti. One whānau member shared that “I feel proud I got to celebrate Waitangi with my kids for the first time as I never really celebrated, because I didn’t know what it was about so I just took the day off’.”Extra assistance was provided by volunteers who donated their time and local government, iwi, and community organisations which gave support.Connection through education and awareness‘Overall the event was successful in connecting many individuals and whānau across the community and groups are now considering how to make this continue to be a sustainable event. Community expressed their desire to celebrate Waitangi responsively through education and awareness.’