Monday 28 January, 2008

Waitangi Day – our national holiday

Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of the founding document of this country, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in the small settlement north of Paihia in 1840.

In Canterbury, Te Tiriti O Waitangi was signed by two Ngāi Tahu chiefs, Iwikau and John Love Tikao, at Ōnuku Marae on Banks Peninsula on 30 May, 1840. Fittingly, Ōnuku was also the place where the then Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, presented the Crown Apology to Ngāi Tahu in 1998 as the final stage in the settlement of Te Kerēme (the Ngāi Tahu Claim). In all, seven Ngāi Tahu chiefs signed the Treaty, the others being Taiaroa, Karetai, Korako, Kaikoura and Tūhawaiki.

Christchurch City Libraries is proud to have detailed written and audio material about Ōnuku Marae on its website. Told through extensive interviews with Ōnuku runanga chairman George Tikao, the website documents the marae and its cultural and historical significance.

Resource of the week: Tī Kōuka Whenua

Ti Kouka Whenua Tī Kōuka Whenua is a guide to pre-European settlement in Ōtautahi and Horomaka. It can be navigated using active maps of Canterbury, Christchurch and Lyttelton, an alphabetical list of sites, and simple icons at the top and bottom of each page.
There is also a glossary of Māori terms used in these pages, a short history of the Māori tribes of Canterbury, and a bibliography. A number of pages have sound files (MP3 and Real Player) where you can listen to excerpts of interviews with people with special knowledge of the places. Tī Kōuka Whenua was created by staff at Christchurch City Libraries.

13 to 18? Win cellphones on pulse!

Young people aged 13 to 18 can also win some fantastic prizes in the pulse digital photo competition. There’s two vodafone 715 cellphones with $500 credit and three Telecom cellphones with $50 credit up for grabs – plus airtime vouchers as consolation prizes. Just send us a photo of your favourite place – where you went on holiday, a park, a beach – and go in the draw to win. It’s that easy!
Visit the pulse flickr to get ideas.

We recommend: Waitangi Day resources

Our online resources:

See our feature on Waitangi Day and the Treaty of Waitangi
Also see our comprehensive reference guide to the Treaty of Waitangi which includes:

Search Te Kerēme - a selective index to the Ngāi Tahu claim
Audio files examining Ōnuku Marae and its connections with Te Tiriti o Waitangi:

6.3 Mb MP3 OR 851 kb real player

People with an interest in Waitangi Day (and the Treaty of Waitangi) comment on what it means to them
Ōnuku Rūnanga contact details
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
An A to Z listing of pre-European settlement in Canterbury
Tukutuku panels at the library
Te reo Māori courses on CINCH, our community information database
Te reo Māori language resources on the library website
Māori kites

Marae

Ngā Hau e Wha Marae
Ngāti Moki Marae - Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere
Ōnuku Marae - Banks Peninsula, Akaroa
Rāpaki Marae - Banks Peninsula
Rēhua Marae - Christchurch City
Tuahiwi Marae – North Canterbury
Tutehuarewa Marae – Banks Peninsula, Port Levy
Wairewa Marae - Banks Peninsula, Little River

Pa Sites

Manuka (Pā near Tai Tapu)
Orua Paeroa – North New Brighton Pā site
Puari – Pā site in central Christchurch
Waikakahi – Pā site at northern end of Kaitorete spit

Ara Ipurangi, our Internet Gateway, recommends:

Tiriti o Waitangi resources, including:

nzhistory.net.nz has information on the Treaty House and Waitangi Day.
NZ Historic Places Trust has information on current and historic uses of the Treaty House.
NewZealand.com, Tourism NZ’s official site, has useful information on the Bay of Islands as does Northland Naturally, the official local tourism site for Northland including the Bay of Islands. Tourism.net.nz also offers extensive information on activities, accommodation and attractions in the Bay of Islands.
The Treaty of Waitangi From The Treaty of Waitangi Information Unit
Treaty of Waitangi From the Waitangi Tribunal
Waitangi Tribunal: Information for schools

Tahu FM – started broadcasting in Christchurch on Waitangi Day, 1991

Search the library catalogue:

Waitangi – the place and treaty grounds
The Treaty of Waitangi – history and issues
Boon, Kevin. The Treaty of Waitangi
Calman, Ross. The Treaty of Waitangi
Naumann, Ruth et al. Te Mana o Te Tiriti: the living treaty
Orange, Claudia. The story of a treaty and An illustrated history of the Treaty of Waitangi
Whaanga, Mere. The Treaty/Te Tiriti
Treaty of Waitangi (1840) (subject search)
Treaty of Waitangi (1840) - Children's nonfiction (subject search)

Celebrate Waitangi Day

15 ways to celebrate Waitangi Day
What Waitangi Day means to me
New Zealand’s national indigenous broadcaster, Maori Television, will present Kotahi te rā: Waitangi 2008 from 9:00am to 9:00pm. It will include reports from key Waitangi Day events at home and abroad as well as news, views, interviews, discussions, documentaries, entertainment and historical highlights.
Classical Sparks has moved dates and will now be on Tuesday 5 February to welcome in Waitangi Day.
Okains Bay Māori and Colonial Museum will hold formal celebrations between Crown and Iwi involving waka. Also cultural groups, entertainment, hangi, brass band, shearing demonstration and stalls.
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu has events including kapa haka performances in its courtyard and foyer. 12 – 4pm.
Christchurch-based Willowbank Wildlife Reserve will hold a special Waitangi Day celebration with cultural entertainment and activities.
One Love Massive's annual celebration of Waitangi Day (and Bob Marley's birthday). At the New Brighton pier amphitheatre in Christchurch from 2 to 6pm. Bring your friends, picnic, frisbee, togs and everything else needed to chill out on a public holiday.

We recommend: Online resources

Our online resources: What’s new on the blog

The Christchurch City Libraries blog is written for people who love books, movies and music and want to know about the latest developments and trends in the book world. Regularly updated and constantly fresh, the blog has plenty to offer avid readers and music fans. Recent posts include:

What’s new on the library website?

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