February 27, 2015
Waka on Tamaki river to mark treaty signing
Ngati Paoa will this weekend mark the 175th anniversary of its ancestors signing the Treaty of Waitangi at the signing spot on the banks of the Tamaki River.
Negotiator Hauauru Rawiri says with the iwi close to reaching a settlement of its historic claims, it’s a time to reflect on what the tupuna were thinking and their intent when they signed their tohu back on March 4, 1840.
The celebration at Karaka Bay in Glendowie will include historic accounts from members of Ngati Paoa as well as from Bill Ludbrook, whose great great grandfather Reverend Henry Williams witnessed the signing … as well as translating the English version of the treaty into Maori.
The chair of the Tamaki and Hauraki iwi collectives, Paul Majurey, and chief crown negotiator Mike Dreaver will give their views on the current state of treaty settlements and the opportunities for the future.
The public event start at 3 on Sunday afternoon with the arrival of the waka, Kotuiti Tuarua, into Karaka Bay.
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