October 11, 2019
Tuia 250 on the move with stories of reconciliation
The Prime Minister is pleased at the initial response to Tuia 250 which kicked off in Gisborne this week.
She says the story of the first encounters between Māori and Europeans has been told in a different way than previous commemorations, with attempts made to ensure the Māori side of the story gets equal prominence.
The Tūranganui a Kiwa programme started not with the arrival of the replica of the Endeavour but with the welcome for waka hourua, including the Fa’afaite from French Polynesia representing the ariki Tupaia who guided James Cook to Aotearoa.
There were also ceremonies to remember tangata whenua killed in the initial encounter, and kaumātua have talked about the spirit of reconciliation evoked by the commemorations.
"And so yes of course there continues to be some who have protested, some who have taken the approach of not being part of some of the commemorations but at the same time I hope there is a chance of full storytelling," Ms Ardern says.
Adverse weather has delayed the departure of the Tuia 250 flotilla from Gisborne for Uawa-Tolaga Bay.
The HMB Endeavour and R.Tucker Thompson were able to get under way just after 11am, and the waka hourua, va’a tipaerua and the Spirit of New Zealand, will leave around mid-morning tomorrow.
The Tuia 250 pōwhiri planned to welcome the flotilla into Cook’s Cove has been moved from tomorrow to 9am on Sunday.
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