Waitangi Report

ROPU T I K A

M AKAYLA ASHBY

MEGAN AU

JORDAN LODGE-BOS

ROMANA RIEGLER

The Appropriateness Issue Te Putanga Tika Auckland Celebrates Waitangi Research Report 2016

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He iwi tahi tätou.

— Gov. Hobson, 1840

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We are all one people.

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An introduction Tïmatanga körero W

aitangi Day, held each year on the 6th of February, is a “national day of thanksgiving in commemoration of the signing of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi” (1960 Waitangi Day Act). Considered New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement signed at Waitangi, Bay of Islands, between the British Crown and over five hundred Maori chiefs of self-governing iwi.

The day first became a public holiday in 1974, along with its name being changed to “New Zealand Day.” However, the 1976 Waitangi Day Act reverted this to “Waitangi Day,” as it remains now.1 Waitangi Day celebrations differ across the country, but fittingly so, are largest at the place of its namesake, Waitangi. By comparison in Auckland—the largest city in New Zealand, Aotearoa—Waitangi Day appears to be promoted as a long weekend off with retail sales, more so than being a day of “thanksgiving” and “commemoration.2” Thus this research project aimed to be an indepth investigation into Waitangi Day in Auckland; to understand the day regionally, within its national context. Is this a day where collectively we should celebrate our nationhood? To learn and reflect on our colonial history? And how so should this be done, considering the diverse cultural make-up of the Auckland population, in relation to the bi-cultural background of the day?

Questions were asked regarding how Waitangi Day can be culturally appropriate: respecting Maori culture without tokenism, and promoting cultural understanding within existing power inequity structures. Cultural differences can result in positive opportunities and “genuine collaboration,” beneficial for all stakeholders.3

Waitangi Day appears to be promoted as a long weekend off with retail sales, more so than being a day of “thanksgiving” and “commemoration.”

Orange, Claudia. “Further Information - Waitangi Day | NZhistory, New Zealand History Online”. NZhistory.net.nz. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 June 2016. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/ treaty/waitangi-day/further-info 2 Day, A. (2016). Archived: NZ Soul All Dayer Waitangi Day. www.heartofthecity.co.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http:// www.heartofthecity.co.nz/auckland-events/music-events/nzsoul-all-dayer-waitangi-day Archived: Waitangi Weekend. (2016). www.heartofthecity.co.nz.

Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.heartofthecity.co.nz/ article/waitangi-weekend 3 4.3 Cultural Responsiveness. (2008). Treaty Resource Centre – He Puna Mātauranga o Te Tiriti. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http://www.trc.org.nz/sites/trc.org.nz/files/4.3%20Cultural%20responsiveness.pdf 1

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Research problem Rangahau raru M

ainstream media coverage of Waitangi Day has been dominated by a sensationalist narrative; protests and cultural aggressions are depicted as farcical spectacles. Waitangi Day inherently has historical weight, and overtime, also gained a political reputation. This in turn shaped negative public perceptions, even though vast breaches of the Treaty justified the protests. Activism from the 1970s—including occupations at Bastion Point (1977) and Moutoa Gardens4 (1995)—achieved some change. One result being the formation of The Waitangi Tribunal in 1975,5 which aims to investigate allegations against the Crown and work towards restitution.

However, perceptions remain, shared in many anecdotal opinion pieces from a variety of New Zealanders, both in print and online.6 Whereas academic discourse analysing the Treaty in post-colonial New Zealand has been constructive for progression, the same is missing for Waitangi Day. From our personal understandings, it was unclear whether there are expectations of participation7 in celebrations, standards of behaviour and cultural customs, or even if iwi were open for people interested to attend functions at the marae. These sentiments seem to be in contrast to The Treaty values of partnership, protection, and participation, indicating an area of research to be undertaken.

This year, the Prime Minister John Key was absent at Waitangi. He was not considered welcome at the Te Tii Marae.8 Continued mainstream media reportage on such “dramas” hinders cultural understanding for the general public. And considering the cultural diversity of Auckland’s population, the risks are greater.

Individuals may remain apathetic to what has the potential to be an integral component in strengthening New Zealand nationalism and encouraging mutual respect (Te Kanawa, 2016).9 It is time to re-evaluate what Waitangi Day is, and what it should be.

Bastion Point - The Untold Story. (2016). Bastion Point. Ponika-Rangi, N. (2015). Pākaitore celebrations remember Moutoa Gardens occupation. Māori Television. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/pakaitorecelebrations-remember-moutoa-gardens-occupation 5 “Waitangi Tribunal — Ministry of Justice, New Zealand,” 2016 6 Williams, G. (2016). Why I love Waitangi Day. Stuff. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/76539678/Guy-Williams-Why-I-love-Waitangi-Day Blog archive of perspectives: Farrar, D. (2016). Waitangi Day | Kiwiblog. Kiwiblog.co.nz.

Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/tag/ waitangi_day 7 Waitangi Tribunal,. (2016). The Meaning of the Treaty — Waitangi Tribunal. Justice.govt.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/waitangi-tribunal/treatyof-waitangi/the-meaning-of-the-treaty Waitangi Tribunal,. (2016). The Meaning of the Treaty — Waitangi Tribunal. Justice.govt.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/waitangi-tribunal/treatyof-waitangi/the-meaning-of-the-treaty 8 Kaire-Melbourne, K. & Day, W. (2016). Prime Minister John Key will not be attending Waitangi. Māori Television. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.Māoritelevision.com/news/regional/ prime-minister-john-key-will-not-be-attending-waitangi 9 Te Kanawa, W. (2016). Waitangi Day or NZ Day, that is the question?. Māori Television. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from https://www.Māoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/waitangiday-or-nz-day-question Farrar, D. (2016). Waitangi Day | Kiwiblog. Kiwiblog. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/tag/waitangi_day 4

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Research objectives Whäinga rangahau

We hope to: > contribute to the discussion about Waitangi Day in an informed manner, > reconci le this day as a national day of thanksgiving, contributing to a sense of national identity for future generations.

We hope that all Aucklanders can appreciate the cultural and historical significance of Waitangi Day, and that the day’s events can be openly engaged with.

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Research question Pätai rangahau Our research is into the considerations around most culturally appropriate ways to celebrate Waitangi Day in Auckland.

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n particular, to analyse the lack of cultural understanding surrounding the significance of New Zealand’s national holiday, and how ignorance around this topic affects people’s ability to engage with it.

We have focused our research on the youth: to generate discussion and involve them with Waitangi Day and the state of the nation. The investigation was restricted to Waitangi Day in the Auckland area, although looked into celebrations in other parts of New Zealand for comparison. The research is focussed on the activities, celebrations, and events that occur on the 6th of February, and the cultural appropriateness of these. Through our data-gathering we established knowledge of cultural customs and their purpose, and corroborated our assumptions of people’s perceptions.

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Stakeholders Hunga Whaipänga Our largest stakeholders are MÄ ori iwi in Auckland,

the youth of Auckland, Auckland Council and Northland iwi. They are connected through the Treaty, and/ or geographically. Furthermore, the nation and all who consider themselves New Zealanders are involved.

Even those who do not assign Waitangi Day or the Treaty any significance interact with governmental and cultural institutions where the Treaty informs policies and values.

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Knowledge gap Äputa te matauranga M

uch of the existing discourse focuses on the complexities of the Treaty of Waitangi: examining its significance, its controversies, and consequences it has caused today. Most argue that the Treaty continues to perpetuate colonisation, while some texts look towards restitution, and improving the future relationship between Māori and Pākehā. These issues are often explored through an anthropological and bi-cultural lens. It was a challenge to situate our appropriateness research within a theoretical background, as appropriateness is often subjective.

It soon became apparent that appropriateness is commonly associated with cultural customs. This redirected our research to a new area of knowledge, which offered valuable new insights.

In terms of national holidays, cases have been made for the significance of public celebration in building communities, but this has not been applied to Waitangi Day. There has not been relevant contextual discussion about Waitangi Day events, its meaning, and its appropriateness. While the Treaty of Waitangi has been thoroughly analysed, Waitangi Day has remained a topic of public opinions and media reportage.

We also noticed many academic articles about the Treaty were authored by Pākehā, finding less information from the Māori people about Māori.

Even if a text was pro-Māori, it was often written

by Pākehā. We ourselves—as researchers and Aucklanders—are not in the position of those who are directly affected by Treaty issues. Hence we do understand them, and cannot propose how we can fix them. Our research into Māori perspectives on this matter is important for representation, to learn their thoughts on appropriateness.

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Hypothesis Whakapae We believe that cultural understanding and awareness could lead to a more positive public engagement with Waitangi Day in Auckland.

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Rationale Hautanga N

ew Zealand is a young country still developing a sense of cultural identity. Our colonial history for many is a vague highschool story not reflected upon on our national day. However, if we continue to overlook our past, we risk becoming indifferent to the difficulties that were faced by the people of the land.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (The Life of Reason: Reason in Common Sense. Scribner’s, 1905: 284). Waitangi Day is an opportunity to have a national conversation: to reflect, learn, listen, and progress. Being able to do this is key to growing as a unified and self-confident nation.

Indigenous Māori traditions are a unique aspect of our heritage that holds national pride, but further to that, cultural awareness creates trust, purpose, and authentic relationships (Cartwright, 2006). As young people of the future New Zealand, it is important to contribute to how we believe Waitangi Day can be culturally appropriate and constructive.

Aims Whäinga W

e aim to develop our own personal understanding as researchers challenge our current perspectives on Waitangi Day, and in turn deepen our connection to our country and the people we share it with. Research should feed into the discourse regarding Waitangi Day in Auckland. We would like to bridge the gap of knowledge between the elderly and young.

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Those who cannot remember the past are condmened to repeat it.”

— George Santayana

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Literature review Arotake tuhinga The following resources provided background

knowledge on the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and Waitangi Day as New Zealand’s national holiday, which was necessary before we could move forward and gather data.

Claudia Orange’s “An Illustrated Guide to the Treaty of Waitangi” is considered an authoritative text on the history of the Treaty, and it provided us much insight. In the early 1800’s, Tangata Whenua (people of the land) were open to the incoming Pākehā, and both cultures benefitted from cultural and trade exchanges.

The Treaty set out to establish the ways in which two parties could build a nation together. It is important to note that some chiefs refused to sign the Treaty, and that there was both a Māori and English translation,10 which essentially differed on particular principles: sovereignty, land, and rights. The contested interpretations and subsequent betrayal of rights contributed to long-lasting anger and protest movements (Orange, 2012). Nevertheless, the Treaty forged an enduring relationship between the people of the nation.

For the purpose of this research, we define culture as traditions, beliefs and values, “including knowledge and history shared by a large group of people.11” Cultural appropriateness is therefore about ensuring cultural identity is respected.

Protests on Waitangi Day have been a regular occurrence since the first in 1971, which was organised by the activist group Ngā Tamatoa. The 1974 name change to “New Zealand Day” received backlash as it was deemed inappropriate, dismissing the history behind the day. Further protests were in response to Māori land losses. “Honour the Treaty” and “The Treaty is a Fraud” became popular slogans.12 During the 1990’s and 2000’s the increase in Māori protests caused the official ceremonies to be cancelled and shifted to Wellington. It has become a tradition for Treaty issues to be discussed, most commonly at the Te Tii Marae in Waitangi, where Māori, Pākehā, and parliament meet as one. Other places such as Auckland

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“In international law, Māori Text has precedence over English Version by principle of contra proferentum” 11 Culture Overview. (2008). Treaty Resource Centre – He Puna Mātauranga o Te Tiriti. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http:// www.trc.org.nz/sites/trc.org.nz/files/4.3%20Cultural%20responsiveness.pdf 12 Basil Keane. ‘Ngā rōpū tautohetohe – Māori protest movements - Waitangi Day protests’, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 7-Dec-15 URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/nga-ropu-tautohetoheMāori-protest-movements/page-2 13 Sourced from their [DATE] State of the Nation speech. Came, H and Zander, A. (Eds). (2015). State of the Pākehā Nation: Collected Waitangi Day Speeches and Essays. Whangarei, New Zealand: Network Waitangi Whangarei.

14 (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_ id=1&objectid=11583909) 15 Celebrating New Zealand’s Waitangi Day. (2016). 100% Pure NZ. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http://media.newzealand.com/ en/events/celebrating-new-zealands-waitangi-day/ 16 This year Diwali celebrations were moved forward. Diwali’s event date is decided based on the the moon, as it is It is a common consideration that Diwali should be celebrated on the 15th day of Kartik—the holiest month in the Hindu Luna calendar. And hence, the date change resulted in a lot of backlash. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_ id=1&objectid=11463130 17 80% of the workers at AFFCO are Māori. Union organiser Darien Fenton stated that, “these actions by AFFCO Talley’s have let down other employees who have worked hard to comply and left a sour note for Māori workers on this important holiday.” http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/295956/affcothreatens-workers-over-waitangi-day Fuller, L. (2004). National days/national ways. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers.

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National holidays can reinforce and and Wellington also follow this model. This sort of discussion substantiates the frequently reiterated belief that Waitangi Day should be a time to acknowledge the past, and the problems surrounding the Treaty,13 in order to build upon for a better future.

Despite this, Waitangi Day by and large is seen as a public holiday where people spend the day at the beach, and others visit the treaty grounds. This can easily be correlated with an apparent lack of accessible community events. However, the Government helps funds Waitangi Day events—with excess money going towards planting native trees and supporting kapa haka groups throughout the country.14 There is a family event at Bastion Point with kai and kite flying, while Wellington showcase their Waka fleets, share Māori myths and legends, and hold kapa haka performances. Similarly, Rotorua’s living Māori village “whakanuia” hold cultural activities, games, crafts, and discussion. Other regions in New Zealand hold small-scale events.15 Comparing Waitangi Day activities to national holidays of other countries—also associated with some form of historical conflict—provides perspective on how conflict has been dealt with appropriately, or, in some cases, has been overlooked. The text Australia Day: A Day for All Australians (Pearson & O’Neill) explores the appropriateness of Australia’s national holiday and how it reflects the culture and identity of modern Australia. It does not focus on the complex conflict between aborigines and colonists. The authors believe that Australia has progressed culturally and politically from a nostalgic celebration of British settlement into a true celebration of Australia as a postcolonial multicultural society. This is an interesting, as others would say that Australia has not been progressive with indigenous race relations, especially when compared to New Zealand.

sometimes redefine values of societies and individuals.

To avoid cultural appropriation, one must first understand the culture; and each individual holds a personal understanding or interpretation of this. Decisions made by someone who does not have this knowledge nor involvement in the community can be inappropriate.16 When Māori AFFCO (Auckland Farmer’s Freezing Company) workers were being threatened with disciplinary action if they refused to work on the public holiday, correspondence remained polite.17 Polleta, in “Can You Celebrate Dissent? Holidays and Social Protest,” discussed how protest become ritual. Consequently, media coverage which becomes predominantly about the protests themselves take away from the event, and the symbolic nature of the day. Although this AFFCO case has not been blown up to the extent of previous protests, it left employees in distrust of the company. National holidays can reinforce and sometimes redefine values of societies and individuals.

(Etzioni, A. & Bloom, J., 2004) Therefore, they have a powerful and important role in the context of a nation.

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Theoretical discussion Körero ariö Richard and Ryan in “National Days National Ways”

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acknowledge the different meanings of Waitangi Day for people: as a day off, a celebration, a national day of diversity, to a day filled with conflict and tension.

These are also not generalised to any ethnicity (for example, Māori, negative; Pākehā, positive or apathetic). Individuals within cultures respond individually.

They conclude, however, that for the entire nation, it may only come to be seen as truly a National Day of thanksgiving once Māoridom can be celebrated without contexts to be justified; ie, once claims have been settled. Protests do not belong to the day.

In contrast, McAllistair19 believes that is it right for Māori to express their feelings on Waitangi Day. He does not see the day as a celebration, or believes it should be one. Rather, he maintains that it is an “annual enactment of the Treaty,” referencing biculturalism. He quotes Durie (2008): “the idea of partnership and a commitment to work together.” Orange, also furthers this notion: “we are still working on that relationship—like most relationships it needs caring for. That caring must come through a union of hearts and minds within our nation.20” This idea of a relationship extends to all people of the Nation.

To reflect on ourselves and our country was noted as an important part of the day by the authors. This sort of introspection is not assigned to either Māori or Pākehā cultures, but can be participated in by any people of the Nation.

Robinson21 also upholds Waitangi Day’s bi-cultural significance, but asserts that the day should be inclusive of all cultures in NZ. She looks to the 1974 New Zealand Day as a paradigm for the future. Waitangi Day has two issues: the Treaty, and Nationhood; but these do not have to be separately addressed, and instead should both become integral for the day. Following the format of New Zealand Day, the history of the Treaty and cultural traditions (hui, meeting and discussion etc) should begin the day in a serious/reflective tone, but can move towards music, food, and festivities from all cultures later on.

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Fuller, L. (2004). National days/national ways. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers.

19 McAllister, P. (2007). Waitangi Day: An Annual Enactment of the Treaty?. Sites, 4(2), 155-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.11157/sitesvol4iss2id78 20 Flavell, M. (2014). What Waitangi Day means to you. Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from https:// my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/what-waitangiday-means-to-you/ 21 Robinson, H. (2016). Making a New Zealand Day : the creation and context of a national holiday. New Zealand Journal Of History, 46(1), 37-49.

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Methodology & Methods Whäinga The research we undertook used qualitative and

quantitative methods: surveys and interviews. Our survey focused on Auckland residents of the younger demographic (18-30 years old), inquiring into their perceptions of Waitangi Day and the Treaty of Waitangi. This method was a quick way to gather a lot of quantitative information without a lot of effort, providing a good overview and revealing general trends.

We also created an additional in-depth survey which was sent to particular people who were not available for an personal/in-person interview, and whom we felt opinions would be valuable.

We wanted to conduct qualitative interviews with local iwi, Auckland Council, Auckland Tourism and Events, and Bay of Islands iwi. Qualitative interviews encourage a rapport to be built, especially in situations where it may be more comfortable for the participant to disclose personal opinions on a sensitive topic. In order to be culturally appropriate, we preferred to talk to iwi in person. Feedback could be instant; questions and answers clarified. In some paper interviews (where the participant was unavailable in person or over the phone), some people did not understand the question, and we so did not receive any data.

It was important to us to ensure our research methods were ethical. We prepared an informed consent form explaining our project. This also included a risk statement. We were aware that opinions of our participants could different from other iwi members, and that there was potential for us to misrepresent these as those of the general community. To ensure confidentiality we also made to sure to remove identification for participants who wished to be anonymous. This process proved to be both successful and unsuccessful, we managed to gather information from participants who requested to remain anonymous.

However, despite this option, we were declined by some: “Our views to Waitangi Day are special to us.

Therefore I do not wish to participate.”

Structured Interview (in-person, email, phone) Structured Questionnaire (online/offline)

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Don’t Know 14%

I think so, but i’m not sure 9%

I know the month that it is in 8%

Do you know what day Waitangi Day is ?

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Key Findings Kitenga matua Age

survey monkey B

80 70 60

Amount of people

ased on the online survey, we were able to obtain a broad overview on people’s thoughts regarding Waitangi Day and their views on the way it is approached.

Although this information was insightful, authenticity of the respondent’s answers are not reliable. Some only responded with single word answers—which may indicate that they were in a rush or otherwise were not answering truthfully. Other respondents may have just been answering what they thought is what we wanted to hear, rather than voicing their own opinions. Others were unclear of questions and showed hesitation in their answers, giving no strong viewpoint or suggestions; “sitting on the fence.”

Key findings discovered from the survey were that people are unsure how to go about Waitangi Day. Most people claimed they had an 8/10 depth of knowledge, however, when it came to knowing what was culturally appropriateness, most were unsure. We have also been mindful in that although people say they have strong knowledge about Waitangi Day, it is impossible to know whether they actually know as much as think they might.

50 40 30 20 10 0 < 18

18-30

31-50 Ages

Ethnicity

European / Pakeha 53% Maori 17% Asian 14% Pasific Islander 7% Other 9%

51-65

65+

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Do you identify Waitangi Day as NZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Holiday?

Yes 79%

No 21%

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Is it considered appropriate to commemorate Waitangi Day? The vast majority of respondents said that Waitangi Day in Auckland should be commemorated in a festive manner such as a “big parade down the middle of Queen St” (respondent #34). Most people use this day as a holiday and spend time with family or relaxing. “Waitangi Day has no service locally, other than a national public holiday, there is nothing to be done/ What is considered respectful and appropriate is never really talked about”#57 “What is appropriate can be different for different people” #52 This leads us to understand that the public are aware that Waitangi Day is not acknowledged to its full potential—but also, that there is a lack of education surrounding the topic.

Some respondents said they “would like to have more education about it” (respondent #43).

There were some who disagreed about changing the mood to a national festival: “Feel like food stalls and clothes etc are a bit off what Waitangi Day is about I would say a traditional hangi would fit in and lots of people to help” #74 Overall, the consensus was to have a day where people could be involved and enjoy being a New Zealander.

Yes 72%

No 28%

Should every culture ce lebrate Waitangi Day?

Other

Festivals

H ow should Auckland Celebrate Waitangi Day?

Yes 60% 0

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No 22% Amount of people

Note: This data was an attempt at gaining quantative data however the majority of people agreed on celebrating Waitangi day as a festival within Auckland.

Opinion 18%

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interview s D espite our efforts, we received back little interLeonie Hayden

Mana Editor

William Hori

Northern Iwi

Dieneke Jansen

Visual Arts [AUT]

Paul Moon

NZ History [AUT]

+ anonymous

Auckland Iwi Auckland Council

est in our research from key parties (Auckland Māori iwi, Auckland City Council). We especially wanted to hear from Māori representatives to gain their valuable opinions and knowledge on Waitangi Day. We reached out to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Qiane Matata Sipa at Makaura Mareae, Zaelene Maxwell- Butler at Ngai Mihi Uru Hau, Josy – Ngati Te Ata Te Wheke Moko and V.M Tauhai, a lecturer at Massey University. We are still awaiting replies from David Mcintosh, the Auckland City Council events manager. Initial contact suggested he was interested and willing to help. The event coordinators at Polyfest were also contacted numerous times and have not replied. Rewi Spraggon,22 was also sent our interview questions. The research process was long-winded, and in the end, disappointing. It is important for our research to hear from those in authority who have influence over Waitangi Day in Auckland, but we did not end up with any data from our key stakeholders.

After collating the data we did gather, we noticed a general difference of opinion compared to our survey; namely, that youth seemed to want a festive day, while our interviewees were more interested in recognising the historical and social aspects. Our interviewees were people who had greater knowledge of the Treaty and New Zealand’s history, and were much older than our target demographic for our design solution. This was valuable as we gathered insightful reflections on the day; perhaps correlated to depth of understanding/ awareness of the culture.

William Hori, Wai Claimant in Te Paparahi o Te Raki Waitangi Tribunal Hearings, believes that the day should not be a celebration, due to the grievances between Ngapuhi and the Crown, which “alienated our people from our land and resources.” For him, only once these grievances are settled, will the day be one for all people to celebrate. The main consensus gathered from our interviews was indeed that Waitangi Day must not brush over these injustices; they are integral components to the meaning of the day (D. Jansen, Visual Arts lecturer—AUT, and various anonymous).

Leonie Hayden, Mana magazine editor, agrees and explains: “we have no unified way to celebrate because too many of our population are ignorant of the meaning and repercussions of the Treaty.”

Paul Moon, history Professor and Treaty of Waitangi lecturer at AUT, provided a different point of view. He questioned whether there was even such a

We were interested hear more about his opinion on Waitangi Day, and his insight into Matarik, following this article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_ id=1&objectid=11474204 22

thing as a New Zealand culture. “Identity is a construct, and we “pick and mix” cultures. Individuals manifest aspects of the culture they connect with.”

This was a new concept we came across in the scope of our research, we had not questioned further past what cultural appropriateness was. “Culture” itself, is also not definite and changes over time.

What was also interesting was how Moon’s personal conviction was essentially a Western individualistic ideal, opposite to the belief of Hayden, and anonymous participants, who valued the idea of community and Māori kaitiakitanga (guardianship). They asserted that this is foundational for fostering respect amongst family and thus, cross-cultural understanding in wider communities.

All interviewees questioned the notion of “culturally appropriateness,” as it “implies that someone is making a judgement that what is appropriate and that is sort of troubling as it doesn’t allow freedom of thought. The only people who should be able to interpret cultural appropriateness is each individual for themselves” (Paul Moon), and anonymous, who said “I don’t want to judge choices and behaviours of others in relation to this. Collectively we act and express in ways that are likely important from certain perspectives.”

After foregrounding current issues between the treaty, sustaining customs and traditions were important to interviewees. Both Will and Leonie detailed these expectations, prioritising: 1.Te Tiriti, 2.Te Ao Māori, and 3. Respect of Tikanga Māori.

Important practices to uphold on the day itself are: Haka, Powhiri, Karakia, Waiata, and display of different cultural dances, naval salute, gun salute, closing prayer and hymn. There was an agreement that cultural dances and food should be involved, and people were welcome to participate, only if they wanted to.

As long as respect and appreciation is maintained. “A celebration of tikanga Māori will positively impact a community, as it creates understanding.” Most significantly, the data confirmed that the concept of cultural appropriateness itself was irrelevant: aWhat people choose to do with this understanding is up to them, but I wouldn’t say that there are set of rules or regulations that need to be followed in regards to this day.”

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A celebration of tikanga Mäori will positively impact a community, as it creates understanding.

It’s not a matter of what is appropriate and what isn’t. It’s a matter of having an understanding of the historical significance of the Treaty, and how NZ came to be.

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Waitangi who why what when where

ko wai he aha ai he aha äwhea no whea

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Design recommendation Tauira hoahoa A common suggestion that came up was to “rebrand”

Waitangi Day to something else, such as New Zealand Day, Kiwiana Day and Matariki. Even though this engages a wider range of New Zealanders to participate in celebrations of the Treaty of Waitangi, we do not believe this is a culturally appropriate solution, as past attempts were responded to negatively (NZ Day 1974).

Others suggested we look at how other countries and cultures celebrate their national days, such as Australia Day, which is viewed very positively overall.

Even though Australia Day is mostly viewed as a day for partying, they still have more family-friendly ways of celebrating, such as parades, and more formal ways of celebrating, such as citizenship ceremonies, Australia Day Honours and the Australian of the Year presentation.

In terms of creating change—as our research was focussed mainly at youth engagement, with seventy seven percent of our survey answered by people between the age of eighteen and thirty—we need to create design solutions appropriate for this audience.

With this in mind we are proposing an advertising campaign focusing on the idea of Who, What, Where, Why, When/ Waitangi. Using alliteration in a slogan to be memorable, the strategy will involve two components: education (formal, historical, social), and awareness. The awareness campaign will use online social media in addition to print material.

One digital platform which is currently very popular amongst youth is Snapchat. Snapchat filters are highly interactive.23

A recent advertising campaign by Richards Partners and Motion Sickness Studios used Snapchat effectively for social change.24 The initiative was to reduce the “cool factor” associated with smoking, by asking young Aucklanders to creatively shame smokers by editing out the smoker’s face with the use of drawings and emojis. This captures our ideal target audience. Another interesting current design we can look to for inspiration are the Māori emojis or ‘Emotiki’ with 150 Māori related emoticons and a selections of gifs. This is a modern vernacular promoting Māori culture in a fun and also respectful way.

Using Snapchat in a casual manner for Waitangi Day events uses a simple idea to subconsciously instil positive associations when youth engage (either by creating their own Snaps, or by viewing others). There is also the possibility to create a Snapchat Story for the day where people can share their own Waitangi Day celebrations. This could act as an incentive to help people actually participate in events or do cool things that are worthy of making the official snapchat story. This could be promoted with other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, or as a campaign in tandem with print.

Some of our initial Snapchat face filters concepts include the ability of two people engaging in a Hongi.

A traditional Māori ritual for greeting which involves the participants pressing their noses together.25 It symbolises the idea of the joining of people in celebration. A second face filter concept is a little bit more

lighthearted, where a tiki will be superimposed over the participant’s face and if they open their mouth a tongue will poke out. Another concept we had for a story filter was the ability to sign your name to a treaty (not the Waitangi one itself as this would be culturally insensitive), collating signatures amongst other Aucklanders. We can also incorporate classic kiwi icons, such as the Tiki, Ferns, Kiwi. We understand that these are cliches, but applied in a considered way on Snapchat, which is an informal and casual platform, is a suitable way to grab attention and generate engagement—in a small way contributing to building a sense of nationalism—and raising questions regarding cultural identity.

Geofilters • Snapchat. (2016). Snapchat.com. Retrieved 13 June 2016, from https://www.snapchat.com/geofilters 24 Riddiford, J. (2015). Richards Partners and Motion Sickness Studio try to get young Aucklanders to heap creative Snapchat shame on smokers. Stoppress.co.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://stoppress.co.nz/news/snappedout-counties-manukauhealth-teams-richards-partners-and-motion-sickness-studiosnap-smokers http://stoppress.co.nz/news/snappedout-counties-manukauhealth-teams- richards-partners-and-motion-sickness-studiosnap-smokers 25 Derby, M. (2016). Māori manners and social behaviour – ngā mahi tika – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Teara.govt.nz.

Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/Māorimanners-and-social-behaviour-nga-mahi-tika 22

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AUCKLAND CELEBRATES WAITANGI

Conclusion Mutunga To achieve a considered cultural appropriateness,

Waitangi Day should retain cultural traditions and formalities—commemorate the history and acknowledge our achievements over time—but also involve festivities for anyone who wants to celebrate in that way, but not as the only way for people to celebrate. National pride in “racing, rugby, and beer’ and ‘quarter-acre, half-pint, pavlova paradise’ are cliches many New Zealanders do not authentically identify with, and should not be tacked onto Waitangi Day. Membership in a cultural group is based on behaviour and beliefs, not on inherent characteristics.

Ultimately, as people of this land, we should be encouraged to spend time together, treating each other and our homes with dignity, respect and aroha; the truest sense of “thanksgiving.”

The problem is, how do we prompt engagement; promote change? The politics and seriousness surrounding Waitangi Day is preventing participation with the young generation. Waitangi Day lacks fun; fun seems to be inappropriate. To combat this there needs to be a change in the tone of conversation. Fun may not be appropriate, but to be festive—in a giving thanks way—can be respectful. Post primary and/ or secondary education, the media perpetuates an apathetic binary narrative to the day. Political issues, such as the TPPA, are a part of society and cannot be avoided; and it is difficult to control what the media shows. Instead of a top-down approach, long-lasting change will occur via grass-roots up.

Although these complications exist, from an outsider’s perspective, Waitangi Day and the Treaty is seen as a unique and positive sentiment that was shared together with the settlers and the indigenous people. And in recent years, the desire to make our country the best it can be, and to be proud of that, is apparent: “When you look around the world it’s kind of an amazing accomplishment. It’s a long way from perfect but it marks the start of a wonderful and forward thinking country,” Guy Williams (2016).

“Today there’s an opportunity to move forward, to recognise what has happened in the past and create a future, not only for today’s generation, but for those that are still to arrive,” Morehu Wilson,Ngáti Paoa (Auckland War Memorial Museum Treaty Exhibition, 2016).

AUCK LAN D C EL EB RATES WAI TAN GI

RUA TEK AU M A W HI TU

“ Today there’s an opportunity to move forward, to recognise what has happened in the past and create a future, not only for today’s generation, but for those that are still to arrive.”

— Morehu Wilson, Ngáti Paoa

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ROPU T I K A

MAKAYLA ASHBY

MEGAN AU

JORDAN LODGE-BOS

ROMANA RIEGLER

Treading Carefully