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ARATOI VOICES Why do we honour national treasures?

He aha to tino taonga? What makes something precious?

Over the weekend to celebrate Waitangi Day, a colleague and I were talking about why this holiday was so precious to us a nation.

It started me thinking about why we think of things as precious and how different people can use the term in a variety of ways.

The dictionary gives the word precious as an adjective. Something of high price or great value; very valuable or costly; like precious metals or made from precious materials. Something that is highly esteemed for some spiritual, non-

Moa bones from the Aratoi collection. PHOTO/SUPPLIED material, or moral quality. A precious memory, dear; beloved or a precious child. Something that is affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice: to have precious manners. Aratoi holds many precious objects, but they may not all have significant value or be made out of precious materials. Some of our most precious taonga are worthy because of the story or memory it holds or because of the person who made it.

We have some precious collection objects that are extremely rare, so that we only have one or two in our care. Our small assortment of unbroken moa bones carefully packed away in the collection room are precious not only for their rarity, but also for how delicate and fragile they are.

We are all different and what may be precious to one person may not be precious to someone else. An object could be precious because of who made it or who it used to belong to. It may be precious because of the memories associated with it.

Have a look around your home, what is precious to you? Is it expensive or rare? Highly sentimental or beloved? Perhaps a childhood toy that you have wonderful memories of or a precious friend that has looked after you when you were unwell.

We all have something precious, and no matter how you celebrated the Waitangi Day, Aotearoa New Zealand is an extremely precious place for us all.

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INTERNATIONALLY SPEAKING Economic risks facing our world to be discussed

Dr Alan Bollard will be the first 2022 speaker at the Wairarapa branch of the Institute of International Affairs in Masterton this month. His subject: ‘World Economic Risks Ahead’.

As Bollard said: “We know what covid has done to our business and personal lives. But what about the bigger picture? Western economies have suffered a series of big shocks – trade wars and anti-globalist policies, a huge pandemic, and realisation about the massive resources required for climate mitigation.”

Bollard will question what that has done to the finances and economies of the Western nations – covid spending, government debt, cheap money, central bank easing, stock markets, house prices, supply chain bottlenecks, inflation and household spending.

“We have never seen some of these things before,” he says, “and there are some big financial risks ahead, both for Western relations and for Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Dr Alan Bollard was the executive director of the APEC Secretariat based in Singapore, the world’s largest regional body that promotes trade, investment and sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific. He is now a Professor of Practice at the School of Government, Wellington School of Business and Government, and inaugural holder of the Chair for Pacific Region Business.

• The meeting will be at Rosewood, 417 Queen Street, Masterton at 8pm on Thursday, February 17. Vaccine passes, masks and social distancing required. For more information contact secretary Aileen Weston, phone: (06) 372 5741, email: aileen. weston@orcon.net.nz

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COULD YOU QUALIFY FOR 25% OFF YOUR DOG REGO?

Does this sound like you? y property is fully fenced y at least one door is accessible by visitors without encountering the dog y dog is de-sexed and microchipped y registration has been paid on time for two years y dog has not been the subject of a substantiated complaint in the previous two years. If the answer is yes, you may be eligible for our responsible dog owner status, saving you 25 per cent off your dog registration fee. An application fee of $20 (non refundable) applies, and you can apply via the website or at the Queen Street Office. Applications close 31 March. Note: some dogs, including rural, menacing by deed, or dangerous dogs are not eligible. Further details available at: www.mstn.govt.nz