In New Zealand, we went north to the Bay of Islands where early British settlers made a treaty with the Maori warriors throughout New Zealand. It was signed in a little peninsula town called Waitangi, just near where we stayed. Known as the
Treaty of Waitangi, it settled land and sovereignty disputes between the settlers and the Maoris in 1840, but its enforcement and meaning remain a matter of some controversy even today. See this
link for more information. While we were there visiting the quaint town of Russell, teams of young Maoris were practicing their synchronized rowing on traditional Maori war canoes, or Waka. We got to watch as they carefully placed three long canoes in the water, practiced their synchronized strokes on the beach, then took off for water-borne practice. This was all in preparation for a big celebration on the February 6 national holiday, Waitangi Day. It was a very impressive demonstration of traditional skills by a cultural group proud of its heritage.
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| Practicing for Waitangi Day ceremonies |
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Dawn was chilly in the Bay of Islands, but we found
dolphin statues in the middle of town to warm us! |
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