Treaty Of Waitangi Documents On Display

Yesterday I took my teenage boys to view the original Treaty of Waitangi documents at the Archives New Zealand (National Archives) in Wellington. They don’t normally open at the weekend, but did yesterday to mark the 170th anniversary of the signing. The Treaty, after restoration from damage caused by age, rats and water damage, is displayed in glass cabinets in a vault – the Constitution Room - and has subdued lighting to protect the parchment and paper of the nine documents that form the written Treaty. To my surprise the boys were as interested in the original Treaty as I was and they clearly enjoyed telling me the odd fact or two that I hadn’t been previously aware of!

Also housed in the vault were a number of other precious historical documents including the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition.

Waitangi Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on where we have come from and how we have evolved as a nation. In 2006 I went to Waitangi and was impressed with the positive attitudes and welcoming environment I saw. It was the first peaceful Waitangi Day for some time and this was probably due to the fact that the Maori Party had just been elected to parliament.

Media commentary in the run-up to Waitangi Day for the past couple of years has largely focussed on flags, Republic vs Monarchy, National Anthems and this year there was even a survey on whether or not we should replace New Zealand as the name of our country! These topics all provoke a wide range of responses, especially the flag debate. Although symbolic these debates only address the cosmetic – as one friend said to me recently “the paint on the yacht that is New Zealand”. The real issue we should be addressing is a constitution for New Zealand – principles that our legislative framework operates on. I’m not saying it will be easy but it is, in my view, an essential basis for the future of New Zealand. Then we can decide on a flag and a National Anthem that represents everyone.