Treaty walk to raise awareness

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Historian and Kai Tahu Whanui Ki Otago exhibition co-curator Bill Dacker leads a tour through the Otago Settlers Museum exhibition aimed at increasing awareness of the Treaty of Waitangi and its effects on society. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Dunedin landmarks went through a metamorphosis in the minds of about 50 people on a historical tour of the city, as a freelance historian described their significance to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Writer Bill Dacker, a specialist in Maori history of the lower half of the South Island, celebrated Waitangi Day by leading two 60-minute tours around the Kai Tahu Whanui Ki Otago exhibition at the Otago Settlers Museum on Saturday before showing how landmarks in the city related to the treaty.

The educational tour gave details of early relationships between Europeans and Maori in Otago, and showed how they were affected by the treaty.

"It's a walk through the past with references to the Waitangi treaty.

This is about increasing awareness of the treaty and how it shaped our society," he said.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz [2]