The South’s official Waitangi Day commemorations, held in Queenstown this year, featured performances, political discussion, food and — in a very Queenstown move — some Hollywood star power.
Every third year, the official event moves inland, rotating around communities in Otago and Southland.
Queenstown was the host for the first time since 2019, representatives of every council in the region, as well as government representatives and Ngāi Tahu, attended the commemorations at the Queenstown Recreation Ground.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for an area popular as a location for the screen industry, one of the event’s other guests was Hollywood actor Jason Momoa, a regular visitor to the resort town and a guest of Ngāi Tahu at the event.
Mr Momoa has lineage to Hawaiki and ancestral links to Aotearoa.
The commemorations ended with a panel discussion featuring Te Pāti Māori MP Takuta Ferris, who levelled some criticism at Act New Zealand leader David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, te reo Māori advocate and academic Hana O’Regan, Ngāi Tahu leader Edward Ellison and University of Otago professor of politics Janine Hayward.
A more informal Waitangi Day celebration was held at the Queenstown Gardens in the afternoon.
Organised by kaupapa Māori non-profit Mana Tāhuna, it featured live music, games for tamariki and food vendors.
Meanwhile, Dunedin’s Octagon was a cultural melting pot, teeming with people of diverse ethnicities for the Waitangi Day Whānau Festival.
The annual event kicked off with a karakia, some speeches and a waiata, before the crowd was invited to enjoy kai and musical entertainment.
"It’s really good to see the support of the wider community.
"The Treaty of Waitangi is not just a Māori thing, it’s a nation thing.
"It is absolutely welcome support in the time and the political context which we’re in.
"We’re looking to see where that support is at the moment. It can be pretty lonely, otherwise — being a political football."
She said the Treaty was part of New Zealand’s identity, and not something that should be played with.
"We should tear up the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. It’s a completely pointless exercise.
"However, we’re also really grateful for the support and positivity from people across the country who have made submissions against it."
Among the hundreds who attended the festival was three-time Olympic gold medallist and retired New Zealand rower and road cyclist Hamish Bond.
He was there with his family and revelled in the atmosphere.
"Any day when people can come together and listen to some good music and show good community spirit is a great thing for Dunedin."
