which many in Māoridom and beyond perceived to be an attack on Māori rights and te Tiriti o Waitangi. The streets of the small tourist town were gridlocked, and car horns were in full blast.

“Although our culture is ever moving, our history is set,” says Mori Rapana, Māori cultural manager at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. “In order to understand the present, you have to start ...

The week-long commemorations culminate on Waitangi Day. Despite the often hot and sticky February weather, people bundle up in jackets and blankets to travel to the upper Treaty grounds before ...