Waitangi Day

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi is remembered in New Zealand on the 6th February, the date on which the treaty was first signed in the Bay of Islands between the Crown and Māori. 

About Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi is not a single large sheet of paper but a group of nine documents: seven on paper and two on parchment. Together they represent an agreement drawn up between representatives of the British Crown on the one hand and representatives of Māori iwi and hapū on the other. Named after the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed on 6 February 1840, the Treaty was also signed at locations around the country over a seven-month period.
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The 3 principles of the treaty (simplified here by montessorikiwi.com) are: 

• Partnership: working alongside together and valuing the Taonga each other brings. 
• Protection: the Treaty states it’s very important to look after Maori language, knowledge and values; 
• Participation: we need to ensure both Maori and Pakeha have the same opportunities in New Zealand. 

You can find out more about the Te Tiriti here

Waitangi Day Resources

Scripture Union have a great collection of ideas and resources to help your tamariki engage with Waitangi Day, and the Treaty of Waitangi.  These include  activities, conversation ideas, prayers etc - which could be used for kids programs or in intergenerational settings.

Teaching ideas (Top Teaching Tasks) - also have some great general non-church ideas that could be included or adapted.

Printable Activity Book (Te Papa Museum) - available in English and Te Reo

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Book

Te Tiriti O Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi 
By Ross Calman, Mark Derby, Piripi Walker, Toby Morris.
This is a bilingual graphic novel that takes a fresh and innovative look at our founding treaty. It has simple language aimed at 10- to 12-year-olds. 
Free downloadable copy
Video version

Questions

What do you know about Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
What do you think God’s dream for his world and His people are?
What do you think God's dream for Aotearoa is? Why?
What is one way you can honour the Treaty this week?

Leaders Input / Discipleship 

If you're interested in finding out more about Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi, and would like to dig into what this means for us today, then you might like this Discipleship Pathway class, lead by Caleb Haurua. 

Caleb unpacks our rich and complicated history gently, encouraging a deeper, undiluted understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi without inferring guilt. He weaves in Biblical truths and suggests a Christian way of thinking about the Church's relationship with Māori culture. This class can even be interesting and helpful for those outside of youth ministry, who are just seeking to understand their place in the Treaty covenant today.

You can sign up and watch these videos for free on the Discipleship Pathway website

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