Tim Beveridge: Waitangi Day - has it been overdone?

I don't mind telling you, I've kind of been dreading making any sort of editorial comment or opinion on Waitangi Day. 

Not because I don't think it's significant, but because I feel an expectation to say something about its importance in our calendar, how it's an opportunity to reflect on our history, and how we should use it to think about the way ahead. 

Or something like that. 

I'm not about to deny that it's an important day - especially for iwi and the Crown within the context of Treaty settlements and Crown-iwi relations. 

But if I am honest - I'm kind of over it. 

And I'd hazard a guess that for many people, the first think on their minds isn't politics or history - it's: What's the weather doing for our day off? 

So, I'm not about to offer a lecture on what Waitangi means or should mean. There's no shortage of that if that's what you are seeking. 

I guess I've just seen enough news coverage that either lectures us on what we should be thinking or pushes the most inflammatory images or stories they can get their hands on. 

Of course, it's understandable that the feisty stuff will be what makes the news, but should we really be surprised that so many people are tuning out?

I think that many of us have just grown weary with the predictable news cycle around Waitangi. 

It's our own version of Groundhog Day - where we have the same pattern of event, the same dramas, the same tensions. Then, when the day itself rolls around, we're told what a wonderful occasion it is and how you really have to visit Waitangi to appreciate it as our national day. 

Essentially, I don't think events in the lead up to Waitangi represent us very well. 

They don't reflect how we relate to each other as New Zealanders. And they certainly don't make us feel united as a country - or even particularly good about ourselves. 

Which is a shame, because the endless politicising of race in New Zealand betrays how well New Zealanders get on with each other. 

We've been meeting, marrying, forming friendships, and building families together for generations. New Zealand today is a truly multicultural society. 

In a few weeks' time, the netball season will be underway, and as I've said before on my show, if you want to see the New Zealand I relate to - you'll find it there. 

Every night of competition, hundreds of kids and adults gather to play, compete, and have fun. 

The faces you'll see are from a multitude of races, backgrounds, and cultures - all just getting stuck in and enjoying themselves. 

That is the face of New Zealand today, and not one that is represented by what we often see unfolding in the lead up to Waitangi Day, when once again, we're defined and divided by race - Pākehā vs Māori.

And frankly? I'm bored with it. 

Now, there will be people who say: Oh, but you really have to go to Waitangi to appreciate what a wonderful occasion it is!

That may well be true. But if the meaning of our national day can only be fully grasped by physically being in one place, then it's hardly the unifying celebration it's supposed to be. 

That's a tough sell to five million people. 

So, when it comes to the 6th of February, I'm probably with most people - I'll just be looking out the window, hoping for sunshine, and asking: How's the weather looking?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I don't mind telling you I kind of dread making
any sort of editorial comment or opinion on Why Tounguy Day,
not because I don't think it's significant, but because there's
this sort of expectation maybe I put on myself to
say something about its importance in our calendar and how
it's an opportunity to reflect on our history and how
we should use it to think about the way ahead,
something like that. And I'm not about to deny that
it's an important day, especially for Ewe and the Crown

(00:22):
within the context treaty settlements and Crown Ewee relationships. But
if I'm honest, I'm kind of over it. And it
hazard a guess that for many people the first thing
that comes to their minds isn't politics or history. It's
looking at the window and go, what's the weather doing
for our day off? So I'm not about to offer
a lecture on what Why Tounguy means or should means,
because there's no shortage of that. If that's the sort

(00:43):
of opinion you're seeking, I guess in the lead up
to it, I've just seen enough news coverage that either
lectures us on what we should be thinking or pushes
the most inflammatory images or stories that we can get
you the media, you can get the hands on, and
of course it's understandable the feisty stuff will always be
the sort of thing that makes the news. But should
we really be surprised that so many people are tuning

(01:04):
out of the actual day. I think that many of
us have just grown weary with the predictable news cycle
around White Tonguy. It's our own version of Groundhog Day.
Were the same pattern of events, the same dramas, the
same tensions, then when you have the day itself rolls
around today and it does seem like a beautiful day,
and we told what a wonderful occasion is and how
you really have to visit Whiteitanngy to appreciate our national day. Essentially,

(01:28):
I just don't think the events and the lead up
to it represent us very well. They don't relate reflect
or how we relate to each other as New Zealanders,
and they certainly don't make us feel united as a
country or even particularly good about ourselves, which is a
shame because there's this endless politicizing of race in New
Zealand which portrays how well we actually get on with
each other. We've been meeting, marrying, forming friendships, building families

(01:52):
for generations. And today New Zealand's a truly multicultural society.
And look in a few weeks time the netball season
gets underwe I've talked about this before, but every night,
if you go down there, you'll see hundreds of kids
and adults gathering to play, compete, have fun, and you'll
see they're all from a multitude of races, backgrounds and cultures,
all getting stuck in and enjoying themselves. That's the face

(02:13):
of New Zealand today and not one that we often
see represented by the lead up to White Tangy Day,
where it's defined just as this biracial thing of Pakier
and Murray and frankly on bored with it. And there
will be people who say, look, you've just got to
go there. It's wonderful occasion, which may be true. But
if the meaning of our national day can only be
fully grasped by physically being in one place, then it's
hardly a unifying celebration it's supposed to be and that's

(02:35):
a tough cell to five million people. So when it
comes to the sixth of February, I'm probably with most people,
I'll be looking out the window, hoping for a bit
of sunshine and asking, Hey, what's the weather looking like.
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